Overcoming Satan: Victory Through the Blood of the Lamb

In Revelation 12, we are presented with an absolute victorious truth for believers: “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.” In the midst of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, greatly anticipating the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, Revelation 12:11, unveils three key elements of the spiritual victory that we have in Christ and will have until He comes—Christ’s atoning work, the believer’s faithful testimony, and an unyielding devotion to God even in the face of death.

You must see yourself, you in your sinful condition, essentially in a courtroom scene. The prosecutor, with piercing eyes and an icy voice, rises to his feet. He unrolls a scroll filled with the charges against the defendant—you. Every sin, every failure, every shameful act you’ve ever committed is laid bare before the court. The evidence is damning, and the verdict seems inevitable. But then, your Advocate, Jesus the Christ, the Son and sacrifice of God, steps forward. With scars in His hands and love in His eyes, He raises a blood-stained banner and declares, “It is finished!” The prosecutor falls silent. The accusations are overruled. You are free, for there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

This is the picture of Revelation 12:11 in action. Satan, the great accuser, stands day and night, hurling accusations against believers before God (Revelation 12:10). But those in Christ have overcome him—not through our own efforts, but by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and a faith so steadfast it values eternal life above all else.

So, what do these truths teach us? What are principles can we draw from the text, from Revelation 12:11, that strengthen our faith today and encourage us in this our ongoing spiritual battles?

The blood of Christ is the foundation of every believer's victory over sin and Satan. His sacrifice disarmed the powers of darkness. Pastor Charles Spurgeon once preached to his congregation, “There is no sin so little that it does not need to be washed in the blood of Christ; and there is no sin so great that it cannot be washed in the blood of Christ.” ¹ The blood of Christ is the believer’s assurance of forgiveness, righteousness, and victory! The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2:14-15, that Jesus “canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.”

Revelation 12:10 describes Satan as “the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night.” What power do such accusations hold against those covered by the blood of Christ? None whatsoever. Like a boundless and powerful river is the blood of Christ, so deep and wide that it completely washes away every sin Satan could ever bring against you. No accusation can stand because His blood covers them all. When we grasp the sufficiency and the effectiveness of Christ’s sacrifice, we can stand boldly in the face of accusations, knowing that “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10).

The “word of their testimony” is not only a declaration of faith, it is a proclamation of God’s faithfulness. There is nothing more tragic than a Christian who doubts the power of the Gospel they profess to believe. Testify of Christ, and you will see the chains of sin, and death, and darkness fall from others, just as they have so powerfully fallen from you. Sharing your testimony of Christ, magnify God’s redemptive work and resist the enemy’s lies.

The saints in Revelation 12:11 displayed a boldness hard to find today. Even in the face of death, their unwavering commitment to Christ, their fear of the Lord, took away their fear of man and the death which threatened them. Puritan pastor and theologian Richard Sibbes once wrote that, “Satan gives Adam an apple, and takes away Paradise. Therefore in all temptations let us consider not what he offers, but what we shall lose.” ² This was the fear of God, affection for God, love for God, consideration taken by these saints in Revelation 12. True faith values eternal treasures over temporal pleasures and dares to stand firm regardless of the cost.

Revelation 12:11 says that “they did not love their life even when faced with death.” This reveals the depths of the devotion, the loyalty, and the allegiance they have for Christ. Their love for Him outweighed even their instinct for self-preservation. To live for Christ is supreme, to die for Christ is exalted all the same! Puritan pastor and theologian Richard Baker once wrote, "If there be glory laid up for them that die in the Lord; much more shall they be glorified that die for the Lord." ³ These truths are a challenge to believers, it is for us to surrender all, holding nothing back from our Lord.

Living in the victory we have over Satan is not achieved by human strength. He is not a figment of our imagination and therefore somehow willed away by positive thinking or therapy. It is only through a constant reliance on Christ and His finished work that we can know such victory over Satan. Do you believe the Gospel? Do you believe you are a sinner? Do you believe Christ is the forgiver, the justifier, the Redeemer? Are you then willing to part with your sins? We are dependent on Christ for it all. Cling then to Christ daily, and He will carry you through it victoriously! Daily dependence on Christ strengthens believers to resist the enemy and walk in victory.

The blood of the Lamb shed for you and for me at the cross not only secures personal victory but also empowers the Church to advance the kingdom of God. The preaching of Christ crucified is central to overcoming the enemy’s schemes. As Charles Spurgeon put it, “The cross is the battering ram that breaks down the gates of hell.” ⁴ When we lift high the message of the cross, we disarm Satan and draw people to salvation. "Preaching is God’s chief method of winning souls unto Himself, “for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe...Preaching is God’s chief method of winning souls unto Himself, “for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” ⁵

Revelation 12 presents a vivid picture of the very real world of spiritual warfare that we truly live in and amongst. However, those who are saved by God’s grace, through faith in Christ, can rest in the assurance that the victory has already been secured by Christ. When Christ died on the cross, this was the death of death itself, it was the ruination of any power Satan may have believed he possessed. Though the enemy rages, his defeat is sealed, and Christ reigns supreme.

When John is writing about the “word of their testimony,” he is demonstrating the power of the Gospel to transform lives and push back the darkness of Satan, sin, and death. For, there is no greater weapon in the hands of the Church, the body of Christ, the people of God, than the simple, but powerful, testimony of a transformed life. A so-called gospel which only saves, but does not transform, is no Gospel at all. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not our salvation and then our shame, “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16). Every true believer has a testimony of Christ’s salvation and transformation to share, to preach, to proclaim. Every testimony is a declaration of God’s power to save and to change into His likeness but he power of the Holy Spirit.

Enduring and persevering faith, and our steadfast commitment to Christ, even in the face of suffering, opposition, or death, results in the ultimate reward of eternal life and glory with God. This is a consistent theme in the Word of God. How often we are shown and taught that temporary trials are insignificant compared to the joy and rewards of eternity. These believer’s kindled willingness to suffer—even to the point of martyrdom, to the point of death for Christ—shows their unwavering confidence in the promises of God. They value the eternal over the temporal, trusting that what awaits them far outweighs the sacrifices they make in this life. This perspective helps believers to face hardship with faith, with courage and hope.

The saints’ willingness to suffer and die for their faith points to the ultimate reward awaiting those who endure. Thomas Brooks reminds us, “Though Satan’s malice may outlive your life, yet it cannot outlive your reward.” ⁶ The promise of eternal glory empowers believers to stand firm, knowing that the trials of this life are momentary compared to the joy of eternity with Christ.

Though Revelation 12 is a revelation of what is to come for believers during the tribulation, for all believers in all times, this is a call to a courageous and victorious faith, an unwavering devotion to Christ. Our victory is not in ourselves but in the blood of the Lamb and the power of His cross. Let us boldly proclaim the Gospel, resist the devil’s lies, and live as overcomers through the blood of the Lamb.

May we stand firm in the battle, rejoicing in the truth that the Lamb who was slain has triumphed over the dragon. Victory is ours through Him.

¹ Spurgeon, Charles Haddon. “‘The Precious Blood of Christ.’” The Spurgeon Center for Biblical Preaching at Midwestern Seminary. Last modified March 26, 1865. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-precious-blood-of-christ/#flipbook/.

² Thomas, Isaac David Ellis. The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, p. 293, 2022.

³ Ibid. p. 53.

⁴ Taken from The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit C. H. Spurgeon Collection. Only necessary changes have been made, such as correcting spelling errors, some punctuation usage, capitalization of deity pronouns, and minimal updating of a few archaic words. The content is unabridged. Additional Bible-based resources are available at www.spurgeongems.org.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Brooks, Thomas. Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2021.