Modern English edition · 1658 AD

The World Conquered

Name: The World Conquered
Author: Richard Alleine

The world constantly pulls at your heart. Alleine shows how to break free from its grip—and find your satisfaction in Christ alone.

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About this book

The World Conquered by Richard Alleine is a profound and deeply Biblical work that delves into the complex and often challenging concept of overcoming worldly temptations and desires. This book is not just a simple guide, but a comprehensive exploration of the human soul's journey towards fulfillment in Christ.

The central theme of the book revolves around the importance of faith in God and the necessity to resist the allure of worldly pleasures. Alleine argues that true happiness, peace, and fulfillment can only be found in a life dedicated to God, not in the ephemeral pleasures of the world. He posits that the world and its pleasures are transient and ultimately unsatisfying, leading only to a sense of emptiness and spiritual malnourishment.

Alleine presents a detailed and comprehensive guide on how to conquer worldly temptations and live a life of righteousness. He provides practical advice and strategies, backed by biblical teachings, on how to resist the temptations of the flesh, the allure of wealth and power, and the seduction of worldly success. He emphasizes the importance of prayer, meditation, and the study of the Scriptures as essential tools in the spiritual battle against worldly desires.

The book is filled with biblical references and teachings, offering readers a deeper understanding of the Christian faith and its teachings on salvation and spiritual growth. Alleine uses these biblical teachings to illuminate the path to spiritual enlightenment and to provide practical guidance on living a life of devotion and piety.

In The World Conquered, Alleine also explores the concept of spiritual warfare, the struggle between the forces of good and evil within the human soul. He offers insights into the nature of this spiritual battle and provides practical advice on how to fight and win this battle. He emphasizes the importance of faith, prayer, and the power of God's grace in overcoming the forces of evil.

Alleine's work remains relevant today as believers continue to face the same fundamental challenge: how to live faithfully in a world that constantly competes for our hearts and affections. His pastoral wisdom offers timeless guidance for those seeking to prioritize eternal treasures over temporal pleasures.

Chapter 1: Introduction

This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith - 1 John 5:4

In the first part of this chapter, we get a two-part description of those who are born of God.

A Priori: From the perspective of the heart of the new creature, which is faith. As verse 1 says, "Whoever believes is born of God."

A Posteriori: From the result of the new birth, which is victory over the world, as stated in verse 3, "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world."

1. The statement: "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world." A Christian is a conqueror, a great conqueror; greater than those who are named 'The Great' for their victories. He has conquered the entire world.

2. The explanation of this statement: But what does this Christian conquest mean and how is it achieved? It's a spiritual conquest, achieved by faith. "This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith."

By "the world", we mean anything in the world that hinders us in the race that Christ has set before us and keeps us from our crown. The Apostle tells us in 1 John 2:16 that the world contains the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And also the objects of these lusts, as they are such; the pleasures, the profits, and the pomp of the world; along with all worldly tribulations and afflictions.

By "faith", we mean a living, saving faith, which unites us to Christ, and thereby involves him in our battle with us.

"This is the victory, our faith." Faith is said to be our victory.

1. Formally. The world hinders and holds us back from Christ, faith is our coming to Christ; our coming to Christ, is our victory over all that which held us back.

2. Instrumentally. "This is the victory," that is, this is our arm, or our hand, this is the weapon of our warfare, that has won us the victory.

Several observations lie in the words:

Doctrine #1: The world is a Christian's enemy. A conquest implies a battle, and a battle implies an enemy.

Doctrine #2: A believer has his enemies under his feet, even while he is in the fight. He is a soldier as soon as he is a believer, and he is a conqueror as soon as he is a soldier. His very taking up arms is his victory.

Doctrine #3: A Christian overcomes the world by his faith. In the pursuit of this third doctrine, where I intend to base the following discussion, I will show:

1. Where the world's hostility against souls lies.

2. Where the world's strength lies, by which it prevails against our souls.

3. Where the strength of faith lies, by which it overcomes the world.

4. The conflict of faith with this warring world; or the various ways in which faith so maintains the fight, that it obtains the victory.

5. The conquest of faith over the conflicting world; or where this victory lies.

Where the world's hostility against souls lies

The world is an enemy (as before). It pretends to be a friend, but its friendship is hostility; hostility against God, James 4:4, and therefore against souls; its kindnesses are darts, its kisses are swords and arrows, its very peace is war against the soul.

But what is this hostility, or where is it revealed?

For a better understanding of this, I will premise these four things:

1. Every creature of God is good. The whole creation, in their original, were man's friends or servants; there was nothing harmful that was made.

2. The hostility that is, came in by sin. Sin was the only cause of discord; between God and man, and between man and the rest of the creatures; all the enemies which man has, in heaven or earth, he can thank his sin for.

3. There is no malice in the creature properly, against man in his fallen state. They are yet all capable of being good and useful to him. 1 Tim. 4:4-5, "Every creature of God is good,—it is sanctified by the Word of God, and Prayer." Riches are good, yes, and honors and pleasures may be good and useful to man.

4. It is by accident, and not from the nature of the things, that the creatures have become enemies to us. Sinful man is a disordered, diseased creature, disordered in his mind; and hereupon he misunderstands and mistakes the world; and looking for that good that is not in it, he loses that which is; making it his happiness, it becomes his undoing.

These things premised, I will now show where the world's hostility against our souls lies; and that is in these two things especially:

1. In withdrawing our souls from God.

2. In withholding us from Christ.

About the author

Richard Alleine

Richard Alleine was an English Nonconformist minister and author, cousin to the more famous Joseph Alleine. Educated at Oxford, he ministered in Somerset until ejected in 1662 for nonconformity. His work "The World Conquered" addresses the Christian's battle against worldliness and the means of victory. Alleine's writings emphasize practical godliness and the necessity of being heavenly-minded while living in a fallen world. He suffered imprisonment for his faith and continued to minister despite persecution. His works reflect the Puritan concern for genuine spirituality over mere outward religion and provide searching applications for believers seeking to live distinctively Christian lives in a world opposed to their values.

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