(Revelation 13:5-7a) “There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them.”
(Revelation 12:11) “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.”
The time is rapidly approaching when for the last three and a half years of this present age Satan will unleash everything he has against New Covenant believers with a frequency and intensity never before experienced by the Body of the Messiah, the faithful Assembly (the Church). The persecution we see today will spread around the globe during this end-time period called the Time of Great Tribulation lasting for three and a half years. (Revelation 13:5). In fact the whole world will be plunged into a dire and dark situation never before experienced in the past and never to be experienced again in the future. Consequently for the sake of His elect saints, being New Covenant believers and the surviving remnant of Israel, and for the very survival of the human race, God will cut those days short (Matthew 24:21-22).
During this three and a half year period within the realm of the Antichrist’s beast kingdom it will have power to physically persecute and physically subdue the faithful Church. Already the spirit of Antichrist is at work in the world, in Israel and in wider Christendom. During this time we are told that faithful New Covenant believers will overcome Satan and the means by which they will be victorious. Let’s now briefly look at this in Revelation Chapter 12:11.
Firstly; we read “they overcame Satan by the Blood of the Lamb.”
Remember the words of that well-known and well-sung hymn. “Would you be free from your burden of sin? There’s power in the blood power in the blood. Would you over evil a victory win? There’s wonderful power in the blood.” God’s word tells us that by the blood of Jesus we have redemption through His blood the forgiveness of sins according to the richness of His unmerited favour (Ephesians 1:7). By the blood of Jesus we have cleansing from all and every sin and will be kept clean as we seek to walk in the light of God’s Word (1 John 1:7-9).
By the blood of Jesus we have been loosed from our sins (Revelation 1:5). By the blood of Jesus we have been set apart to God and belong to Him as His children (Hebrews 14:12). By the blood of Jesus we have confidence to enter into the very throne room of God (Hebrews 10:19-20). By the blood of Jesus our conscience is purged from the dead works of self-righteousness to serve the Living God (Hebrews 9:14). By the blood of Jesus we have been justified and saved from the wrath to come (Romans 5:9). These are great spiritual truths we will need to know when the man of sin and his beast empire start their persecution of the saints big time in the western democracies.
It is one thing to know about what the blood of Jesus has procured for us spiritually but something further to know how to experience its spiritual power against Satan and his cohorts from the pit of hell, and how to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil and those temptations, weights and sins that can so easily beset us in our walk with God.
Secondly; we are told that “they overcame him by their word of testimony.”
When the destroying angel was about to pass through Egypt to kill the firstborn of the Egyptians the Lord told His people to put the blood of an unblemished lamb on the doorposts of their houses so that they would not suffer His wrath upon Egypt’s sin that was coming upon that nation. God told His people that when He saw the blood that He would pass over them and not judge them as the lamb’s blood was the price paid for their redemption and protection from His wrath (Exodus 12:13).
Now the blood in the basin as pure as it was achieved nothing by staying in the basin but when by faith it was taken out of the basin and splattered on the doorposts of the Houses of God’s people was when it became powerful and effective. This event of course foreshadowed the perfect and finished work of our redemption purchased for us by the blood of our Passover Lamb the Lord Jesus, a once and for all sacrifice for sin never to be repeated (1 Corinthians 5:7) (Hebrews 1:3; 7:27; 9:26-28; 10:10;). When by faith we confess with our mouth verbally what the Bible says the blood of Jesus does for us is when its spiritual power is launched into the fallen spiritual world.
This confession of faith and affirmation in the power of the blood of Jesus will also strengthen us against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and from those temptations to sin that constantly assail our souls every day that entice that fallen fleshly minded nature to be activated. Confession is actually an integral part of the process of our salvation (Romans 10:8-13).
Thirdly; we are told that “they loved not their lives unto the death.”
This is a reality for most of the faithful Body of the Messiah in our world today. Down through history the faithful Body of the Messiah has experienced severe persecution. There have been times of respite but infrequent when compared with the relentless persecution by Satan and his cohorts from hell and those human instruments on earth being those who are not saved through whom Satan and his demons work their diabolical purposes. We know about the persecutions of the pagan Roman Emperors and those of the Papacy during the Inquisition. Since the 19th Century the western democracies traditionally and historically associated with Judeo-Christianity have been spared the persecution that is very severe in Islamic countries, in China, North Korea and in those nations that have no Christian roots but have been subject to false religions and idolatry which is all the worship of demons (Deuteronomy 32:16-17) (Psalm 106:36-37) (1 Corinthians 10:20).
Today in the west democracy and freedom of speech and freedom to worship Biblically is being eroded and censured by ungodly governments. The time is rapidly approaching when in America, Great Britain, across Europe and in Australia that New Covenant believers will be increasingly targeted and restricted in what they believe and confess Biblically and their activities for the Kingdom of God. Ultimately it will lead into this time of Great Tribulation unparalleled in past history and never to be repeated again in the future. Now is the time when we need to be preparing for this coming onslaught of satanic power that is coming to the faithful Body of the Messiah in the western democracies.
In light of what is coming on the world how can we prepare ourselves now to face what is surely coming?
Well, before we start the day and its activities we can take communion every morning during our devotional time and when holding up the cup confess what the Bible says the blood of Jesus does for us. This is akin to taking the blood out of the basin and applying it by faith as the Israelites did. Speak into the unseen spiritual realm where Satan and his cronies inhabit those passages from God Word that promise us victory. By this we are announcing to Satan and to his cohorts in that realm that they have no power over us. If we are seeking to really walk in obedience to God’s Word then Satan knows we mean business and will be hard-pressed to resist us. If we don’t really mean business with the Lord Satan will just laugh. Having said this Satan still takes the blood of Jesus very seriously and knows its power to destroy his works! (1 John 3:8). This is why Satanists spend much of their time defaming and denigrating the blood of Jesus.
After we have taken communion and declared God’s Word and have confessed all known sin we then need to put on the whole armour of God piece by piece, and start our day praying without ceasing in the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 10-18) (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When we do this, it will build us up in our most Holy faith (Jude 1:20). Finally we need to seek out those who are filled with the Spirit and walking with God and have fellowship with them when possible.
There are no spiritual shortcuts in living as a New Covenant believer. Developing our relationship with the Triune God takes time, patience, persistence and endurance. Over time, as we persist, even when we feel anything but spiritual, and when those old fleshly temptations and habits arise out of our soul like a spectre, we will find ourselves growing spiritually and those tempers and fleshly dispositions diminishing in strength.
This is the power of the blood of Jesus, the Power of our testimony to the blood, and the power we need from the Holy Spirit not to love our lives in this world even if we must lay them down and that only by the grace of God!!!
