Thursday, March 28, 2024

Be an overcomer

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

As I read the next portion of Revelation twelve, I initially thought this was when Lucifer tried to exalt himself to be like God in the beginning.  However, after looking a little more closely, I realize now that it is a future event.  We know that even after Lucifer was cast out of heaven, he still had access to it.  Job 1:6 says that Satan talked with God in heaven about Job.  In other passages it says that he stands before God accusing the brethren. So, the apostle John is watching at the time of this writing, a future war that will take place in heaven at the beginning of the last three and a half years of the world as we know it today.  At this point, there is no longer a place found for Satan and his demonic forces in heaven.  John heard the announcement that Satan, the accuser of the brethren has been cast down to the earth, for good.

The next verse in this passage is where I want to focus my attention today.  It says that the people of the world overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.  Satan, now releasing all he has got on the people of the world because he knows his time is about up and yet the very thing that will overcome him in that day is the same thing that we overcome him with today.  The shed blood of Jesus and the Word of God in our testimony of salvation. 

In the world we live in right now we can see the effects of demonic oppression on the earth and we can even feel the pressure of the curse of sin.  The good news is that we do not have to be crushed by that pressure.  We can overcome with the blood of the Lamb and the word of God in our salvation story.  As we push back on the pressures of life reminding ourselves that we are cleansed unto salvation in the blood of Jesus and the devil has no authority to touch us, we can also remind him of the promises that God has given to every child of God in His holy scriptures.  We speak God’s word to not only reinforce our faith in our own heart, but also to let those around us know that our hope is in the Lord of hosts.

We have promises like: He has made me more than a conqueror through Jesus who loves me (Romans 8:37). Greater is He that is in me than anything in the world (1John 4:4).  My faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).  I give thanks to God because He always gives me the victory through Christ Jesus my Lord (1 Corinthians 15:57).  The Lord is my strength and strong tower (Proverbs 18:10).  The list goes on and on.

So today, I want to encourage you to stand against the pressures of life that try to weigh you down and the enemy that tries to take you out of the race.  Strengthen your faith by speaking out loud the promises that God has given you in His word. According to Romans 10:17, your faith grows my hearing and hearing the word of God, so proclaim it out loud each day to resist the devil and it is guaranteed that he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Today’s scripture reading: Revelation 12:7-12

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 

8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 

9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 

12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”