Jump Start # 3765
Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
I love Revelation twelve. It’s my favorite chapter in Revelation and it’s one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. It has a vivid picture of Satan, the serpent, the dragon, as he is called in this chapter, trying to destroy the male child born of the woman. The message is incredible and hopeful.
Let’s paint the picture for you. Up to this point, the suffering Christians were wondering when God was going to deal with Rome. The outlook was bleak. They were told they were going to be cast into prison and tested and have tribulation for ten days (2:10). They were to be faithful until death. Then as the seals are opened in the sixth chapter, we see martyred saints under the altar. They ask how long until their blood is avenged. They were told to be patient. There were more to be killed (6:11).
Rome was the most powerful nation in the world. God’s people were helpless against Babylon. And, now, what hope did these simple, common Christians have? Then the twelfth chapter opens. And, now the saints realize that what is going on isn’t Rome against them. It’s Satan verse Christ.
There was a war in Heaven. Satan against Michael and the angels. This is not the origin of the devil. He is already pictured as a wicked dragon who is bent on making trouble with the people of God. Satan loses that battle. He is not strong enough. He is cast to the earth. Four times the chapter says that. He tries to destroy the child who was born. He couldn’t do that. He tries to attack the woman who gave birth. She is swept away and protected by God. Satan turns is attention to the saints on earth. This is where our verse is found. The saints overcame him. The saints were victorious. It wasn’t their might, wisdom or power. The victory belongs to the Lord. They overcame because of the blood of the Lamb. And, once again, Satan loses.
The chapter ends with Satan declaring war on the people of God. And, as the vision continues in Revelation, all he tries, fails. And, so uplifting, encouraging and hopeful is the passage that follows our verse today. “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them” (12:12). Rejoice! Rome isn’t going to wipe out the Christians. Satan is not going to win. The kingdom of God, as Daniel said long ago, remains forever.
Before more details are uncovered in the coming chapters, the suffering saints, know the outcome. They may lose their lives, but they won’t lose the war. Death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person. Forever around the throne of God, is the continual picture of Revelation.
Just love this chapter!
Here are some thoughts:
First, things may be a lot worse than we realize. It’s one thing to have Rome breathing down your back. But to know Satan was behind all of this is far worse. Satan is a much more powerful enemy than Rome. And, such it is for us. We may not realize how serious some problems are. Superficial and quick answers often are nothing more than band-aids to a very serious disease of the heart.
Dealing with serious problems often requires a lot of time, patience and energy. And, there are days when we do not have that. We want a fast solution. It’s easy to tear something down that took a long time to build. This is true of marriages, faith, trust and relationships. When helping others, listen. Don’t be so fast to bring out the band-aids, when actually, spiritual surgery is required.
Second, running through Revelation twelve is the help of God. God protected the woman. God protected the child. And, through God, these suffering saints were going to overcome Satan. How often and how many times has the Lord helped us through the years. He’s calmed the storms in our lives. He fought the giants that we have faced. He has encouraged the discouraged. He has opened doors that we thought were closed for good.
And, the message to these suffering saints is that you are not alone in your battles. You don’t have an army like Rome. You don’t have the resources that Rome has. You don’t have the wealth that Rome has. But, you have God and Rome doesn’t. Rejoice. Rejoice when some are dying because of their faith. Rejoice when the skies are dark and trouble lurks. Rejoice because of the Lamb. The Lamb that overcame. The Lamb that took the book out of God’s hand. The Lamb that defeated Satan.
Third, let us not be afraid to turn to Revelation. Allow the words of Revelation to be your go to book. You may not fully understand every blade of grass in that visionary message, but you can grasp the overall picture. Don’t allow those who find wild speculations and theories to ruin the book for you. I’ve had people tell me terrible things about certain places to eat. I’ve gone to those very places and had a great experience. You be the judge for yourself.
Troublesome times are here…indeed. But, rejoice. God’s got this.
Roger