I will be teaching through the second half of Revelation this year, and there’s this verse that I’ll be meditating on a lot.

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Revelation 12:11 ESV

What a statement! It’s a Promise of Victory. It’s the Gospel.

Triumph over the red dragon

The Book of Revelation says that we have a mortal Enemy (symbolised by a great red Dragon) who is the Devil, Satan, the Deceiver of the whole world and the accuser of God’s people (Revelation 12:9-10). This is our archenemy.

And he has been conquered! Defeated. Vanquished.

The surprising thing about this verse is that this conquering (or overcoming) is at the hands of God’s people. Us! We win!

How will this be so?

How can we triumph?

The first part of the answer is that we conquer the devil by the blood of the Lamb.

Our victory is in Christ. He has won the decisive fight against the Devil when He gave His life on the cross and shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Because of that, our accuser has nothing left to say against us in the courtroom of Heaven. He has been thrown out of heaven (Revelation 12:8-9), and all heaven celebrates! Thank you, Jesus, for the blood!

Now this is how we share in the victory of the Lamb here on earth: It is when Jesus’ people boldly testify to this truth. The Lamb has won and is worthy of all the worship of Heaven and Earth.

It is not only that the blood of Christ the Lamb has “washed away” all our sin. It is the way of life that Christ demonstrated.

The way of the enemy is the self-enriching, self-exalting, God-denying way. But the way of Christ is self-giving, other-loving, sacrificial, and God the Father-honouring. It was perfectly demonstrated in His death on the cross. In dying, Christ won.

And so, too, will God’s people. They are not in love with themselves. They are in love with the One who has loved them first, even unto death.

This is how we will share in the victory of the Lamb.

A lasting victory 

Some years after the Revelation was written, a Christian leader named Polycarp was burned at the stake for refusing to burn incense to the Roman Emperor. 

On the day of his martyrdom, he was recorded as having said these words: “Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?”

Just before he was set on fire, Polycarp prayed: “I give You thanks that You count me worthy to be numbered among Your martyrs, sharing the cup of Christ and the resurrection to eternal life.”

Today, the Empire that martyred Polycarp is no more. But the Gospel of the Lord Jesus has advanced.

This is happening because Jesus the Lamb has already won and His people are following His footsteps in testifying to His victory, with a love as strong as death.

What a Gospel!

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