“How does the blood of the Lamb overcome Satan?”

QUESTION: Explain the idea of overcoming Satan by the blood of the Lamb in Revelation 12:11.

ANSWER: Note, first of all, that Revelation is a prophetic book. From Revelation 1:7 on, the scene is in the future. It occurs at the middle of the seven-year Tribulation period, and triggers what Scripture calls the Great Tribulation. Satan is not yet cast out of heaven today, but is still actively accusing believers day and night before God. Think of his accusations against Job (Job 1-2). After he is cast out of heaven he will no longer have access to the presence of God for this wicked purpose.

But how can saints overcome Satan, their accuser? Not only does he accuse us before God, but he would like to upset our faith as well. How many times he, or his demonic helpers, try to persuade us that because of something we have done we are no longer saved. How can we overcome this mighty accuser?

The blood of the Lamb justifies us before God: “With His own blood (Christ) entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). That precious blood cleanses our conscience “from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 12:14). We can rest upon the blood of the Lamb, shed for our sins and accepted by God. What power can Satan’s accusations have against it? “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom. 8:33-34).

In Egypt, Israel applied the blood of the Passover Lamb to their houses, because God said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Ex. 12:13). They did not have to plead. God’s seeing the blood was sufficient.

Some people today make much of their “pleading the blood of the Lamb” against the satanic forces of evil. We are told to “resist the devil and he will flee from you.” But this command is preceded by “submit to God,” and followed by “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Jas. 4:7-8). Nothing is said here about “pleading the blood of the Lamb.” Nor do we find anything like this in Ephesians 6:10-20 where we read of the Christians’ battle “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We are simply exhorted to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

Notwithstanding Satan’s accusations, we have a good conscience before God through the blood of the Lamb. We can stand before men by the word of our testimony, even to the point of death. Think of believers assaulted by tremendous persecution in many places today. Things will be even more difficult in the coming Tribulation. But those who are truly resting on the blood of the Lamb will also be able to stand before men, even in severest trial. Remember Daniel’s three friends actually thrown into the fiery furnace (Dan. 3). Hebrews 11:35-38 also shows us many heroes of the past who overcame the enemy by the word of their testimony, and who did not love their lives to the death.

In conclusion, we should not pull a phrase out of Revelation 12:11 and repeat it again and again as a magic charm or talisman to ward off the hosts of evil. Instead, we should submit to God, put on the full armor of God and resist the devil and his wicked hosts. We should be thankful that God sees us in the full value of the blood of the Lamb and will therefore not accept Satan’s accusations against us

By Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.