Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Revelation chapter 12 as we look at a very important topic, victorious Christian living and how we can accomplish that. Before we get to our text this morning, let me share with you this true story. We are told:
Wilma was born prematurely. This produced complications that resulted in her contracting double pneumonia (twice) and scarlet fever. But the worst was a bout with polio which left her with a crooked left leg and a foot twisted inward. Metal leg braces, stares from neighborhood kids, and six years of bus rides to Nashville for treatments could have driven this young girl into a self-made shell. But she refused.
Wilma kept dreaming. And she was determined not to allow her disability to get in the way of her dreams. Maybe her determination was generated by the faith of her Christian mother who often said, “Honey, the most important thing in life is for you to believe it and keep on trying.”
By age twelve she made a wonderful discovery: Girls could run and jump and play ball just like boys! Her older sister Yvonne was quite good at basketball, so Wilma decided to challenge her on the court. She began to improve. The two of them ultimately went out for the same school team. Yvonne made the final twelve, but Wilma didn’t. However, because her father wouldn’t allow Yvonne to travel with the team without her sister as a “chaperone,” Wilma found herself often in the presence of the coach.
One day she built up enough nerve to confront the man with her magnificent obsession – her lifetime dream. She blurted out, “If you will give me ten minutes of your time every day – and only ten minutes – I’ll give you a world class athlete.”
He took her up on the offer. The result is history. Young Wilma finally won a starting position on the basketball squad; and when the season ended, she decided to try out for the track team. What a decision!
In her first race, she beat her girlfriend. Then she beat all the girls in her high school, then, every high school girl in the state of Tennessee. Wilma was only fourteen, but already a champion.
Shortly thereafter, although still in high school, she was invited to join the Tigerbelle’s track team at Tennessee State University. She began a serious training program after school and on weekends. As she improved, she continued winning short dashes and the 440-yard relay.
Two years later she was invited to try out for the Olympics. She qualified and ran in the 1956 games at Melbourne, Australia. She won a bronze medal as her team placed third in the 440-meter relay. It was a bittersweet victory. She had won - but she decided that next time she would “go for the gold.”
Wilma realized that the victory would require an enormous amount of commitment, sacrifice, and discipline. To give her “the winner’s edge” as a world-class athlete, she began a do-it-yourself program similar to the one she had employed to get herself out of those leg braces. Not only did she run at six and ten every morning and three every afternoon, she would often sneak down the dormitory fire escape from eight to ten o’clock and run the track before bedtime. Week after week, month in and month out, Wilma maintained the same grueling schedule for over twelve hundred days.
Now we’re ready for Rome. When the sleek, trim, young black lady, only twenty years old, walked out onto the field, she was ready. She had paid the price. Even those eighty thousand fans could sense the spirit of victory. It was electrifying. As she began her warm-up sprints, a cadenced chant began to emerge from the stands; “Vilma . . . Vilma . . . VILMA!” They were as confident as she that she could win.
And win she did. She breezed to an easy victory in the 100-meter dash. Then she won the 200-meter dash. And finally, she anchored the U.S. women’s team to another first-place finish in the 400-meter relay. Three gold medals – she was the first woman in history every to win three gold medals in track-and-field. I should add that each of the three races was won in world-record time.
- Denis Waitley, Seeds of Greatness
Now that is shear determination on her part and she would put many of us to shame in her endeavor to win gold medals! But folks, the reality is our victory is in Christ, as we will see this morning, the problem comes because we don’t appropriate this into our lives and we live defeated lives as Christians. And what I am going to share with you this morning is not earth shattering. It is not some kind of new revelation from God. It is the simple truths of God that are found in the Word of God. Then what is the problem? Again, it is like I said, we must apply these truths to our lives to gain that victory, to appropriate it into our lives!
Here in Revelation chapter 12 we see Satan cast out of heaven at the midway point of the Tribulation Period and he retaliates by attacking the people of God in a powerful way. How were they able to stand this onslaught of the Devil against them? How could they stand against the pressures of this world trying to get them to compromise their faith? How could they live a victorious Christian life in a very dark period of time? The same way God has called us to be victorious! With that said, let’s begin reading in Revelation chapter 12, picking up in verse 10 and see what lessons God has for us so that we can live that victorious Christian life!
This portion of Scripture is a parenthetical section where John is given some of the details that will take place during the Tribulation Period. In this section we see the persecution of Jewish believers who came to the faith during the Tribulation Period. I believe these events spoken of here in Revelation chapter 12 deal with the Antichrists going into the holy of holies of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and demanding to be worshiped as God. Now, granted we don’t see that specifically spoken of here but what we do see is Satan cast out of heaven to the earth at the midpoint of the Tribulation Period. It is during this point that the Antichrist causes the abomination of desolation!
Jesus speaks of this period of time in Matthew 24:15-22, where He tells us, “‘Therefore when you see the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.’”
I believe it is at this point the eyes of many of the Jewish people will be opened and they will turn to the true Savior of the world, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. You see, prior to this it is as Jesus said would take place, “I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.” John 5:43. In other words, they will be fooled by the Antichrist for some 3½-years, until he goes into this rebuilt temple and demands to be worshiped as God. When they see this many of the Jewish people living in Israel will flee to the rock city of Petra in modern day Jordan and God will protect them for 3½-years, until He returns to set up His kingdom on this earth!
And beginning in verse 13 of Revelation chapter 12 we are told what happens, “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:13-17.
The Antichrist goes after these Jews who are fleeing for their lives and he sends out his army like a flood upon them to overtake them and swallow them up! But that doesn’t work because God opens the earth and swallows up this flood, this army, and they are destroyed. Thus, since he could not destroy these Jews who were fleeing, there are many more remaining in Israel and he goes after them, those believing Jews who were left behind!
But they were victorious in their stand against this Antichrist and in reality, Satan, but how did they do this? John tells us folks, and this answer applies to us today and to every Christian who has ever lived, not just for these Jewish believers. In Revelation 12:11 we see the answer as we are told, “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.” The Amplified Bible puts this verse like this, “And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].”
You see, three powerful points that helped them to gain this victory. John tells us they gained this victory by: THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY, and THEY DID NOT LOVE THEIR LIVES TO THE DEATH. And so with the remainder of our time this morning we are going to look at these three points so we can apply them to our lives and gain that victory that God has for us, so we can live that victorious Christian life!
1. THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB
It all has to begin somewhere and if you want to live that victorious life you must be saved. You see, as we apply the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ to our lives, He cleanses us from all our sins. It is as John tells us in I John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
You see, apart from Christ there is no victory but in Christ, as John said in I John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Only a believer can stand before the enemy and gain the victory, not because of our strength, but because of God’s strength working in us, because of the victory He has given us!
Now in saying that, don’t come to the wrong conclusion thinking that the blood of Christ is some kind of magical potion or that we must be sprinkled with the actual blood of Jesus! Applying the blood of Christ to our lives speaks of the literal death of Jesus, that He paid in full the penalty for our sins, that He endured the wrath of God that was due us, and now we are seen as white as snow. Our sins have been cast as far as the east is from the west to be remembered no more!
Some of you may doubt that or have a hard time believing it, but that is exactly what the Scriptures tell us. For instance, God wants to wash away the stain of sin and to make us as white as snow or as pure as the freshly fallen snow. We are told in Isaiah 1:18, “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.’”
Not only that but listen to what David tells us in Psalm 103:11-14, “For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” God knows we can’t do it on our own nor does He expect us to do it on our own. But because of His great mercy, His abundant grace, He has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. Now, how far is that? Folks, the east and the west never meet and that is how far He has cast away our sins!
Now how often do we say we forgive someone and yet we don’t forget what they have done to us? I think it happens more than we would like to admit. You see, when the situation arises, we bring back that transgression against us because we never have really let it go, we have never really forgotten about it! But, that is not our Lord and tragically, many times we do apply our behavior to what the Lord does with us, but listen carefully to what His Word has to say regarding our sins! In Isaiah 43:25 we are told, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.” God blots out our sins and then He tosses them into the sea of forgetfulness never to be remembered again. How can He do that? Because they have been paid in full by the blood of the Lamb, the perfect sacrifice for sin!
Folks, I want you to see how important this is in our lives by showing you how God feels about this atonement. First of all do you think the love of God is important in the Scriptures? Of course it is and in the New Testament we see some 290 times where God declares His love for man. As great as that is, and it is great, there are over 1,300 references to the atonement, that our salvation is found in the shed blood of Christ! And folks, no one can take that away from us. It is as Peter tells us in I Peter 1:18-19, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Let me give you this example to show you how important this is for our victory over sin and the condemnation that the Devil likes to place upon us. We are told:
At [the] great parliament of religions, held in Chicago many years ago, practically every known religion was represented.
During one session, Dr. Joseph Cook, of Boston, suddenly rose and said: “Gentlemen, I beg to introduce to you a woman with a great sorrow. Bloodstains are on her hands, and nothing she has tried will remove them. The blood is that of murder. She has been driven to desperation in her distress. Is there anything in your religion that will remove her sin and give her peace?” A hush fell upon the gathering. No one of the company replied.
Raising his eyes heavenwards, Dr. Cook then cried out, “John, can you tell this woman how to get rid of her awful sin?” The great preacher waited, as if listening for a reply. Suddenly he cried, “Listen. John speaks: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sins.’ (I John 1:7).”
Not a soul broke the silence: the representatives of Eastern religions and Western cults sat dumb. In the face of human need, the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone could meet the need. The sin of the race demanded the blood of Calvary.
- Frederick A. Tatford
But how does this work? How does the blood of the Lamb conquer Satan in the life of a believer? How does the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary bring us victory? There are four points I would like to make here and Spurgeon has a few powerful points to make regarding this.
First of all, our victory is found in His victory, the victory that Jesus has obtained for us. Spurgeon put it like this, “. . . you are to regard Satan this day as being already literally and truly overcome through the death of the Lord Jesus. Satan is already a vanquished enemy. By faith grasp your Lord’s victory as your own, since he triumphed in your nature and on your behalf . . . Come, my soul, thou hast conquered Satan by thy Lord’s victory. Wilt thou not be brave enough to fight a vanquished foe, and trample down the enemy whom thy Lord has already thrust down? Thou needest not be afraid, but say, ‘Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’”
Also, we have this victory because the work that Jesus did on the cross of Calvary shows us God’s deep love for us. Paul put it this way in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” You see folks, in knowing that God loves us in spite of ourselves, our actions, it gives us assurance that the lies that Satan tries to whisper in our ears about God not loving us are untrue, they are lies! Never forget that!
Spurgeon also makes this point in regards to what Christ has done for us. He said that, “Satan makes sin seem pleasurable, but the cross reveals its bitterness. If Jesus died because of sin, men begin to see that sin must be a murderous thing.” How true that is. Folks, we have to understand the true nature of sin, that Satan dangles it in front of us to destroy us and that short lived pleasure will lead to a life of pain and suffering. Thus, in knowing that it should make us want to avoid sin and live a life that is pleasing to God. He has set us free, don’t go living back in that bondage!
Also, the work that Jesus completed on the cross of Calvary was an act to purchase us back from Satan and thus, we belong to Him, to the Lord. Spurgeon tells us, “If anything can make a man holy it is a firm faith in the atoning sacrifice. When a man knows that Jesus died for him, he feels that he is not his own, but bought with a price, and therefore he must live unto him that died for him and rose again.”
And the conclusion of this victory we have by applying the blood of the Lamb to our lives is given to us once again by Spurgeon as he tells us, “The precious blood of Jesus is not meant for us merely to admire and exhibit. We must not be content to talk about it, and extol it, and do nothing with it; but we are to use it in the great crusade against ungodliness and unrighteousness, till it is said of us, ‘They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,’ This precious blood is to be used for overcoming, and consequently for holy warfare. We dishonor it if we do not use it to that end . . . The dog of hell knows the dread name which makes him lie down: we must confront him with the authority, and specially with the atonement of the Lamb of God.”
Folks, without the blood of Christ applied to our lives we are dead in our trespasses and sins. But as we apply it to our lives we can have that victory by the blood of the Lamb as we are continually cleansed of all our sins. We are free in Christ from the bondage of sin!
2. THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY
We saw that the blood of the Lamb applied to our lives saves us but it does not end there. You see, what has taken place on the inside of our lives, in our hearts, will then be manifested in our actions, the things we say and do! It will overflow from a heart that is in love with the Lord. That outward showing of our victory in Christ is seen in the works of our faith, not for salvation, but for the evidence of our faith!
It is easy to live for Christ when things are going well, but what happens when things heat up, when they don’t go the way you want them to and-so-on? Our testimony, many times, falls by the wayside, it is not good. You see, our witness comes or flows from knowing God and we know God by reading His Word and applying it to our lives. By living what we say we believe. It is as Paul said in Romans 15:4-6, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
You see, God gives us lessons in His Word so that we may grow, so that we may mature in the faith. God gives us hope in that we know He is in control and He will see us through all that the enemy may throw at us. We will learn how to preserver through all these things and as we do we will bring glory to God. As you look at the Scriptures God’s precious promises are there for us if we would read them and apply them to our lives. The problem comes in our unbelief and that usually manifests its ugly head during tough times!
Listen to this story and see how important your testimony, your witness is and how it will bring glory to God, because people are watching how you live out your faith, especially in tough times. We are told:
As a schoolboy, I worked with my father during the summer months. Each morning we stopped to pick up the early edition of the newspaper at a small grocery store. One morning when we got to work, my father found that by mistake he had taken two newspapers instead of one. He first thought of paying the man the extra price the next morning, but then after a moment’s consideration he said, “I had better go back with this paper. I don’t want the man at the store to think I’m dishonest.’ He got in his car, drove back to the store, and returned the paper.
About a week later, someone stole money from the grocery store. When police pinpointed the time it occurred, the grocer remembered only two people being in the store at the time – and one was my father. The grocer immediately dismissed my father as a suspect, saying, “That man is really honest. He came all the way back here just to return a newspaper he took by mistake.” The police then focused their investigation on the other man, who soon made a full confession. My father’s honesty made a big impression on that non-Christian storeowner, and on me.
Does your Christian walk square with your Christian talk? Is your honesty above question?
- Our Daily Bread, March-May, 1998, page for April 15
Folks, these Jewish believers lived out their faith in a powerful way, they were lights pointing people to God even during the dark days of the Tribulation Period. If you want to be victorious in your Christian faith, then may the word of your testimony, may your witness be that of God as you live out your faith!
3. THE DID NOT LOVE THEIR LIVES TO THE DEATH
Here is an area that often keeps us from gaining that victory we have in Christ, and that is loving our lives to the death! You see, if you cling to this earthly life, if you cling to the things of this world, then Satan has an open door to oppress you and steal away your victory!
Paul, in Philippians 1:21 said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” You see, death had no power over him because even in death, he would be victorious because he would be with the Lord. Thus, if that is what you believe, then no matter what Satan throws at you, it won’t work, it won’t bring you down!
Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34, putting things in perspective for us, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Again, the focus needs to be on the kingdom of God, because if it is not, then other things will distract you and they will bring you down. God knows what you need, and He will take care of you, as He knows what is best for your life. Jesus put this in perspective for us when He said in Matthew 10:38-39, “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
That word that John uses for “love” here in Revelation chapter 12 is the Greek word AGAPE and it speaks of a sacrificial love, a self-sacrificing love, a love that gives in spite of what is happening to that person! Thus, you must choose for yourself; will you love your life to the death or will you find your life by loosing it for Jesus? Are you willing to give your life as a living sacrifice unto Him and that no matter what happens, you will serve Him? Remember what Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:35-37.
Let me put this into perspective for you, taking up your cross for Jesus. In the Roman Empire, when a convicted criminal was taken to be crucified, he was forced to carry his own cross. This showed publicly that he was then under and submissive to the rule he was opposing. Likewise, Jesus’ disciples must demonstrate their submission to the One against whom they had rebelled. The path Jesus and His followers would travel would be a road of sorrow and suffering. The question is, are you willing to go down that road or are you going to be like Jonah and run away! Look at his life and every time he tried to run away, he went DOWN, not up, until he was in the belly of the fish, who took him down even farther. Surrender to Him and see where the Lord will take you!
You see, to gain ones life, you must give it all to the Lord. Those that are trying to live like there is no tomorrow, for their own selfish gain, will lose. Those who refuse to surrender their lives to God and instead live for their own pleasures will lose. It is as Jesus said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26. Many today are selling their souls for nothing. They are losing an eternity with God for a few small pleasures in this world. How foolish they are. And many Christians are living a defeated life because they are not willing to surrender their life to Him, dying to self and living for the Lord!
Folks, here it is, the answer on how to live the victorious Christian life. But please understand this is not some formula, it is a way of life. We can gain this victory to live as God desires by applying THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB to our lives; by living out THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY; and by NOT LOVING OUR LIVES TO THE DEATH! John put it like this in I John 5:4-5, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” The Amplified Bible puts these verses like this, “For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]?” And the Living Bible puts these verses like this, “for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him. But who could possibly fight and win this battle except by believing that Jesus is truly the Son of God?”
You see, it is your faith in Christ that gives you the victory as you are saved by grace – THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB! You are sustained by grace – THE WORD OF YOUR TESTIMONY! And you are going to be taken up in glory by the grace of God – NOT LOVING YOUR LIFE TO THE DEATH! That is the victory that God has given to us if we would only apply it to our lives!
Let me close this morning with these words. It doesn’t matter how desperate of a situation you are in, it doesn’t matter how much Satan is attacking you, you must take comfort in knowing that Satan is a defeated enemy and his ultimate defeat is certain and it is coming! Martin Luther in his Hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” wrote: “The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure, One little word shall fell him.”
It is as Paul said in Philippians 4:13, and this is from The Amplified Bible, “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].” All we must do is walk in faith and we can live that VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE!