“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Revelation 12:11 KJV).
Revelation 12 is unique picture of the battle between Evil and Good. Yet, that picture includes a concrete and timeless trifold practice of the heaven-bound:
1. The blood of the Lamb, which has cleansed them from their sin.
2. Their testimony of Jesus Christ.
3. Their love of Him, which overthrows their love of their self-life.
The adversary constantly desires for us to focus on our sin and not on its cleansing.
He is a continual accuser who hopes to steal our peace we found in our salvation—a peace that came from the forgiveness of our sin.
He will remind us of our failures in a way that tries to make us condemn ourselves.
But the overcomer recognizes the continual power of Christ’s blood in our Christian journey.
“But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 NASB).
Many people have much to say in today’s world. The masses respond with knee-jerk reactions and politically correct neutrality.
But the overcomer will not shy away from the steadfastness of God’s word and the exclusiveness in Jesus’ testimony of being the way, the truth, and the light.
When prompted by the Spirit to testify, the overcomer joins Christian’s throughout the ages who say, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NASB).
With the power of Christ’s cleansing blood, and the authority of a Word-infused testimony, the overcomer conquers the cares of this life and the fear of death.
For some who will face the sword as a martyr it is a physical death; for the multitude of others it is a death to themselves, a crucifying daily to the affairs, appetites, and influences of this world: “For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11 NASB).
There is a great reward for those who practice these essentials and who overcome: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7 NASB).
Amen!
