Romans 8:36-39 - More than conquerors

8:36

Paul quotes from Psalm 44:22. Suffering and difficulty has always been part of the life of God’s people. God takes us through difficult circumstances to lead us to a “promised land”. We experience this in small measure in our lives today. Everything God takes us through leads us to a greater degree of glory, but there is always further to go. When Christ returns we will finally have “arrived”, we will have reached the true promised land.

8:37

Though we may go through many trials in all of it we are more than conquerors. We do not merely survive, we do not merely get through, but we triumph in the circumstances. We come through stronger, knowing Christ better, and being better people than we were before they started. How is this true? It is true because of Him who loved us, through His death and resurrection.

8:38,39

Paul is convinced that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. He is convinced, this is no idle thought, no whimsical notion. It is his settled belief, settled conviction based on his knowledge of Christ and his experience.

“neither death nor life”. Death is an obvious enemy but Paul knows that when he dies Christ will raise him on the last day. Life can also be an enemy, there can be times and circumstances when death would seem a welcome relief from the battle of life. No matter what happens to us in life will it cannot separate us from God’s love. “angels or demons”. No spiritual forces can separate us from God’s love. It might seem strange for Paul to speak of angels here. The word translated angels means “messenger” and while we usually think of good angels, it could be that Paul had fallen angels in mind. “demons” can be translated “principalities” or “rulers”. Whatever the case, no matter whether spiritual or earthly forces, they cannot separate us. Absolutely nothing in creation can separate us from God’s love.

The love of God is in Christ Jesus. Jesus is the supreme means by which God makes His love known, and we need to remember that love is a much stronger word than we commonly use it today, it is not just a sentimental thing. And Jesus Christ is our Lord.