“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” – Revelation 12:11
Revelation 12 celebrates the coming of Jesus and the defeat of Satan. It commemorates the casting out of the devil from God’s presence. He can no longer make accusations about God’s people before the throne of God. Think carefully about the implications of this… The devil can never speak lies and accusations against you to God! However, he can certainly make trouble on earth, whispering lies and accusations against you to yourself. That’s exactly what he does. He lies to the followers of Jesus, trying to get us to believe things about ourselves that aren’t true. Trying to stir up feelings of guilt and shame in our minds that would cause us to draw away from the Lord.
Don’t believe those lies about yourself! Remember what this verse says defeated the devil… The blood of the Lamb and the testimony of your life as a follower of Jesus. Satan’s defeat was sealed at the cross. When Jesus, the eternal Son of God, gave Himself over to die on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, Satan was defeated. Why? Because now God’s people are forgiven, made holy, adopted into God’s family, and united with Christ living in them. The death and resurrection of Jesus guaranteed the devil’s defeat. Though he can certainly do scary things, he has no power compared to the infinite power of Jesus, the Lamb of God. He has been conquered by the blood of the Lamb.
The devil is further humiliated by the testimony of those who devote themselves to Jesus. Those who live lives of faithful obedience. Those who choose the Lord over comfort, convenience, or safety. The devil is a loser. He certainly can be effective in whispering lies to people, but God doesn’t listen to him at all and neither should you. The devil is a loser. He was crushed by Jesus at the cross. The devil is a loser. He can tempt and he can frighten, but he can’t overcome or erase the testimony of those who hold firmly to Lord Jesus. Be wary of the devil’s lies and tricks, but trust the infinitely greater power of Christ Who lives in you! #FollowJesus