“He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Rev 3:21).
What does our Lord mean by this invitation to be conquerors? What kind of conquest is He referring to?
There are many victories that we can achieve in the Lord. We know the three enemies of the soul: the world, the devil and the flesh. All of them can be defeated by the grace of God.
The greatest and most important victory is certainly faith, holding on to the truth entrusted to us, remaining faithful to Jesus even in the most difficult situations.
The Apostle John tells us: “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 Jn 5:4-5).
From faith come the works that please God.
The letters to the seven churches in Revelation always conclude with promises for the conquerors. Here, too, the Lord shows us the prize of victory: We will be able to sit with Him on His throne, just as He sat with the Father on His throne. Indeed, in eternal life we will share in the reign of Christ and live in close proximity to the glory of our Father.
If we look at the reign of love that Christ exercises over us, at Mary’s reign over the hearts of men, or at the Message of our Father’s infinite mercy, we can get a small idea of what this reign is like.
To sit on the throne of Jesus is to take the place reserved for us to participate in this reign of love, to glorify our Father and to carry out with great joy all the tasks that Jesus entrusts to us. If we look closely, this participation begins here on earth, when we take seriously the following of Christ.