Triumph

A few of us have been talking recently about how we can really see the devil at work, disliking what is going on in this region. As Revelation 12.2 says, "He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." It's easy to feel weak and helpless in the face of this fury. So it was a huge encouragement this morning to read Revelation 12.10-11:

Now have come the salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God,

and the authority of his Messiah.

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,

who accuses them before our God day and night,

has been hurled down.

They triumphed over him 

by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony,

they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

How did they triumph over Satan?

1. By the blood of the Lamb

2. By the word of their testimony (a life lived in obedience to the gospel).

The evidence of this obedience to the gospel is that they "loved not their lives even unto death."

John Richardson in his book Revelation Unwrapped comments:

"Victory in 'spiritual warfare' is not achieved by special people or special methods. Satan is overcome by the outworking of the gospel in the life of the ordinary Christian."

James 4.7:

Submit yourselves then to God.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 5.8-9

Be alert and of sober mind. 

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Resist him standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.