July 18th, 2023
by Mike Cleveland
by Mike Cleveland
The Gospel Victory
Revelation 12:10-12 (NIV) “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
In Revelation 12:10-12, we get a glimpse of the cosmic spiritual battle between good and evil, and the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ. This passage gives us hope, reminding us of three key truths:
1. Satan is defeated. Verse 10 declares "the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down." Satan tries to make us feel condemned, but by Jesus' blood we are redeemed and Satan has no right to accuse us!
It’s like when a defendant is declared “not guilty” in court. The prosecution may have brought up all sorts of accusations and condemnations. But when the judge slams down the gavel announcing “not guilty,” those accusations lose their power. The defendant walks free because of their vindication.
In the same way, Satan loves to accuse us hoping the judge will examine the evidence and declare us “guilty!”. But Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has removed the evidence against us. The Judge, God Himself, has declared us “not guilty” through placing our faith in Christ. The power of condemnation and accusation has been broken. We can walk forward in freedom, with no more record of sin held against us. Hallelujah!
2. Salvation comes through Jesus' sacrifice. Verse 11 says "they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb." Christ's shed blood on the cross provides the only way of salvation, not our own good works.
Imagine you were rushing to work one day and got pulled over for driving above the speed limit. The officer issues you a $300 ticket for breaking the law.
You show up to traffic court stressed, knowing you can't afford the $300 fine. But when the judge calls your case, your kind friend who rode with you that day steps forward and says "Your honor, I'd like to pay her fine in full." The judge accepts the payment and declares your case dismissed. Your debt is paid, your record cleared - not by your good driving, but by your friend's sacrifice.
This is what Jesus did for us. We stood guilty before God, unable to pay the penalty for our sin. But Jesus stepped forward and paid our debt in full with His blood on the cross. Our salvation comes not through our good deeds, but through Christ's ultimate sacrifice for us. What an amazing gift!
3. We overcome through Jesus' power. In verse 11, believers triumph over Satan "by the word of their testimony." Our victory is secure because of what Jesus did, not what we do. Our testimony is about the power of His blood to silence the Accuser, and how we obtained victory through the cross.
Jesus' finished work on the cross seals Satan's defeat. An old hymn captures this beautifully: "My sin, not in part but the whole, Was nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more!" Just as Satan had no accusation against Jesus, he has none against us when we place our trust in Christ alone.
Let's cling tightly to the gospel truth proclaimed in Revelation 12. Jesus conquered the enemy; salvation is secure for all who call upon His name. We overcome when we rely not on our own strength, but on His power and blood shed for us. What hope and assurance we have in our gospel Victor!
Revelation 12:10-12 (NIV) “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
In Revelation 12:10-12, we get a glimpse of the cosmic spiritual battle between good and evil, and the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ. This passage gives us hope, reminding us of three key truths:
1. Satan is defeated. Verse 10 declares "the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down." Satan tries to make us feel condemned, but by Jesus' blood we are redeemed and Satan has no right to accuse us!
It’s like when a defendant is declared “not guilty” in court. The prosecution may have brought up all sorts of accusations and condemnations. But when the judge slams down the gavel announcing “not guilty,” those accusations lose their power. The defendant walks free because of their vindication.
In the same way, Satan loves to accuse us hoping the judge will examine the evidence and declare us “guilty!”. But Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has removed the evidence against us. The Judge, God Himself, has declared us “not guilty” through placing our faith in Christ. The power of condemnation and accusation has been broken. We can walk forward in freedom, with no more record of sin held against us. Hallelujah!
2. Salvation comes through Jesus' sacrifice. Verse 11 says "they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb." Christ's shed blood on the cross provides the only way of salvation, not our own good works.
Imagine you were rushing to work one day and got pulled over for driving above the speed limit. The officer issues you a $300 ticket for breaking the law.
You show up to traffic court stressed, knowing you can't afford the $300 fine. But when the judge calls your case, your kind friend who rode with you that day steps forward and says "Your honor, I'd like to pay her fine in full." The judge accepts the payment and declares your case dismissed. Your debt is paid, your record cleared - not by your good driving, but by your friend's sacrifice.
This is what Jesus did for us. We stood guilty before God, unable to pay the penalty for our sin. But Jesus stepped forward and paid our debt in full with His blood on the cross. Our salvation comes not through our good deeds, but through Christ's ultimate sacrifice for us. What an amazing gift!
3. We overcome through Jesus' power. In verse 11, believers triumph over Satan "by the word of their testimony." Our victory is secure because of what Jesus did, not what we do. Our testimony is about the power of His blood to silence the Accuser, and how we obtained victory through the cross.
Jesus' finished work on the cross seals Satan's defeat. An old hymn captures this beautifully: "My sin, not in part but the whole, Was nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more!" Just as Satan had no accusation against Jesus, he has none against us when we place our trust in Christ alone.
Let's cling tightly to the gospel truth proclaimed in Revelation 12. Jesus conquered the enemy; salvation is secure for all who call upon His name. We overcome when we rely not on our own strength, but on His power and blood shed for us. What hope and assurance we have in our gospel Victor!
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