Revelation 12: 11

 

In Revelation 12:11 the Bible says,

 

"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 one who is being overcome here is the devil. In the verses of Revelation Chapter 12 just before this verse we are told how the devil will be taken out of the way when Jesus returns to the earth. Of course, the devil is not taken away yet. We still have to deal with him on a daily basis. We still face much sorrow and loss. Because of the promises of God, we are assured of victory over the devil in the future, and here in Revelation 12:11 we are told how we can also have victory over the devil in this life.

 

The first thing that God has provided in this life so that we can have victory over the wiles of the devil is the blood of the Lamb. Jesus gave His blood on the cross so that we could have the forgiveness of sins. It’s the work of the devil to tempt us to fall into sin so that we will fail God and become separated from Him. In that regard the devil has been successful in each of our lives as he has caused us to fail and to fall because we have all sinned. In Romans 3: 23, we read:

 

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

 

But the grace of God is greater than out failures. We are accepted by God not because of our own acts of trying to do better, rather because of the blood of Christ. We can always draw close to God not because we deserve to, but because of the work of Jesus Christ on the Calvary’s Cross. Remember it is the blood of Jesus Christ that has the power to forgive sins. Remember also, that the basis for your relationship with God has always been as a result of Jesus Christ dying for your sin.

 

The second essential thing needed to overcome the devil in this life is stated in Revelation 12:11 as

 

"the word of their testimony."

 

Why is the word of someone’s testimony so important in gaining victory over satan in this life? For one thing once we are saved, one of the primary reasons that God has each of His children on the earth for, is to be a testimony of what Christ has done for them. The devil wants to stop you from being a testimony. He wants to keep you quiet, and he wants to keep you from having a testimony. He wants to make your testimony of no value. If you are a Christian, one of the reasons that the devil wants you to sin is to steal the value of your testimony. He wants to give the unbelievers a reason to turn away from God because of your failures. It also gives satan more ammunition with which to make accusations against you.

 

It was important to the Lord that His believers be testimonies on the earth. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said,

 

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

 

One of the last things that Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 28: 19-20 was,

 

"Go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

 

There was also a very special promise made by Christ to those who bear witness of His name. In Luke 12:8 Jesus said,

 

"Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven."

 

There is a special blessing and a special enabling given to those who witness for Christ. Not only do they help lost souls come to the knowledge of God, but they also help themselves to gain the victory over the evil one. You will have the power of God upon you and the demons will eventually flee in fear from you, if you open your mouth and bear witness to your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just one thing though, don’t think satan is going to just lay down and let you espouse all the good things the Lord has done for you without putting up a fight and resisting you tooth and toenail.

 

There is one other thing mentioned in Revelation 12:11 that explains how believers gain the victory over the devil in this life. It says,

 

"and they loved not their lives unto the death."

 

One of the primary reasons for failure in the Christian life is selfishness. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. We are in big trouble spiritually when we want something so badly that we get to the point where we lose the ability to truthfully say,

 

"Not my will, but thine be done."

 

Remember when Jesus taught us to pray, one of the things to pray was,

 

"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

 

When we give up our will, it appears as though we will lose; but the opposite really happens. The key to our victory is to be able to truthfully say,

 

"Not my will, but thine."

 

It’s not only what you are doing, but it’s also the inner motivation within the heart of man. We can be involved in things that appear to be good, but the reason that we are doing them could be selfishly motivated. That’s the main reason that Christians often cannot work well together. It’s not really the doctrinal differences most of the time, that create problems. Selfish people doing things for selfish reasons will not discern or perform the will of God.

 

Notice that it says that,

 

"they loved not their lives unto the death."

 

If we go God’s way instead of our own way, things will happen differently than they would have otherwise. The difference will be good because it will be God’s will instead of our will. God knows what is best because He knows the end from the beginning. But when you go God’s way, there may also be things to suffer that you would not have suffered if you had gone your own way. Jesus said,

 

"Take up your cross and follow me."

 

He also said,

 

"The servant is not greater than his Lord."

 

And Jesus said,

 

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake."

 

You must be willing to give it all, even your life, if it is God’s will. Over the centuries many believers have paid with their lives for following Christ. If we are not willing to give our life for Christ, if we are holding back and not willing to go all the way with Him, then somewhere along the way we will fall by the way side. Revelation 12:11 is a very important verse as it explains how believers gain victory in this life. It says,

 

"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."

 

In Revelation 12;12 we are told another piece of information about satan and why such horrible things will happen during the time of the Great Tribulation. The Bible says,

 

"Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath because he knows that he has but a short time."

 

In the age in which we live the devil has access to both heaven and earth. When the devil goes to heaven, scripture reveals to us that he goes there to accuse the brethren. The devil enjoys digging up dirt on the believers. On the other hand, God looks for those on the earth who is faithful to Him. It pleases God immensely when He finds someone He can count on. God does not look on the outward appearance: He looks at the heart. Yet we must also remember that when we fall, when we commit sin if we confess and ask forgiveness Jesus applies His blood to that sin and even though satan accuses us before our Heavenly Father, all the Father can see is the blood.

 

But during the Great Tribulation, the devil will no longer be permitted to enter heaven and continue his accusations against the believers. Because he is banished to the earth, he will know that his time is short and therefore his murderous and destructive activities will increase in scope and frequency and magnitude. There are two responses recommended in Revelation . 12:12 once the devil is cast out of heaven and banished to the earth. The first response is given in the first part of verse12. It says,

 

"Rejoice."

 

We can rejoice over such an event because the end is near. There is a good side to everything, and Christians have already been told elsewhere in the Bible to "Rejoice always." One of the good things about all of the sorrows and trials of the Great Tribulations is that many who missed the rapture will find salvation through the testings and trials of the Tribulation. The many promises of the Kingdom of God will be on the threshold of being fulfilled. Yes judgement will be poured out upon the earth during this time, but there will be much mercy and grace shown as well. This is God’s last attempt to bring salvation to mankind.

 

But for those who still refuse to repent during the Great Tribulation, instead of rejoicing, they will have "woe", sorrow, and distress such as the world has never seen. The primary reason for the woe, sorrow and the destruction will be the power of satan to cause these things. He will do them because he knows that his time is short: kind of like a retreating army that destroys the resources of the land so that others will not be able to enjoy them. Of course, the destruction caused by satan will be in vain, because when the Lord returns, He will create a new heaven and a new earth.

 

Rev. 12: 13-16 says,

 

"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place where she is nourished for a time, and times, and a half a time from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth." Once the devil is cast out of heaven and isolated to the earth, he will increase his persecution of "the woman which brought forth the man child."

 

As we have already mentioned, this is the nation of Israel. Because God chose the nation of Israel as the nation from which the Messiah came, the devil hates and despises Israel. What God loves satan hates. God loves man, and God made man in His own image. Therefore, the devil hates man.

 

The devil wants to see all mankind destroyed. All of the horrible things that happen to humans and all of the destroyed lives can be traced to the activity and work of satan. The work of the devil is to destroy people any way that he can. That’s one of the reasons that he wants people to sin. He knows that the effects of sin will destroy people’s lives. This part of Revelation Chapter 12 is reminding us that in the midst of satan’s great hatred for all mankind, his highest priority is always to persecute the nation of Israel. This persecution of the nation of Israel will increase during the period of the Great Tribulation. The most dramatic events of the Great Tribulation will happen in and around the city of Jerusalem and other parts of the nation of Israel.

 

No matter what trouble the devil is able to stir up, and no matter what sorrows he is able to bring, God always has an answer for it. The devil caused man to sin and destroyed man’s relationship with God, but God sent Jesus to die in our place and bring restoration to that relationship. The devil will empower the antichrist to take control of the earth and cause great sorrow and distress, but Jesus will return to the earth and destroy the antichrist. Jesus will set up the Kingdom of God on earth. Even when the devil stirs up trouble in this life, God has ways of protecting and providing for His children. We constantly depend upon the provision and protection that God alone can give. After all Jesus promised,

 

"I am with you always, even to the end of the world."

 

During the time of the Great Tribulation, God will provide a place of escape for the believers in Jerusalem. That’s the significance of the verse that says that,

 

"she might fly into the wilderness."

 

Safety will be found by fleeing the populated areas and finding refuge in certain deserted locations. This is one of the messages that will be important for those who become believers during the Tribulation. There is a time to stay where you are at, but there is also a time to pick up and move and quickly as the situation dictates.

 

In Revelation 12:17 the Bible says,

 

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." The devil hates and persecutes the nation of Israel, and he also hates and persecutes those who "have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

 

One of the great purposes of God is that the telling of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ be increased and abundant from the lips of His believers. Therefore, one of the purposes of the devil is that the gospel be silenced. The devil will not mind so much if you believe, as long as you do not tell anyone. Notice that Revelation 12:17 does not say that the devil is angry with those who believe, but with those who

 

"have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

 

Your testimony is more than what you say. It’s also what you do. You remember the old saying about " walking the walk and not just talking the talk." That’s why this verse also says that the devil is angry with those who

 

"keep the commandments of God."

 

Revelation Chapter 13 goes into some detail about the antichrist, the source of his power, and what he does with his power. Revelation 13:1 says,

 

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy."

 

The beast who will rise up out of the sea is the antichrist. The sea is the sea of humanity. The ten horns and the ten crowns probably refer to ten nations who will initially give power and authority to the antichrist. We do not know which ten nations these are. At one time the European Common Market was made up of ten countries, and some people made a big deal out of it and said that the ten nations were the ones that would give authority to the antichrist, but now the European Common Market has more than ten nations in it. Quite frankly, some of these countries that now exist as part of the Common Market may very well be overtaken and consumed by other members thus reducing the number to ten once again before the beginning of the Tribulation. The truth is that we do not know for sure which are the ten nations. It may be from some alliance that will be made at some future time. That is yet to be seen.

 

But when the antichrist comes into power, the nature and characteristics that he will have are made very clear. Revelation 13:2 says,

 

"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."

 

The antichrist is compared to certain ferocious animals in order to make it very clear what he will be like. These comparisons in Revelation 13:2 are

 

very similar to those made in the book of Daniel referring to the Kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. These ancient kingdoms grew as a result of attacking and dominating other countries.

 

The same thing will happen with the antichrist. Remember in Revelation Chapter 6 we were told that he went forth conquering and to conquer. The main reason that the exploits of the antichrist will succeed initially is because the dragon, the devil, will give him his power and authority. The devil offered power and authority to Christ over the kingdoms of the world, but Jesus refused, preferring the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdoms of this world. The devil has made lesser offers that have been accepted by some humans who have literally sold their souls to gain a piece of the world that is passing away. This thing of selling one’s soul to the devil is not just a Hollywood plot, my friend it happens every day. One of the reasons that the devil raises up the antichrist and gives such great power and authority to him is because the devil creates a counterfeit trinity of his own. Jesus is God’s choice to be the King of Kings, and therefore the devil will do as he has always done: try to create a counterfeit.

 

What about you? Do you have the real thing: Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Savior of the world; or have you been tricked into going after a phony, a counterfeit? The kingdoms of this world will pass away and will come to nothing, but the Kingdom of God will last forever. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus while there is still time. Romans 10: 13 promises:

 

"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

 

Won’t you call on Him now. God’s Word says today is the day of salvation. What is holding you back, won’t you come to Jesus now?!