Revelation 12:7-12: a reflection

7There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. 8They didn’t prevail. No place was found for them any more in heaven. 9The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. 11They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death. 12Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

In a vision of the great conflict between God and the powers of evil, the accuser of God's people, the one who accuses them before God day and night, is cast down; and heaven declares how God's people overcome him. They overcame him, the voice says, because of the Lamb's blood, and because of the word of their testimony. Notice the ground of their victory over the accuser: not their own record, their own righteousness, their own goodness, but the blood of the Lamb. The accuser accuses them, day and night, before God; but they overcome his accusations not by pointing to their own worthiness, which would give the accuser his case, but by pointing to the blood of the Lamb, Christ's sacrifice for them. Our victory over the accuser rests not on our own record but on the blood of the Lamb, which answers every accusation. We overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb, not by our own goodness. The accuser is answered not by our worthiness but by Christ's blood. Our defense against accusation is the Lamb's blood.

Notice how God's people overcome the accuser: by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony. The accuser stands before God accusing them day and night; and if their defense rested on their own record, their own righteousness, the accuser would have his case, for our record is not clean. But their victory rests on something else: the blood of the Lamb, Christ's sacrifice for them. Against every accusation the accuser brings, the answer is not our own goodness but Christ's blood, which has paid for our sin. This is how we overcome accusation, whether from the accuser or from our own conscience: not by asserting our own worthiness, which fails, but by pointing to the blood of the Lamb, which answers every charge. Our confidence before God rests not on our record but on Christ's sacrifice. The accuser is silenced not by our merit but by the Lamb's blood. When we are accused, our defense is not what we have done but what Christ has done for us. To overcome the accuser is to plead the blood of the Lamb, not our own goodness. The Lamb's blood answers every accusation.

That is worth resting in, for we overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb, not by our own record. When we are accused, whether by the accuser or by our own conscience, we can try to defend ourselves by our own goodness, which fails and gives the accuser his case; but God's people overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb, Christ's sacrifice for them. Our victory over accusation rests not on our record but on Christ's blood, which answers every charge. When you are accused, plead not your own goodness but the blood of the Lamb. Overcome the accuser, whether he accuses you or your own conscience does, by the blood of the Lamb rather than by your own record, as heaven declares that God's people overcame the accuser because of the Lamb's blood and the word of their testimony; for the accuser accuses us before God, and if our defense rested on our own righteousness he would have his case, since our record is not clean, but our victory rests on the blood of the Lamb, Christ's sacrifice, which answers every accusation, so that when we are accused our defense is not what we have done but what Christ has done for us, and we overcome by pleading his blood rather than our own goodness.

Lord, in a vision of the great conflict between you and the powers of evil, the accuser of your people, the one who accuses them before you day and night, is cast down; and heaven declares how your people overcome him. They overcame him, the voice says, because of the Lamb's blood, and because of the word of their testimony. Let me notice the ground of their victory over the accuser: not their own record, their own righteousness, their own goodness, but the blood of the Lamb. The accuser accuses them, day and night, before you; but they overcome his accusations not by pointing to their own worthiness, which would give the accuser his case, but by pointing to the blood of the Lamb, Christ's sacrifice for them. Show me how your people overcome the accuser: by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony. The accuser stands before you accusing them; and if their defense rested on their own record, the accuser would have his case, for our record is not clean. But their victory rests on something else: the blood of the Lamb. Against every accusation, the answer is not our own goodness but Christ's blood, which has paid for our sin. This is how we overcome accusation, whether from the accuser or from our own conscience: not by asserting our own worthiness, which fails, but by pointing to the blood of the Lamb. Let me rest in that, for we overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb, not by our own record. When I am accused, whether by the accuser or by my own conscience, I can try to defend myself by my own goodness, which fails; but your people overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb. When I am accused, help me plead not my own goodness but the blood of the Lamb, Lord, which answers every charge, so that my defense is not what I have done but what Christ has done for me.