Let’s take the second part of that first, “they did not love their lives to the death.” What does that mean? I understand it means it’s more important for us to do the will of God than to stay alive. If we have the choice, we’ll accept death rather than disobedience.

I smile when I hear Christians sing a song about Christian soldiers, which there are plenty of, because I was called up into the British Army in 1940. When I joined up they never gave me a little certificate that said you’ll never get killed. Every soldier accepted the fact that he could easily get killed. And that’s true of Christian soldiers, too. There’s no guarantee you won’t be killed. In fact, there’s a high possibility that you may in certain places. If you’re born a Muslim and you confess faith in Christ, it will be the first duty of your family to put you to death. And, they do it many times. So what do you choose? You’re a teenage daughter and you come to believe in Jesus and your father is holding a knife to your throat and he says, “Deny Jesus or die.” Which do you do? Well, a lot have chosen to die. And that happens here in Britain. It’s covered up but it happens. Much more in Muslim nations. That’s just one example.

So, they did not love their lives to the death means in one word commitment. Whether I live or whether I die, that’s not important. What’s important is I do the will of God.

And, it’s only committed believers that scare Satan. He’s not afraid of uncommitted Christians who use religious language but don’t back it up. They’re no problem to him. The ones who really threaten him are the committed ones who do not love their lives to the death.

Now, they have the potential to overcome Satan. How? By the blood of the Lamb, that’s Jesus, the Lamb of God, and by the word of their testimony. Let me just say in parentheses two main themes of the book of Revelation are the wild beast and the Lamb. And in the Greek language they’re very parallel in form so it brings out—And the wild beast, the antichrist, is mentioned thirty-five times. And the Lamb is mentioned twenty-eight times. So one major theme of Revelation is either the wild beast or the Lamb, which will we choose, whom will we follow? If you’re going to follow the Lamb you have to live like a lamb.

Now, how do they overcome? By the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. I interpret this to mean this, we overcome Satan when we testify personally to what the word of God says the blood of Jesus does for us. Therefore, your testimony is an essential part of your victory. Satan is not afraid of Christians who have no testimony. They’re unarmed, they’re defenseless. I’m going to say that again because I want you to absorb it. We overcome Satan when we testify personally to what the word of God says the blood of Jesus does for us. That’s how we overcome him, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Now, in order to do that you have to know what the word says about the blood, because you can’t testify to it if you don’t know it. I’m going to list about six things that the Bible says about the blood of Jesus. I’ll just go through them and maybe we’ll do them.

Ephesians 1:7 says:

“In Him [that’s Jesus Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.”

How to Overcome Guilt, Shame and Rejection

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