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Revelation 12:10-11
Revelation 12:11 states that "they did not love their lives to the death," demonstrating an attitude of complete surrender to God, whether or not martyrdom is actually involved. When we come under the blood of the Lamb, we are changed from being slaves to sin to slaves of righteousness (see Romans 6:16-22). Our lives have been paid for; they are no longer our own. Christ requires that we love Him above all else, including our own lives (Luke 14:26). Satan and his world are diametrically opposed to our Lord and Master's way of life, and we must be willing to accept the consequences of standing in the truth without compromise, even to the point of physical death. Hebrews 11:35 tells of faithful men and women who "were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection." Such a stand, whether the battle is minor or ultimate, demonstrates the value we place on the blood shed for us, and in this way, Satan is overcome. There is a reason why overcoming is spoken of so highly and rewarded so richly and why there is rejoicing in heaven when Satan is overcome. Overcoming represents success in God's project to create sons and daughters in His image. Our ability to overcome means that we have pursued, with all of our being, the divine relationship offered to us, which has resulted in our resembling the Object of our affection in mind, attitude, character, and action. It means we have so successfully taken on the image of God that, when the ruler of this world approaches, he has nothing in us (cf. John 14:30). All this begins with the blood of the Lamb and continues because of the blood of the Lamb. Our part is not to focus on Satan or on our sins, though we will certainly be aware of both. Our part is to follow the Lamb and get to know Him because He is the only One who has done what we are trying to do.
David C. Grabbe
How Did They Overcome? (Part Three)
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