Praise God, we do have the Holy Spirit to
reveal to us the hidden truths in Jesus’ words. So,
let’s look in John 17 at the last prayer Jesus prayed
for His disciples before He went to the cross. This
prayer is especially important for us. Why? Look
at verse 20. Jesus says, “I’m not praying just for
these in front of Me, but also for everyone who
will believe on Me through their word.” All of us
received Jesus as Lord by the word of one or more
of these disciples—either directly or indirectly.
That means Jesus was praying that prayer for you
and me. So we need to pay close attention to it.

Let’s begin with verse 13. “And now come I to
thee; and these things I speak in the world, that
they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”
Verse 15 says, “I pray not that thou shouldest take
them out of the world, but that thou shouldest
keep them from the evil.” Jesus’ prayer indicates
that we are to live above the evil in the world.
This ties in with what He said earlier—that we
would have tribulation in the world, but to be of
good cheer because He had overcome the world.
Yes, He wants us to live above the evil, above the
trials and tests and tribulations of the world,
though we are constantly surrounded by them.
But how is that possible?

You’ll find the answer in verse 17: “Sanctify
them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” In
today’s English, Jesus is saying, “Separate them
with Your Word.” The Word of God will separate
you from the world. It is your sword. Arm
yourself with it. It will fight a winning fight.

If you’re still not totally convinced you’re a
winner, look at verses 20-21. Jesus says, “Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also which
shall believe on me through their word; that
they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me,
and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:
that the world may believe that thou hast sent
me.” Did you catch that? Jesus said, “We’re all
going to be one.” The Apostle Paul said the same
thing in 1 Corinthians 6:17. “But he that is joined
unto the Lord is one spirit.” Another translation
says, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one
spirit with Him” (New King James Version).

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of
good cheer; I have overcome the world.” In other
words, Jesus is saying, “The world will come at
you with everything it has to offer, but don’t
worry about it—I’ve already beaten it—I’ve
already overcome the world.”

Now when Jesus said He had overcome the
world, He wasn’t referring to just 99 percent of
it. He said, “I have overcome the world.” One
hundred percent of it! It makes no difference
what problems the world brings to your
doorstep. Just turn to Jesus and you’re
guaranteed to conquer those problems because
He has already overcome every one.

There’s something else in that scripture I want
you to notice. Jesus said, “…that in me ye might
have peace.” He was teaching here about being
one with Him and the Father, and telling us that
our battles here on this earth don’t have to keep
us in turmoil. He has guaranteed our victory, so if
we’ll just trust in Him, we can have peace, even
in the midst of trouble.

When Jesus said these things, He was
speaking to His disciples—men who had been
with Him day and night for three years. Yet they
couldn’t grasp what it meant to be “in Him” as
well as you and I can today. You see, the Holy
Spirit had not yet come to dwell in them, and
without the Holy Spirit, it’s impossible to
understand spiritual things. It takes the Holy
Spirit to reveal even simple truths, like the
reality of being born again.

Just think of it. These men had never even
heard of being born again! Jesus told Nicodemus
about it, but Nicodemus thought He was talking
about a man going back into his mother’s womb.
Jesus told him, “I’m speaking of heavenly things,
and you don’t even understand earthly things.”
(See John 3:1-12.) These men had no concept of
what Jesus was about to do at Calvary. They had
no idea that through His death and resurrection,
He was to become the firstborn from the dead
and issue forth a new race of born-again winners
filled with the mighty Spirit of God, Himself.
Only after the Holy Spirit came on the Day of
Pentecost could they see what Jesus had been
saying. Then Peter stood up and boldly preached
the Word of God by revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Can you see what a change the Holy Spirit
brought in his life?

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

God wrote the Bible as a code book. The
book of Proverbs says that God has hidden
godly wisdom for His people. That’s the way
He wants it. But in this portion of Scripture,
God goes an unusual step further and asks,
“Who is he that overcometh the world?” In
other words, God is spelling it out, so we can’t
possibly miss it. He is saying, “This is the way
I see it—whatsoever is born of Me overcomes
the world; and who is he that overcomes the
world, but he that believes that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of the living God?”

This statement can also be read another way:
“None but those who believe that Jesus is the
Christ will ever overcome the world.” No matter
how smart, how strong or how rich you become,
you can never truly be a winner—you can never
really overcome the world—without Jesus as
your Lord.

That means this world will never be overcome
by a government, a political system or a monetary
system. Money will never overcome the world!
When the Bible talks about “the world,” it is
speaking of the dominion of darkness, the god of
this world, the evil spirit—Satan—that operates
in the world. Without Jesus Christ as their Lord,
no man or system will ever in any way, form or
fashion, be able to overcome the world. It simply
can’t be done.

But, on the other hand, if you are born of
Him, you have an absolute, perfect, God-given,
blood-bought right to overcome every aspect of
the world—everything it could possibly send
your way!

It doesn’t matter how much you feel like a
loser. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve
failed in the past. If you believe Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of the living God, then you’ve
committed yourself to overcoming the world. And
you’ve been given the power to do it. You’ve
become more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). If
you believe the Word of God, then you should
respond to every challenge by saying, “Well,
praise God, I’m an overcomer!” That should be
your attitude. Does having this attitude guarantee
you won’t have any more trouble? No! It simply
means you can go through that trouble and
emerge triumphant.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

But, you know what? You have an even better
reason to have a winning attitude than the general
did. God has guaranteed your success. Let me
show you what I mean. Imagine you’re about to
tackle a really tough job. Before you even get
started, God speaks to you right out loud and
says, “I just want you to know, I’m going to
personally see to it that this project you’re
working on succeeds.” Wouldn’t that give you a
tremendous feeling of confidence? Even if you ran
into some rough spots, you wouldn’t worry about
failing because you would have God’s word that
you were going to succeed. That would make it
easy to have a winning attitude, wouldn’t it?

Well, let me tell you something. You do have
God’s promise that you’ll succeed. He said in His
Word that you’re an “overcomer”! In Him, you can
overcome any problem the world throws your way.

Read 1 John 5:1-5:

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the
Christ is born of God: and every one that
loveth him that begat loveth him also
that is begotten of him. By this we know
that we love the children of God, when
we love God, and keep his commandments.
For this is the love of God, that
we keep his commandments: and his
commandments are not grievous. 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?

God is being unusually explanatory here. He
doesn’t normally give such in-depth explanations
of things that are written in the Word of God. The
reason: He intends that we take what He says by
faith, go to Him, and allow the Holy Spirit to
reveal it to our hearts. That way the devil isn’t
tipped off to what it means.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

You’ve probably heard it said, “It’s not whether
you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”
Do you believe that?
I don’t!

Man was created to be a winner. The Bible
tells us so! In Genesis, for example, we read that
man was originally put on earth as dominating
lord (Genesis 1:26-30). God gave him dominion
over the earth and everything that crept, flew,
crawled and breathed there. In fact, man didn’t
even know what it meant to lose until he
separated himself from God through disobedience
in the Garden of Eden. It wasn’t until then that
man ran headlong into defeat. He was forced to
accept failure as his lot in life, lowering himself to
a subordinate position—a position he was never
meant to occupy.

It’s a sad story. But if you’re a born-again child
of God, I have good news. Your story has a happy
ending. Through faith in Christ Jesus, you’ve
been transformed from the inside out. You’ve
been made a winner once again!

You may be thinking, I don’t feel like a winner.
I feel like a loser—and I have plenty of failures in
my life to prove it. If that’s the case, don’t worry.
You just need a new attitude. And you can get it
from the Word of God.
In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul
told the Church to be renewed in the spirit of
their minds. That’s what you need to do. Renew
your mind to the Word of God—base your
thinking on the fact that Jesus has overcome the
world. Begin seeing yourself as a winner in Him!

I’m reminded here of something Gen. George
Patton said. He was a great commander of the
United States Army with a God-given insight into
war, and knew how vital a winning attitude could
be. Once while addressing his troops, he put it this
way: “Some of you men have come with your
minds made up to die for your country. That’s not
the way to win a war! The way to win a war is to
make your enemy die for his!” Patton had his mind
made up to win—and he knew dying wasn’t the
way to do it. He had a winning attitude.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Isaiah 1:19
KJV—If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall
eat the good of the land.

Amp—If you are willing and obedient, you
shall eat the good of the land.

Moffatt—If only you are willing to obey,
you shall feed on the best of the land.

NIV—If you are willing and obedient, you
will eat the best from the land.

Isaiah 58:10-11
KJV—If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry,
and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall
thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness
be as the noonday: And the Lord shall
guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul
in drought, and make fat thy bones: and
thou shalt be like a watered garden, and
like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Amp—If you pour out that with which you
sustain your own life for the hungry, and
satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall
your light rise in darkness and your obscurity
and gloom be as the noonday. And the
Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy
you in drought and in dry places, and make
strong your bones. And you shall be like a
watered garden and like a spring of water,
whose waters fail not.

Moffatt—If you bestow your bread upon
the hungry, and relieve men in misery, then
light shall dawn for you in darkness, your
dull hour shall be bright as noon, and evermore
shall the Eternal guide you, guarding
you without fail; he will refresh you in dry
places, and renew your strength, till you are
like a watered garden, like an oasis with a
steadfast spring.

NIV—If you spend yourselves in behalf of
the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the
noonday. The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched
land and will strengthen your frame. You
will be like a well-watered garden, like a
spring whose waters never fail.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
KJV—Blessed is the man that trusteth in
the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For
he shall be as a tree planted by the waters,
and that spreadeth out her roots by the
river, and shall not see when heat cometh,
but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be
careful in the year of drought, neither shall
cease from yielding fruit.

Amp—[Most] blessed is the man who believes
in, trusts in and relies on the Lord, and
whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For
he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
that spreads out its roots by the river, and
shall not see and fear when heat comes, but
his leaf shall be green; he shall not be
anxious and careful in the year of drought,
nor shall he cease from yielding fruit.

Moffatt—But happy he who relies on the
Eternal, with the Eternal for his confidence!
He is like a tree planted beside a stream,
reaching its roots to the water; untouched
by any fear of scorching heat, its leaves are
ever green, it goes on bearing fruit in days
of drought, and lives serene.

NIV—But blessed is the man who trusts in
the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He
will be like a tree planted by the water that
sends out its roots by the stream. It does
not fear when heat comes; its leaves are
always green. It has no worries in a year of
drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Proverbs 19:17
KJV—He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth
unto the Lord; and that which he hath
given will he pay him again.

Amp—He who has pity on the poor lends
to the Lord, and that which he has given He
will repay to him.
Moffatt—He who cares for the poor is
lending to the Eternal, and for his kindness
he shall be repaid.

NIV—He who is kind to the poor lends to
the Lord, and he will reward him for what
he has done.

Proverbs 28:13
KJV—He that covereth his sins shall not
prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh
them shall have mercy.

Amp—He who covers his transgressions
will not prosper, but whoever confesses
and forsakes his sins shall obtain mercy.

Moffatt—He who covers up his sins shall
never prosper; he who confesses and forsakes
them is forgiven.

NIV—He who conceals his sins does not
prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces
them finds mercy.

Proverbs 28:25
KJV—He that is of a proud heart stirreth
up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the
Lord shall be made fat.

Amp—He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up
strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord
shall be enriched and blessed.

Moffatt—A grasping nature stirs up enmity,
but he who trusts in the Eternal thrives.

NIV—A greedy man stirs up dissension,
but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

Proverbs 28:27
KJV—He that giveth unto the poor shall not
lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have
many a curse.

Amp—He who gives to the poor will not
want, but he who hides his eyes [from their
want] will have many a curse.

Moffatt—A man who helps the poor will
never want; he who ignores them will get
many a curse.

NIV—He who gives to the poor will lack
nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them
receives many curses.

Ecclesiastes 11:1
KJV—Cast thy bread upon the waters: for
thou shalt find it after many days.

Amp—Cast your bread upon the waters,
for you will find it after many days.

Moffatt—Trust your goods far and wide at
sea, till you get good returns after a while.

NIV—Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it again.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Proverbs 11:25
KJV—The liberal soul shall be made fat:
and he that watereth shall be watered
also himself.

Amp—The liberal person shall be enriched,
and he who waters shall himself be watered.

Moffatt—A liberal soul will be enriched,
and he who waters will himself be watered.

NIV—A generous man will prosper; he who
refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Proverbs 13:4
KJV—The soul of the sluggard desireth,
and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent
shall be made fat.

Amp—The appetite of the sluggard craves
and gets nothing, but the appetite of the
diligent shall be abundantly supplied.

Moffatt—The lazy man has longings, but gets
nothing: the diligent man is amply supplied.

NIV—The sluggard craves and gets
nothing, but the desires of the diligent are
fully satisfied.

Proverbs 13:11-13
KJV—Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished:
but he that gathereth by labour
shall increase. Hope deferred maketh the
heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is
a tree of life. Whoso despiseth the word
shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the
commandment shall be rewarded.

Amp—Wealth [not earned] but won in
haste, or unjustly, or from the production
of things for vain or detrimental use, [such
riches] will dwindle away; but he who
gathers little by little will increase them.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but
when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
Whoever despises the Word [of God] brings
destruction upon himself, but he who (reverently)
fears and respects the commandment
[of God] shall be rewarded.

Moffatt—Wealth won in haste will dwindle,
but, gathered gradually it will grow. Hope
deferred is sickening, it is new life to have
desire fulfilled. He who despises God’s decree
shall perish: to stand in awe of God’s
command is safety.

NIV—Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little
makes it grow. Hope deferred makes
the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a
tree of life. He who scorns instruction will
pay for it, but he who respects a command
is rewarded.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Proverbs 3:9-10
KJV—Honour the Lord with thy substance,
and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and
thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Amp—Honor the Lord with your capital
and sufficiency [from righteous labors], and
with the first fruits of all your income; So
shall your storage places be filled with
plenty, and your vats be overflowing with
new wine.

Moffatt—Honour the Eternal with your
wealth, and with the best of all you make;
so shall your barns be full of corn, your vats
brim over with new wine.

NIV—Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops; then
your barns will be filled to overflowing, and
your vats will brim over with new wine.

Proverbs 10:2-6
KJV—Treasures of wickedness profit nothing:
but righteousness delivereth from
death. The Lord will not suffer the soul of
the righteous to famish: but he casteth
away the substance of the wicked. He becometh
poor that dealeth with a slack
hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh
rich. He that gathereth in summer is a wise
son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son
that causeth shame. Blessings are upon
the head of the just: but violence covereth
the mouth of the wicked.

Amp—Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
but righteousness [moral and spiritual
rectitude in every area and relation] delivers
from death. The Lord will not allow the [uncompromisingly]
righteous to famish, but He
thwarts the desire of the wicked. He becomes
poor who works with a slack and idle
hand, but the hand of the diligent makes
rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise
son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son
who causes shame. Blessings are upon the
head of the [uncompromisingly] righteous—
the upright, in right standing with God; but
the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Moffatt—Ill-gotten gains are never a profit:
’tis honesty that ensures life for man. The
Eternal never stints an honest man: he
thwarts the craving of dishonest men. A
slack hand makes men poor: a busy hand
makes men rich. He who reaps in summer is
a man of sense: he who sleeps through harvest
does a shameful thing. God’s blessing is
upon the good man’s head, but the bad
man’s face shall be darkened with disaster.

NIV—Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,
but righteousness delivers from death. The
Lord does not let the righteous go hungry
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent
hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops
in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps
during harvest is a disgraceful son. Blessings
crown the head of the righteous, but violence
overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Psalm 1:1-3
KJV—Blessed is the man that walketh not
in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat
of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of
the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate
day and night. And he shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth
forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also
shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper.

Amp—Blessed—happy, fortunate, prosperous
and enviable—is the man who walks
and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly
[following their advice, their plans and purposes],
nor stands [submissive and inactive]
in the path where sinners walk, nor sits
down [to relax and rest] where the scornful
[and the mockers] gather. But his delight
and desire are in the law of the Lord, and
on His law—the precepts, the instructions,
the teachings of God—he habitually meditates
(ponders and studies) by day and by
night. And he shall be like a tree firmly
planted [and tended] by the streams of
water, ready to bring forth his fruit in its
season; his leaf also shall not fade or wither,
and everything he does shall prosper [and
come to maturity].

Moffatt—Happy the man who never goes
by the advice of the ungodly, who never
takes the sinners’ road, nor joins the company
of scoffers, but finds his joy in the
Eternal’s law, poring over it day and night. He
is like a tree planted by a stream, that bears
fruit in due season, with leaves that never
fade; whatever he does, he prospers.

NIV—Blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand
in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of
mockers. But his delight is in the law of the
Lord, and on his law he meditates day and
night. He is like a tree planted by streams
of water, which yields its fruit in season and
whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he
does prospers.

Psalm 122:6-7
KJV—They shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity
within thy palaces.

Amp—May they prosper that love you
[the Holy City]! Peace be within your walls
and prosperity within your palaces!

Moffatt—May all thy homes be safe, may all
go well within thy walls, within thy palaces!

NIV—May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls and
security within your citadels.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries