Articles
The Way to Victory
The Way to Victory
Christians are in a spiritual battle for their eternal destiny. That war includes the battlefront of temptations that come by way of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The battlefield also includes an engagement with the enemy over false doctrines and false religion. These clashes put Christians in conflict with the world, and as a result of their combat against these two enemies, worldliness and error, they endure suffering for the cause of Christ from the enemies of the cross who are doing the bidding of that great accuser, Satan.
But the book of Revelation tells us that if we keep fighting and endure, we can overcome and be victorious.
“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 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’” (Revelation 2:10-11).
In these verses are three elements necessary to the Christian’s victory over Satan.
First, “they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” Christians have the benefit of having their past sins forgiven when they were baptized into Christ, and now in Christ, if they sin they have access, through repentance and confession to God, to the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of those sins. Without this benefit, no man could be victorious; but with it, he can overcome and win the victory.
Second, “they overcame him…by the word of their testimony.” Christians are victorious who remain steadfast and firm in the word of Christ and remain true to the faith they confessed when they obeyed the gospel and true to the confession and commitment they made at that time. In the fight against temptation and error, they remain loyal to Christ.
Third, “they did not love their lives to the death.” Christians who recognize the value of their soul will not surrender their faith for anything, for they love Jesus more than this life. They recognize that suffering wrongfully for the cause of Christ is part of the Christian’s calling (1 Peter 2:21), and that is a suffering that will go to the point of giving one’s life for his faith in Christ.
There is no victory over Satan outside of Christ. Those who are victorious in eternal life are those who overcame by the blood of Jesus Christ by becoming a Christian, who remain faithful and true to the commitment they made to Christ and His word when they became a Christian, and who are willing to accept suffering and even physical death for the cause of Christ instead of casting away their faith. That’s the way to victory!
