By the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of Their Testimony

By the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of Their Testimony

“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.” Rev. 12:11.

Here we read of three essential points that belong together: by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

If we are to be at all effective in the spirit world, we must speak in the power of the blood of the Lamb; and if we are to have power by the blood of the Lamb, our life needs to be in the light. 1 John 1:7. The battle is lost if we have any self-interest to defend. If we are to overcome, we cannot love our lives, even to the death.

We are unshakable and invincible if our life is in the light and our heart is filled with the fervent love of Christ. All of heaven is on our side in our battle against the evil. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Rom. 8:31.

It is useless to testify and plead the blood of the Lamb if we do not do righteousness and speak the truth. Then the blood of the Lamb will testify against us.

It is sad to hear how preachers can misuse the blood of the Lamb in their sermons. I heard one of the preachers who gathers the largest crowds in Norway in these days speak about the blood of the Lamb. He said that the lives which the children of Israel led were worse than that of the Egyptians, but God saw only the blood that was put on the doorposts. He said this is also how it will be when Jesus comes back; God will see only the blood of the Lamb. With these words he had in fact said to his large assembly that they could freely live in all kinds of sins if only they claimed the blood of the Lamb. A great “revival” came about through this preacher in that place, and when the large “saved” flock left the meeting hall, they lit their cigarettes and pipes just as people do when they leave the movies or the theater.

“And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!’” Rev. 18:2. This is how these foul, evil spirits receive a place in which to live, and they are protected by these harlot preachers’ false teaching about the blood of the Lamb.

Peter, who built the church of the living God against which the gates of Hades could not prevail, had a totally different message about the blood of Christ. “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your sojourning here in fear; 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.” 1 Pet. 1:15-19.

The blood of Christ is the most powerful witness against every kind of sin; if we have the testimony of the blood, we will also become such witnesses.

Wherever the preaching about the blood of Christ is correct and sound, the result will be a cleansing from sin, and the result will be peace, and unity. We need to take note of the fact that the words of the testimony spoken in the power of the blood of the Lamb by those who do not love their lives unto the death produce perfect peace and unity. “And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Col. 1:20.

The Christian life is a mortal combat against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Paul exhorts us to put on the full armor of God in this battle. Eph. 6. Christians who have not put on this full armor and do not fight a wholehearted fight of faith will soon end up in discouragement and anxiety, having been defeated by the flaming arrows of the Evil One. It is impossible to come out of this battle victorious if we love our lives. As a rule, it does not take much before people are cast hither and thither in life’s situations. However, the person who is always prepared to fight against himself has nothing of his own to defend. He accepts it as proof of Christ’s love for him when he gets to see something of himself that can be put off to make room for Christ’s eternal life and being. From being fully incapable of doing any good, we shall become fully capable of doing every good work.

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Heb. 13:20-21.