For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:4-5

John the Apostle said that the victory that overcomes the world is our faith.  It is the seed the produces the harvest, and as it is planted, it grows, and when it is ripe, it is harvested (Mark 4:26-29).

So, we see, as are sowing good seed into the soil, the Word of the Kingdom, the harvest should be determined upon the quality of the soil (Mark 4:3-9).

What we have then, is the opportunity to have our soil improved upon, through prayer, fasting, meditation in the Word, and seeking God.  As we open our hearts more to Him, rocks are removed, and as we turn more away from the things of this world, there are less opportunities for the thorn bushes to grow.

Of particular interest in the garden of our hearts are two particular things that would keep us from producing His harvest.  they are unforgiveness and fear.

When we are growing in faith, many areas of our heart come under increased scrutiny, as the light of the Gospel penetrates and divides our every thought and intent in our heart.  As this happens, many things that we thought were resolved turn out to be rather merely forgotten, swept under the rug, as it were.

Because of this, many past hurts can cam back alive, much like a coal in a fire that was merely covered with ash.  As soon as a wind blows, it may burst into flame.

The same is true with the embers in our hearts.  As the winds of life begin to blow, and past issues are brought to life again, have we truly forgiven, or merely forgotten?

The major emphasis is on wholeness.  God said that He was One (Mark 12:29), and, as we are created in His image, we were created to be one as well.  David prayed this way,

Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

Psalm 86:11, emphasis mine

David knew the power of a united, or undivided heart.

No sinner of the world, who is not being drawn by the Holy Spirit, regularly walks around with the conscious knowledge that they are a sinner.  They know it, somewhere, that it is true, but in their outward mannerism they do not present that part of them to the outside world.

Yet, every sinner, from the least to the greatest, is guilty, and, when the full light of revelation comes to them, whether in this life or at the throne of Christ, they will see it.  But, it is precisely this aspect of the unregenerate heart, that it is deceitfully wicked, hiding itself from itself, that the Christian must have dealt with.

Jesus didn’t deal with the specifics in the Sermon on the Mount, for they can change with everyone, but he pointed to the universal outcome of a divided heart, namely sin.  He pointed to unjustified anger, which He identified as murder.  He pointed to adultery, all the way to lust which is adultery in the heart.  He pointed to other aspects of behavior which are the fruit of some root.

But, He leaves the details of the middle up to the individual (Matthew 7:24-27).  Why?  Perhaps because it wouldn’t do much good anyway without the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  Perhaps because people often need to discover it for themselves largely anyway.  Perhaps because people tend to get angry when you point to their inner workings.

So, as we look to have a united heart, and pains of the past, difficulties arise, it is often the very realms of unforgiveness, sometimes so familiar that we hardly even recognize them, that cause us to be prevented from moving forward.  We try to progress, yet we find we are snagged.  It is unforgiveness.  Yet, some have grown up so broken, that to them, the notion of wholeness is an altogether new thing.  For others, it is something they had to some degree or another, but lost along the way.

But, as we dig down deep (Luke 6:48), we find the places of hurt, the places that are stuck, and the places we don’t stay in touch with.  When these parts as brought into the light, Jesus said, it’s like the light of a lamp is shining on us (Luke 11:36).

The other aspect of overcoming by our faith is fear.  This often goes hand in hand with unforgiveness, and blocks our faith.  Faith is the product of not relying, or not trusting in God and His provision amply.  Such as it is, these two blockages often work together.  An unrevealed corner may lurk in us, held by unforgiveness through the past.  Because of it, because we are not wholly lit, as the Gospel describes, we may find it is harder to trust God in a certain area.  In this, as we encounter certain circumstances where the Word of God is clear about God’s provision and supply, we find ourselves at a loss for how to enter into faith.  We know it to be true, yet the faith to overcome seems weak, hard to supply, and difficult to maintain.

Again, the solution is to dig deep, to forgive, and to look to Him.  Indeed, perhaps the best thing we can do is hold our head up and laugh, because, perhaps, in the midst of all our pain, we have taken these things of this life a little too seriously, and the hurts and trials of this life, which will soon be over, will seem very little in the light of Eternity.

But, however we overcome it, we are told to make every effort to enter into that door.  As we do, we are taught valuable lessons along the way, and learn to overcome the fear, the pain, the unforgiveness, and stand in overcoming faith.

This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.