By And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 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 (Revelation 12:10-11).
Did you know that Satan is always trying to make us look bad in the eyes of our Heavenly Father? No matter how sincere we are in our walk with God, Satan accuses us day and night.
However, we know some truths from Scripture that we need to rely on. One truth is that Satan is a liar- the father of lies. Another truth is that Satan’s fate is already sealed- he will spend eternity in Hell.
Finally, we know that God’s people win. How do God’s people win? It is certainly not by human strength. God’s people win because of the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. We need to believe in these two ingredients for victory.
First of all, we need to look at the importance of faith. Since we can’t save ourselves, faith has to be exercised. Our faith in Jesus is not a weak faith- it is an overcoming faith. I John 5:4-5 states this clearly: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?” If we are to overcome by His blood, we must believe in its power.
No other sacrifice is needed- He is the Lamb of God. Hebrews 9:28 declares, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” He was once offered; His sacrifice is all that is needed. His blood cleanses the past. I John 1:7 indicates that His blood cleanses the present: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and his blood cleanseth us from all sin.” In addition, Romans 5:9 says, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” His blood keeps us from suffering the wrath of God in the future.
Secondly, if we are to overcome by our testimony, our words and actions must exude faith. However, testimony begins in the heart. Jesus was very clear about this when He said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Definitely, what is in our hearts will eventually come out in the words we speak.
Therefore, a real testimony glorifies God with words and actions. Regarding words, I Peter 4:11 says, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God… that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Regarding actions, Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
As Christians living in a time of great unbelief, we need to be unashamed of our testimony concerning our Lord. Romans 1:16 powerfully states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Now- more than ever- we need to share the testimony of the greatness of God with those around us.
The truth of the matter is- Christians are overcomers. We don’t overcome in our own strength. We overcome through the blood of Jesus Christ and the words of our testimony.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 