I John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Now, John tells us why God’s “commandments are not grievous” (I John 5:3). They “are not grievous”, even though obedience to our Lord came with dreadful “tribulations” (John 16:33) in Biblical times and we still endure them in our day, albeit to a lesser degree. The phrase, “whatsoever is born of God”, seems to refer to the “born again” (John 3:1-8) Children of “God” in every nationality, in every generation, and in every state of life; thus, it applies to us. To overcome is to suffer through whatever “tribulations” “the prince of this world” (John 14:30) [the devil and his minions] cast upon us and to continue to endure until the devil and his minions are withdrawn. God’s “commandments are not grievous”; for, we are blessed to endure and overcome and get “the victory” over the devil and his minions because our God-given “faith” (Hebrews 12:2) assures us that our Lord will strengthen us so that we might endure even in the most severe “tribulations”. We are greatly encouraged, knowing that our Lord “hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall” (Isaiah 25:4) and that “The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.” (Proverbs 10:29). Victory is assured in Christ Jesus our Lord; for, “he that overcometh the world” is “he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God”! And, “he that believeth” is “he that” is “born again” of the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8). So, let us endure the “tribulations” before us and continue to faithfully worship and serve our Lord, knowing that “victory” is assured.