OVERCOMER OR UNDERGOER
- Andy Hollifield
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. -John 5:4 KJV
An undergoer is defined as someone who experiences, endures, or sustains something. The Merriam Webster dictionary says an overcomer is a person who overcomes something: one who succeeds in dealing with or gaining control of some problem or difficulty. To succeed means to achieve a desired aim or result. In some respects, the measure of success depends on one’s perspective. Often, to succeed means to survive a situation and come out of it still intact. You may come out a little worse for wear, and maybe even battered and bruised, but still standing.
To overcome implies that it comes with great difficulty. It can also require an excessive amount of personal effort. As Christians, we often want God to snap His fingers and instantly fix any situation we encounter. The truth is, while He may do that on occasion, usually it requires patience and faith on our part. An old adage says Anything worth having is worth working for. If you work for something, you appreciate it more.
My Dad came home from work one day in 1981 with a 1969 Chevy Nova with a 307 engine, automatic transmission, and rally wheels. The paint was fading, and the rear corner was dented, but it was mine. The car came with some conditions. First, if I didn’t want it, my Mom would be driving it. Second, I was told the monthly payments were forty-nine dollars to payoff the balance of eight hundred dollars. Third, the payments had to be made on time. Last, I had to keep it insured and maintained. All that sounded reasonable, but it was the last condition that got my attention. My father explained that if I was reckless and got into an accident, I would have to find my own way to work but my payments would be made regardless. My Dad was the kind of man that considered his word as his bond and you could take it to the bank, so to speak.
I knew Dad meant every word that he told me and I wasn’t taking any chances. I could do a burnout with ease in my little hot rod but seldom did. I had to keep good tires on my car. If I got a ticket for driving on bald tires, it would be mine to pay plus making the repairs. My dad wasn't a hard man. He was trying to mold me into a responsible person. Once, when the alternator went out, he picked me up at work and loaned me money to replace it until I got paid. I did the work myself and repaid his loan when I got paid. He always told my brother and I that if we were acting responsibly and our vehicle broke down; he would do all he could to help us get it back on the road.
To snap my fingers and my alternator start working again would’ve been nice, but it wasn’t realistic. I had to undergo the agony of not having my car until I got it fixed. I overcame this by continuing to work even though the cost of that part put a dent in my paycheck. Those few days weren’t pleasant lying under the car changing an alternator for the first time. The internet wasn't available yet for me to research. Now, we pull up a video online and can repair just about anything. The only instructions I had were what came in the box and in an old Chilton’s Auto Repair manual for the year, make, and model of my car. I had a great sense of accomplishment knowing that I could now replace an alternator if necessary. I had undergone a difficult time, but when it was over, I had overcome my problem with total success.
I had faith in myself that I could do the repairs on my car. Yet, with the Lord, It's more important to put faith in him to overcome our problems. Sometimes, it’s a quick fix, but those times don’t require nearly as much faith as those that last for an extended period of time. When we have to endure something hurtful for a long time it requires putting trust in God despite discouragement. When something is vitally important, we can’t give up and quit because it’s uncomfortable or disappointing. We must pray harder in those circumstances. When we see that situation resolved, then we can praise God even more because of our invest situation by prayer. God will fight our battles, but often He wants to strengthen and guide us through our own fight. Those are the times that increase our faith in Him that He can provide what’s needed in the next trial we face. That’s how we grow spiritually.
I wasn’t nearly as nervous the next time my car had a problem as I was the first time. I learned to seek help from someone who knows what they’re doing. Then I would try to resolve the problem. If I couldn’t, I then sought help from someone who could.
In our lives, we often face circumstances and situations that we cannot fix on our own. On those occasions, we must put our confidence and trust in the Lord. He will always help us, or tell us to stand back and watch him work.
No matter what we may undergo, God’s grace will help us overcome our trials by giving us great victory. It may not happen on our timeline, but God is always right on time, even when it’s just repairing an old car.
Prayer: Lord, help me realize I can’t put confidence in myself, but in you. Help me remember the times in the past when I’ve undergone trials and felt hopeless and wanted to give up. Please remind me that when I take my hands off my problems and trust you, that’s when you do your best work. Also, that you didn’t give me your grace to be an undergoer, but grace and strength to be an overcomer. Amen.
Your Turn: Will you put your trust in the Lord to help you overcome what you are currently undergoing? There is a great victory when you do and each circumstance you face help increase your faith in him. What once would’ve been devastating, is now a minor setback in the rearview mirror. We grow stronger with each trial we endure.
“Undergoer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undergoer. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
“Overcomer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overcomer. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
“Anything worth having is worth working for.” Unattributed quote.
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