VCL_30_Keeping_The_Victory_Part_4
D. OVER-COMERS ARE VICTORIOUS
The final casting down of Satan is described in the Book of Revelation. Our role as overcomers is also explained. The two-fold basis for our victory over the devil is of great interest:
“Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens. ‘It has happened at last! God’s salvation and the power, rule and authority of his Christ are finally here.
“The accuser of our brothers has been thrown down. He accused them day and night before our God.
“And our brothers overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony – the spoken word of truth..”‘ (Rev 12:10,11 smf).
1. Two Keys to Victory
The two keys to being an over-comer are these:
a) The Blood of the Lamb – which has washed away our sins so we are accepted by God (just (as) if I’ d never sinned.)
b) The Word Of Their Testimony – which is our speaking forth words which agree with what God has said in the Bible.
2. Using The Keys
By The Blood Of The Lamb. How do we overcome by the “Blood of the Lamb”? I am sure you understand that “the Lamb,” as used in this scripture, refers to Jesus.
You remember that when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to be baptized, John said:
“Behold THE LAMB OF GOD who bears away the sin of the world” (John 1:29,36)
When John’s disciples heard Jesus referred to as “the Lamb of God,” they left John and followed Jesus.
As Israelites, they well understood the significance of this. The Israelites experienced forgiveness and atonement through the following process.
God had prescribed that a lamb be brought as a sin offering to the brazen altar in the temple. The sinner would then lay his hands on the head of the lamb as it lay on the altar and confess his sins. Through this process, the sins of the confessor would be transferred to the lamb.
Because the penalty for sin was death, the lamb then had to die on the altar. The lamb didn’t die because it sinned. The lamb was slain in place of the sinner (the one who really deserved to die). The lamb became a substitute sacrifice for the sinner – dying in his place.
1) Jesus Shed His Blood for Us. This illustrates what Jesus was doing on the cross for you and me. We were the ones who deserved to die for our sins. But Jesus (the Lamb) died as our substitute -in our place. I should have been hanging there on the cross – but Jesus took my place (and yours). thus I can be “at-one” with God. I am forgiven and enjoy a standing before God “just as if I’d” never sinned.
Our sins are “forgiven and forgotten” because Jesus shed His blood on the cross for us (as the Lamb). Therefore, the devil hates the blood of Jesus.
2) Jesus’ Blood Is Powerful Against The Enemy. That cross and the blood Jesus shed there for us defeated the devil and the demons, so they hate the blood of Jesus.
My first attempt at casting out a demon was in 1948. I was a young Christian who had more zeal than knowledge or wisdom. In trying to cast the unclean spirit out of this man, I was attempting something far beyond my spiritual development and experience.
However, in the attempt, I learned something that has stayed with me all my life. When I spoke to the demon and told him to come out of the man, the demon screamed out, “The blood of Jesus is swine’s (pig’s) blood!” The demon repeated this terrible profanity over and over. It made chills run up and down my back.
From this, I realized how powerful the blood of Jesus is against the designs and devices of Satan and his demon followers.
The “Blood of the Lamb” kept Satan (the destroyer) out of the Israelites’ homes on Passover night in Egypt (see Chapter I of this section).
The blood of the sacrificial lambs of the Old Testament kept Satan from claiming the believing righteous. In death, those who are “saved by the blood” went to paradise – out of Satan’s reach and claim (see Luke 16:19-26).
The blood has frustrated the devil’s plans all through the centuries. No wonder the New Testament writers spoke so enthusiastically about the blood of Jesus.
“…You were redeemed… with the precious blood of Christ… He [Jesus] loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood… He redeemed us to God by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation…” (1 Pet 1:18,19; Rev 1:5; 5:9 smf).
3) Plead The Blood. A good friend named David told me the story of his father. His father had been an Anglican who ws soundly converted and filled with the Spirit and became a Pentecostal preacher in England.
He had his funny ways – one of which was to go around all of the time humming and whispering. “Under the blood, Lord! Under the blood!”
David asked his father one day, “Why do you do that, Dad?” With a very loud voice his father responded, “Well, do you know anything else that it would be better for an old man to mutter about?”
David didn’t answer, but in his mind he thought, “No! I guess not, old man. I can’t think of better words than that to fill my surroundings.” So David decided to pick up the habit and frequently walks around muttering the same thing. What about you” What do you mutter?
“And our brothers overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony – the spoken word of truth..” (Rev 12:10,11 smf).
When you come up against the enemy in prayer, say these words: “Powers of darkness, I plead the blood of Jesus against you – I command you to release this person in the Name of Jesus. Jesus’ blood purchased this person’s freedom, and I command you to come out, to release your grip on this life right now.”
This kind of praying and confession of faith will cause the demons to tremble and flee. Use the blood of Jesus in prayer. It is a strong spiritual weapon.
b. By The Word Of Their Testimony
Our Salvation. There is power in what we say – our testimony or confession. We know that man’s part in salvation is to:
- believe in our heart, and
- confess with our mouth.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9 smf).
When we both believe and confess that Jesus died – shed His blood – for our sins, and confess that God then raised Him up from the dead, we are saved and enter into the victorious Christian life.
Our Confession. It is one thing to enter into the victory of Christ’s life, but how do we keep on walking in victory over Satan? Well, we get the victory and keep the victory the same way – by the confession of our mouth.
Many of us consider our problems, thinking thoughts of doubt, fear and despair. We should resist the enemy by speaking forth words of faith, hope and love. The words of faith, hope and love. The word confession means “to say the same as ” or “to agree with.”
When we confess our sins, we are agreeing with God that they are wrong. They are harmful to us, and grievous to Him. We don’t deny or excuse our sins, but we say the same thing that God say about them.
We not only confess our sins, but we also confess what God says in His Word (the Bible) about our salvation, financial provision, healing and blessing.
For example, when we are sick we confess:
- “I am the Lord thy God who healeth thee…”
- “…He healeth all my diseases…”
- “By his stripes I am healed…” (Exo 15:26; Ps 103:3; Isa 53.5 smf).
This is God’s Word and we agree with Him that it is right and true – for us!
3. Victory In the Court Of Heaven
The Bible says that Jesus is “the High Priest of our confession” (Heb 3:1). That means He works with what we say to enforce victory for us. ” He lives to make intercession for us” (Heb 7;25 smf).
There is a legal side to our salvation which is related to our confession. Jesus is our advocate (attorney, lawyer, barrister). If He is to be successful as our lawyer, it will depend largely on our confession (what we say).
Satan visits Heaven regularly to accuse the brethren (see Job 1 and 2 and Revelation 10:10). When he does, how is Jesus going to answer and refute Satan’s accusations? By your testimony - by what you say.
a. Three Things Said. A famous American evangelist explained it this way. When the devil is accusing you before God, there are three things said:
- What the devil says;
- What the Bible (God’s Word) says;
- What you say?
If you agree with God’s Word, and say what God’s Word says, your testimony will be used by Jesus to refute the devil’s accusations.
b. Four Roles Played. Capture this picture of the court of Heaven. There is God’s great bar of justice. Four different roles can be seen in such a scene:
- There is the “Judge” Who decides who is guilty and what the penalty will be.
- There is the “prosecutor” who will try to prove that the one who is accused is guilty as charged.
- There is the “Defender” who will seek to prove that his client is not guilty as accused.
c. Who Are the Players? Who plays these various roles in the court of Heaven? They are as follows:
- The Judge is God Himself who is altogether wise and just.
- The prosecutor is the devil, also known as the “accuser of the brethren.”
- The defendant is the Christian believer (you or me) who has come under the condemnation of the devil.
- The Defender is Jesus Christ, our lawyer (advocate) and intercessor (1 Jn 2:1).
d. The Trial. The prosecutor speaks first, pressing his charges against us before the Judge. Some of his accusations are true and some of them are false. His case is so convincing we may feel mixed up and afraid. If we do, we will likely stand there with our heads bowed and say nothing. Or worse yet, we may try to defend ourselves and even deny the charges that are true. This could lead to our loss, for our Defender must present our case on the basis of what we confess.
Jesus plainly but powerfully put it in these words: “You will have whatsoever you say!” (Mark 11:23) smf).
How much wiser to agree with our adversary – the prosecutor – where we may have been wrong. But also to state that the penalty for our wrong doing has already been paid by our Defender – with His own blood.
We then turn our defense over to Jesus. He will take our confession of sin and salvation, and plead before His Father, and our Judge. His own death upon the cross.
On the basis of the cross and His shed blood, justice has been satisfied. The Judge declares us pardoned and we are set free without penalty. The prosecutor has been defeated. He has no further grounds for his charges. He was overcome by the blood of the Lamb AND the word of our testimony!
Moreover, once we have been cleared of all of his accusations, we are in a position to charge him for every lie he used in trying to bring about our defeat.
By confessing the truth, not only are we set free, but eventually he will be put in the very prison (Hell) which he had planned for us.
E. REVIEW THE PRINCIPLES
We have linked together five basic principles in the study of the victorious Christian life. They are worthy of our review:
- Reject Condemnation – Accept Conviction
- Turn to Jesus as your refuge;
- Agree with God that you have fallen short of his expectations;
- Use The Sword Of The Spirit – The Word Of God
- Give Jesus A Good Confession Of Faith To Defend You With
May these truths be set in our hearts and fixed in our minds. With them we can be winners every time. They are a sure and strong defense against the attacks of the devil. No longer can he use his weapons of accusation and condemnation to weaken our faith and our prayers.
We will stand up, speak forth, and deliver ourselves and others with the sure Word of the Lord.
VICTORY IS OURS NOW AND FOREVER.