Do ostriches really put their heads in the sand when they are threatened? I have seen many ostriches and have even been chased by one, but I have never seen them put their heads in a hole when threatened. They do lay their eggs in holes and then turn them over periodically. This is where we got this phrase.
We, as believers, should never hide when the enemy comes and threatens us. To do so is a guarantee for failure. Instead, we need to fight – not with flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. They are our real threat even though they operate through the lives of people. Nine times in the New Testament the believers were told to stand or stand firm. The Greek word means to continue in the state you are in. I would put it this way – do not quit. But how do we do that when everything seems to be telling us that we have lost, that there is no hope?
In Revelation 12, we have what I would call a descriptive interlude. As John is seeing the revelation, the Holy Spirit takes some time to describe what will happen. We understand that these verses take place during a horrendous war in the heavenlies. This war is between Michael and his angels and the dragon and his angels. At the end of this battle, the dragon is thrown to earth with his angels. Victory has been won! The accuser of the brethren has been defeated, but how?
It is from the tenth and eleventh verses that we gain insight into how to defeat the enemy. It is the same way in which Satan and his angels can be defeated today. This is what it says, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” (Revelation 12:10–11 NASB95)
Notice that the ones who brought the victory were not Michael and his angels. The victory was won by believers who were being accused before God. The attacks that we face are for the most part accusations. These accusations are meant to destroy our faith. We see this happening around the world as believers are being accused and called haters, destroyers and racists just to name a few accusations. I think most every battle we fight begins with the enemy trying to accuse us of something. How do we defeat these accusations? There are three things mentioned here that give us the victory.
The first is the blood of the Lamb. The blood of Jesus is what takes away our sins. It was shed as payment for our sins. It was the currency used to purchase our lives from the pit and bring us into the family of God. It is also our guarantee for victory because there is power in the blood of Jesus. When the enemy sees us stand under the blood, He has no way to accuse us of wrong. He cannot use that weapon of accusation to destroy us. So, we use the blood of Jesus to defeat all his angels and every demonic host that would try to defeat us. When was the last time you reminded the devil that you are under the blood of Jesus? He has a short memory.
The next thing the Holy Spirit shows John is that the testimony of the accused defeats Satan. Did you know that your testimony defeats Satan? That is one reason why we are told to give testimony. A testimony is an accounting of what has already happened. When we testify, we are stating our present state that was made possible because something happened.
Testimony is always from our past. We speak of something that has already taken place. We testify to Jesus saving, healing and delivering us. It is also stating our present situation. We are saved, healed and delivered. Believers have the blessing of a testimony. God has done something in our lives that not only changed our past, but also our present condition. So tell the devil your testimony. It is your weapon against your accuser.
The last thing that the Holy Spirit showed Paul is that these believers did not love their lives. These believers who overcame the accuser did not have any regard for their lives. The word translated “life” is the Greek word psuche. It is also translated as soul. John saw that not only did they have no concern over their physical life but they also had no concern for their souls. They had given every area of their lives to Christ and therefore were not afraid of what the enemy could do to them. They did not fear death. They knew who they belonged to and that was enough.
So, as you face struggles and even warfare, take these three weapons and you will win.