Two weapons to defeat Satan

"… the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death" (Revelation 12:11-12).

Two specific "items" of weaponry are cited here for overcoming Satan. One is "the blood of the Lamb." The other is "the word of their testimony." The blood takes precedence, of course - nothing happens without the blood. But because there is the blood, "the word of their testimony" comes with power and the full authority of the One whose blood it is (verse 10).

When I make granola, I boil oil and honey, and at some point I add a mere teaspoon of vanilla extract and the liquid concoction goes wild with froth. There is more power in one drop of Christ's blood than in all the combined gimmicks of the Enemy. That blood bequeaths on His followers "the authority of his Christ," to whom is passed the baton for the mop-up operation of dispatching Satan.

How does this work, exactly? Scripture hints at the power of "the word of their testimony" in the Psalms, where the singing of praise songs from the heart is powerful enough to silence the enemy:

"Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger" (Psalm 8:2).

When the Accuser is accusing you for the umpteenth time for a forgiven and repudiated sin, Revelation 12:11-12 tells you what weapon to pick up: Rebuke that demon like Jesus did when the demon tempted him in the wilderness, and tell him in no uncertain terms that you are under the blood.

I know a young man who has cancer, and his mother told me the devil is trying to convince him that his disease is punishment from God for his lackluster life, though he has repented of his sins and is covered in Christ. To date the young man is hanging in there, according to his mom, conquering Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of his testimony. His testimony is this: "Christ died for me. Be gone!"

Both weapons are needful - the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. One is what Christ did; one is what we do. Though Christ died for us, He cannot believe for us; He cannot testify for us.

Recently, on an Egyptian television program called Egypt Today, a video aired of Muslim men cutting off the head of young man who had converted from Islam to faith in Christ. I did not watch the video but read the summary. It said, "Then, to cries of 'Allahu Akbar!' - or 'God is great!' - the man holding the knife to the apostate's throat begins to slice away, even as the victim appears calmly mouthing a prayer.It takes nearly two minutes of graphic knife-cutting to sever the Christian's head."

What do you suppose the martyr was "mouthing"? Surely it was "the word of his testimony." And now for the concluding words of the selfsame verse:

"… for they loved not their lives even unto death" (Revelation 12:11).