Revelation 12:11 states a glorious truth to all believers in Christ Jesus. We’ll look at this verse and discover it's meaning and deep significance for Christians.
"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" (Rev. 12:11, KJV).
“They” refers to Christians of all time, “him” denotes the devil, and “the blood of the Lamb” is the “covering” of Jesus’s blood on all Christians.
When Jesus instituted His Supper (the Lord’s Supper) with His disciples, “He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'” (Matthew 26:27-28). Jesus’s blood of the covenant is the New Covenant, and the Gospel is the unfolding of the new covenant of grace. Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and His blood shed at Calvary covers all who believe in Him. Exodus 24:1-8 gives us a look at the institution of the covenant of blood.
Who Are Believers Overcoming in Revelation 12:11?
In short—the devil. The context of Revelation 12 reveals a war in heaven between God’s holy angels and the devil and his minions. Revelation 12:10 says, “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, 'Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.'”
Satan is our accuser (Revelation 12:10). What does an accuser need but evidence (ammunition) against those he accuses. It’s us Christians, the devil—the father of lies (John 8:44)—seeks to destroy by false testimony. But the victory of Jesus’s work on the cross nullifies any accusations spewed by Satan against us. He is without any grounds on which to stand in his allegations against those who belong to Christ. The ESV Global Study Bible says, “Christ’s incarnation, obedience, sacrifice, and exaltation forever disqualify Satan from accusing believers.” We think of Christ’s curse on the devil from Genesis 3:14:
“The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.”
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “If he were flesh and blood it would be far easier to contend with him; but to fight with this spiritual wickedness in high places is a terrible task.”
Satan was presented as a serpent when he tempted the first humans—Adam and Eve—and he is still unable to stand before the Lord. Our war has been won and we walk with Christ in His victorious procession forever (2 Corinthians 2:14).
Why Can the Blood of the Lamb Overcome Satan?
Satan, the deceiver, tried to accuse the saints of evil—of any kind he could contrive—before the throne of God (c.f. Job 1). But he’s been hurled out of heaven. What does he do? Satan knows he cannot defeat God or God’s holy angels (Daniel 10:13; 21:1; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7). He and his rebellious angels work fiercely against the church.
The church, however, has been declared righteous because of Jesus’s shed blood.
Because God requires the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22b), “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14).
“Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Hebrews 9:22).
Ephesians 1:7 assures us, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” We have done nothing to earn our salvation. Christ did it all when His blood was shed on the cross. The cross was the defining blow to Satan. Death has been defeated.
The blood of the Lamb is our victory weapon, for in His death, Christ has redeemed us. Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Romans 5:12)—yet, "For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).
Through Christ’s death (the blood shed by the Lamb), we have been declared not guilty. Our record of sins (past, present, and future) has been expunged, and the devil cannot accuse us anymore. We who believe in and love the Lord Jesus Christ walk in His victorious procession (2 Corinthians 2:14a). 1 Peter 1:18-19 states, “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
Another thing to realize is that, in the book of Revelation, those who dwell on earth are the unbelievers, and those who dwell in heaven are the believers. Our reality is that we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). We are in the kingdom (Luke 17:21). If we believe in Jesus, we are covered by Christ’s blood, and nothing can separate us from Him or from His love and protection (Romans 8:34-35).
What Is the “Word of Their Testimony” in This Passage?
The word of their testimony in this passage is the second foundation on which Christians rest in Jesus’s work on the cross. It refers to the testimony of their faith in the word of the Gospel. As mentioned above, as we are led in Christ’s victorious procession, “and [Christ], through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14b). We are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), and we share the Gospel of Christ because we love Him and because we are eternally thankful for what He has done, is doing, and will do for us. He saved us by His blood.
The word of our testimony follows a pattern set by Christ. Our victory is won, yet as we live in this world, we live sacrificially. Our word is the Gospel we share with others, which overcomes any of Satan’s work. Our lives are hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3), and just as when the Father looks at us and sees Jesus, we believe His blood is sufficient to destroy any strongholds (2 Corinthians 4:8; 10:4).
How Do Christians Overcome by the Blood Today?
The war is won. Our lives are directed and protected by God’s grace. The following are some of the ways we Christians overcome by the Lord’s blood today:
- When we are members of a church that preaches the Gospel every week and proclaims the sufficiency of Christ, we get a fresh “infusion” via the Word studied and preached, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper.
- We can rest in Christ and His work on the cross for us. The Bible assures us of this. Romans 8:33-34, and 37 tell us, “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
- Romans 16:20 says, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” What a magnificent and encouraging promise.
- Don’t be fearful of what the devil can do. He can do only what God allows. And with Jesus as our intercessor (Romans 8:34), Satan has nothing but lies to present to our Redeemer. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33).
- Jesus has already overcome the world by His blood. John 16:33 tells us, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
- If thoughts assail you with the notion that you are not saved or not justified, rest in and trust the promises of God from His Word. Romans 5:9 is another assurance, “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God.”
- Think on the future held by Christ, “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands” (Revelation 15:2).
- Reflect on this: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).
As you gather with your church and are led in the singing of “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus,” praise the Lord for how He washed us white as snow with His blood shed on the cross. And rejoice alongside our brethren the world over that we are more than conquerors through Jesus (Romans 8:37).
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/KristiLinton
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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