Day 19
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
When I was younger the book of Revelations was scary to me. Maybe I had watched too many end time movies or books and I did not feel confident about being on the side of righteousness, either way I was not eager to explore. As I have grown more mature however, I find Revelations more reassuring than scary. It is a reminder that the end is known and victory is assured.
I find myself quoting the verse of the day quite often in response to my thoughts and conversations with others. It states in a very simple and straight to the point way how to win and the arsenal available to us as believers and partakers of the life of God. The blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony are powerful weapons of warfare against the lies of the enemy but if we don’t understand the power of our weapons, we cannot win even though God has given us all that is needed to win.
What is a testimony?
Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as 1 a: a solemn declaration by a witness under oath in response to interrogation by a lawyer or authorized public official b: firsthand authentication of a fact : which can be used as evidence c: an outward sign 2 a: an open acknowledgment b: a public profession of religious experience
And why is it so powerful? Well a testimony speaks to evidence, your testimony in court can make or break a case, it can be for or against a person or matter being tried. If God is on trial and you are called as witness, does your life speak for or against Him? As believers, our lives are constant opportunities to authenticate that God is who He says He is and evidence of the transformative saving power of Christ.
There are souls on the line watching us. Will they be convinced that your God is love, faithful, just and righteous based on your life or are you a false witness testifying that God is wicked and a hypocrite? Anytime the enemy can convince us to act contrary to the nature of God, we become compromised witnesses and risk the souls of the lost.
The book of Revelations has many interesting things but one of the things I am reminded of is the seven promises given to those who overcome. I remember noticing them as I read through Revelations a few years ago, I was intrigued when I saw the promises and I desperately wanted in.
The first promise: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7. Please take the time to read through the book of revelations and check out the promises. I also highly recommend making a habit of reading through the bible, it’s good for your soul and helps you become more familiar with the weapons in your arsenal. The Busy-Life Bible Reading Plan
Do you find it odd that I am talking about overcoming and battles in a challenge centered on patience and gentleness? Becoming more patient and gentle and all the fruits of the Spirit are not ends in and of themselves, they are evidence of Who we have inside of us. It speaks to the presence of God and the saving power that is at work in us. It shows that with God we can overcome and we are overcomers.
The words in this challenge are recordings of my testimony so you can see that the Word of God is real and overcoming is possible for you as it has been for me. It is to spur you on to fight the power of sin in your life and become an overcomer in Christ. I encourage you to become more confident in God and share your testimony as led so that many more will be saved from the power of sin and death. Don’t let the enemy deceive you to compromise your testimony, it is too precious.