OVERCOMING IN HIM

by Tammy Phillips
November 4, 2021

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Revelation 12:10-12 NKJV)

In Revelation 12:7-9 John sees the scene where Michael and his angels fight with the dragon and his angels.  Satan, the serpent, the adversary, the opposition, the Devil, the slanderer, the false accuser,  was kicked out of heaven and thrown down to earth.  Jesus came down to earth to save humanity and to defeat Satan.   He brought salvation, strength, “the force,” the power,  the authority, and the kingdom of God.  How did Jesus, how did “they,” and how do we overcome the dragon?

“They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (Revelation 12:11 NKJV)

1. They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, the death of Jesus Christ the sacrificial Lamb.

Satan manifests “great wrath”  because he was kicked out of heaven, and He knows his time is short! The devil and his crew run their mouths every day and all day.  They lie, accuse  and slander.  If they cannot get others to come against us, they whisper lies in our ears.  However, Jesus took our place on the cross and we were made righteous in Christ Jesus by his blood.  We have to remind the enemy of whose we are when he comes calling.  We can boldly say, “Satan, Your time is short!! Passover!  We are covered in the blood of the Lamb,” and “thanks [be] to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV).  

“Sin will never be conquered without resistance, and if we fold our arms and suppose that we shall get the victory by believing that we have got it, we shall be mightily mistaken. We must watch, and pray, strive, agonize, and press forward; “this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”  Salvation is not by works, but conquest over sin involves fighting from day to day; victory will not come to us while we lie passive, but we must be stirred up with all the energy of the eternal Spirit to vanquish evil. These Canaanites must be driven out of the land by force of arms ere we can take full possession of our inheritance. Let this, then, be our pi dyer to our great Joshua as we gird on our harness and unsheathe our swords.  You are enlisted, brother, in a lifelong fight: when you shall lie down in your grave then may it be said, “The battle is over,” but as long as you are here you will be within gunshot of the enemy…” –Charles Spurgeon, Sermon May 30, 1875

2. They overcame by the word of their testimony.

A testimony is evidence given, a record, a report, a witness, or a declaration. It is knowing something and sharing it.  Our testimony is our story.  Our testimony is what we know.  I started this blog to encourage my friend who lost her only son.  The LORD knew the devil, that rotten accuser, would be whispering all kinds of garbage in her ear.  I believe the LORD used me to whisper my testimony of faith in Him into her other ear.  Holy Spirit, the Comforter, wanted me to help her overcome great loss, grief, and despair. After sharing with her, I was led to share my testimonies with you.   I pray each word leads you closer to Jesus and  to victoriously overcoming.

 “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you…that you may also fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ…” (I John 1:3).

3. They overcame because they did not love their lives to the death.

They did not love nor prize their lives so much that they were afraid to die.  Jesus and the Apostles were not afraid to die.  I am not afraid to die.  When we choose not to fear  and resolutely stand in Jesus,  Satan cannot defeat us. We rob him of his power.  Earthly death is the ultimate Christian victory.  As believers in Christ, our bodies are not ours anyways.

“Do you not know that…you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV)

Imprisoned Paul responded to death this way: “For to me, to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain.” (Philippians 1:21 NKJV) and “to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV)

I enCOURAGE you to share your victory stories in Jesus! This world needs our Savior.  If you aren’t sharing, are you knowing?

“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39 NKJV)

 “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:21 NKJV)