Revelation 12:7-12 - We Can Overcome

"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." It is with great sadness in our hearts that we begin this chat today! Our hearts are broken over the tragic killing of the nineteen precious children and the teacher yesterday in Texas. And this is on the heels of the terrible and tragic murder of ten precious people in a supermarket last week in Buffalo NY. The Scripture teaches us that we should weep with those who weep, and so please pray with me for these dear families who are broken and hurting in both of these senseless killings. The passage before us today is talking about the middle of the Tribulation when Satan will be cast out of heaven for the last time by Michael and his angels. Then it says, “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (v. 12) I can’t help but think, that even now the devil sees “the handwriting on the wall” and is beginning to express his wrath. It has to be obvious to any thinking person, that in any culture or society where the Bible and God’s Word is being honored, and the majority of the people are willing to live by the truths and principles found in it, there is order, respect for authority, respect for the life and property of others, and a sense of security and peace. But the further a people get away from the truths of God’s Word and people begin to worship the creature and the creation, there is chaos, confusion, violence, anarchy, and terrible, evil consequences. In America it appears that we have lost the value and respect for life as we have allowed over 60 million babies to be tragically killed. We are not allowed to pray or read the Bible in our schools. We have been teaching our children that they came from monkeys and that they can make their own decisions about what is good and what is evil. It reminds me of the days of the Judges in the Bible, where it says that “there was no king in Israel and every man did what was right in his own eyes.” In other words, there is no respect for authority, and you are encouraged to “be your own god” and make choices that are totally contrary to the Word of God. Yes, it appears that Satan has deceived America into thinking that it does not need God.  The Scriptures tell us that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” (Ps. 33:12).  When we deny God and His goodness, we allow Satan and his demons to take people “captive to do his will, which is to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10; 2 Timothy 2:24-26). We are told “that we should not be ignorant of Satan’s devices or tactics lest he get an advantage over us” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Revelation 12:11 tells us how to overcome the deceptions of Satan. We must believe in the power of the “blood of Jesus” and daily apply it to our lives. The “word of our testimony”, means that we live on the promises of God’s Word and live by the truths and principles of the Bible! We love Jesus and others more than we loves ourselves and are willing to “give up our lives” for Jesus’ sake. What should our response be to the conditions of the world around us, and the tragic things we are currently experiencing because of the evil deeds of others? I believe we can find it here: “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26) God bless!