The Overcomers - a reflection
Graham Walker
Revelation 12:11
They overcame 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.
So here we are week 4 or is it week 5 of ‘lockdown’? I don’t know about you but it seems to me one day just blends with another. I saw an amusing video clip of a woman on ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ struggling to answer a question and has to give up only for us to see the question was, ‘what day of the week is it?’ I’m sure you know the feeling! So what have you been doing during this time, particularly those who are usually working but now can’t, and even those of us who are retired? I expect we have all spent more time on emails and social media as this has been a good way to keep in touch and communicate with loved ones and also to receive messages and even to share in services, which a number of churches and organisations have now put online. I hope you are not excluded from these as they have helped us to keep a sense of perspective, to see photos of each other’s gardens and walks, to receive encouragement through messages from Leaders and Elders and to realise something that is epitomised in Paul and Michael’s original headline for our web site, that we are: ‘Apart but together’.
As many of you know much of my time (pre lockdown) was spent preparing and speaking to people, mostly in churches, about the suffering of Christians who are persecuted for their faith just because of where they live. I know a number of you are familiar with the situation that confronts them, for you follow the reports and are aware of the trauma and threats they have to endure even to the point of risking their very lives before they would deny their God and Saviour Jesus Christ. When I first became involved with Open Doors, the charity supporting persecuted Christians in over 60 countries around the world, my overwhelming feeling was one of guilt! Ashamed of the fact that I had little to no idea of what had been going on in China, North Korea and other places around the world, while I had been focusing my best to get on at work! Although I had been involved in church life, teaching youngsters, becoming a Deacon, and taking an active role, I realised my focus here had largely excluded the plight of our greater family, our persecuted brothers and sisters.
I have heard it said we are now under a form of ‘suffering’! I don’t believe we can compare the restrictions we now have with those of our brothers and sisters in other countries, but we do have a taste of being restricted in our movements to some extent and certainly on our ability to meet together. It’s not for the same reason as Christians might experience in their lands, but nevertheless these blocks on our normal life have had a tremendous effect on some and particularly on those who have lost loved ones. However the more I look at the persecuted church and its growth and reflect on what the Bible says, I become more convinced that suffering is the norm and a life without any problems or suffering is not something Christians should expect and perhaps more importantly, not something we should seek!
Time and time again we see that through suffering for Christ’s sake in one form or another churches spring up, evangelism spreads and believers find a purpose in life that is beyond the day to day and becomes more focused on eternity and their standing before an Almighty God. So should we seek out some form of persecution, of course not, but do we have something to ponder here in our isolation, in our lockdown, and can we learn something from our brothers and sisters at this time? Well I believe we can, so picking up on part of the theme of Toms reflection of last week, I want us to think on ‘Overcoming’!
The only original disciple of Jesus spared from Martyrdom was the apostle John who experienced persecution in different ways. While exiled on the island of Patmos he was given the revelation of Jesus which he wrote down for the churches of his day, and ultimately for us too. He describes our enemy Satan and the cosmic spiritual battle he wages against us as disciples of Jesus. John also points out that Satan is especially angry as he realises his time is short.
Suffering for Being a Christian
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
1 Peter 4:12-14
Overcoming
Paul Estabrooks in his book entitled The Lion’s Den writes “The letter of Revelation is written in an often used structure for ancient literature which uses the central section as the focus and climax of the writing or teaching. Revelation chapter 12 is the central section and verse 11 is the central verse and focused idea. John reveals in this climatic message that our enemy Satan, will ultimately be overcome and defeated. We accomplish this victory as disciples of Jesus in three ways:
- By the blood of the Lamb
- By the word of our testimony and
- By willingness to sacrifice our own physical life”
In a book I am reading at the moment ‘Discipleship on the Edge’- Darrell Johnson writes:
“There is only one way to ‘overcome’ the way Jesus did as a Lamb, as pictured in Revelation 5. Thus chapter 12:11, is the central verse of the whole book
“they (the disciples of Jesus) overcame him (the Dragon) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.”
“The structure itself declares the message that since Jesus does not overcome evil by being a Lion who hurts others, but by being a Lamb who absorbs hurt, so we too overcome evil in the world not by inflicting more hurt, but by absorbing the hurt, even if it costs us our lives. Further it declares the mystery that in losing our lives we can actually win “overcome” just as Jesus did.”
I know that is a hard concept to grasp as we all want to hold onto life and fulfil our dreams and see our loved ones grow up and their children and so on, after all that is only natural. But somewhere along the line we need to try and understand the teaching of Paul and His statement in his letter to the Philippians:
Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Phil 1:22-25
On the cross Jesus conquered forever the worst that sin and evil could do to him – death! He met the full assort of evil and overcame it by the shedding of His blood and the power of His resurrection. Those who have entrusted their lives to Him also share in that victory over evil and death. In the context of our main text Rev 12:11, Satan is noted to be the “accuser“of the brethren. He knows we are all sinners and he is constantly accusing us of it. But it’s not the whole story. It is through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (the blood of the Lamb) that sin is forgiven. When we receive by faith what Christ has done, our sins are wiped out. We are cleansed by faith in Christ’s blood. His saving grace and a willingness to receive us as sinners saved by grace is the key to this principle, not our feelings of worthiness. We overcome him – our enemy – by confessing we are sinners and then confessing the cleansing of that sin through the sacrificial blood of the Lamb.
When we are forgiven then there is nothing that the Devil can accuse us of! There is no possible accusation that he can make against one that is completely forgiven! So we overcome him first, by the blood of the Lamb.
Romans 8:33-34 in JB Phillips version reads “Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us!” So Satan is defeated and impotent and can have no further hold on us for we overcome by the blood of the Lamb!
Charles Wesley wrote about this in one of his beloved hymns:
No condemnation now I dread; Jesus and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Overcoming believers also declare Christ’s love and forgiveness aloud to themselves, to Satan, and to the world. It is the second way we become
“more than conquerors” Romans 8:37
Story from Vietnam - Daniel
Let me illustrate how important our testimony is with a story from Vietnam.
Daniel was called by the Lord to the north of Vietnam where he soon found himself in the midst of a revival. People were coming to know the Lord and Daniel immediately started a training program to equip his new believers. He also witnessed the power of God as people were healed and many were delivered from their addiction to opium. The inevitable soon happened and Daniel was sent to prison, his ‘training school’, for three years. With a smile that illuminated the room Daniel shared his experiences in prison.
“After my arrest I was put in solitary confinement and chained to the ground for six months. This was a very hard time for me. The cell was small, there were no lights in the cell and I only had one bowl of rice and salt per day. A piece of bamboo was stuck over my crossed legs and chained to the ground. Being chained to the ground for such a long time also resulted in my body swelling and creating a lot of pain. I felt totally deserted. I asked the Lord to take my life. It was too much for me. I prayed a lot but thankfully the Lord did not do what I asked.”
“One night in my prison cell chained to the ground I saw a vision of the Lord. He did not speak a word. He just placed his hand on me and I felt her new strength fill my body. I cried and repented before the Lord. Then I knew the Lord was saying to me that He would not allow me to leave this world defeated, that when He takes me home it will be victoriously. The next day the police came and took me to another cell with other prisoners. Today I can see why God allowed this difficult time as I could share the gospel with many people in prison. After three years in prison there is a church in every area where I spent time in a prison and more than 200 inmates came to know the Lord. Three other prisoners who came to know the Lord also started churches in prison. When I was released from prison, I found my church in the village had grown to over 500 people.”
As Daniel concluded his testimony co-workers could positively see the grace and love of the Lord in this humble man. He looked at them and summed up a life of sacrifice with the following words: “I know that God has a good plan – He sent me to prison to preach the gospel and to become a strong warrior for him.” Daniel, by his testimony, became an ‘overcomer’.
Within overcomers, is the ultimate secret victory that destroys any consideration for reputation, safety, comfort, or freedom. They make themselves a willing self offering patterned on Christ’s own life – a repeated message in the gospels. Not just Martyrdom, but loyalty to Jesus ahead of comfort, safety and security.
Arab Christians in North Africa
In March 2007, a co-worker had the joy of training a group of Arab Christians who were preparing for an outreach to various Muslim countries in North Africa. His teaching focused on bringing glory to God and also on biblical understanding of opposition, persecution, hardship and possible martyrdom. The students ended the week with a declaration, as they stood up one by one, committing themselves to live to the glory of God. They declared to live a life to be forgotten so that Christ can be remembered. A month later two outreach teams from the school travelled to Sudan and one was sent to the Juba mountains in partnership with a local church. The team were staying in the village and went out to a rural area to show the ‘JESUS’ film. While they were travelling back to the village in a truck they were ambushed by armed gunmen. The truck driver drove away as quickly as possible, but a number of Sudanese and Egyptians on the truck were wounded in the shooting. Three Sudanese and one Egyptian were killed.
They first drove frantically to the nearest town looking for a clinic to tend the wounded and the dead. With no facilities or medicines there, they then had to drive a further five hours to the nearest hospital for help. The darkness and hopelessness turned the journey into an eternity. The questions, the fear and yet the serenity of it all made it seem surreal. When they finally reached hospital it was too late for one of the wounded Egyptians and he died in the arms of one of the leaders. His last words to his faithful friend reflected the words of his commitment to his beloved Saviour. “Tell my father that I died for the glory of Jesus“
Two years later, our co-worker trained another group who were again on their way to Sudan. The group committed themselves to go back to the very region of the traumatic event, not despite the tragedy but because of the tragedy. Our co-worker concluded, “I realised anew that the battle is real but also that victory only belongs to those who participate. So often I hear Christians say ‘we are more than conquerors!’ but you can only say that if you are part of the battle.”
When martyrs meet torture and death without fear, they demonstrate power over Satan’s attempts to try and control us by fear as evil is defeated because it cannot ultimately win and then you become a true ‘overcomer!”
I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.
1 John 2:14
So as you along with millions of others experience this time of separation and restriction may it also be a time of reflection on our own lives. Many of us are usually very busy with one thing or another and I’m sure we can be busy even now around the garden, out walking, on social media or watching TV, spending time in many different ways, but perhaps we could just take some time to consider whether we are overcomers? What are we prepared to do, what are we prepared to offer, where are we prepared to go, what are we prepared to say? Many of our NHS staff and others insimilar service (some family members of our church) are currently taking that extra step to protect the lives of those exposed to this virus. But what are we prepared to do, not just now, but perhaps when all this over? Let the example of our Christian brothers and sisters in other countries not be a reason for sorrow or pity, but rather an inspiration to each of us of how we can all serve as Overcomers!
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings — and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
Rev 17:14
David Watson was addressing a congregation and said “How many of us here love Jesus?” Everyone’s hand went straight up. “How many are looking forward to seeing Jesus?” Everyone’s hand stayed up. “How many would like to go and see Him now?” Hands started to drop until all were down. “That’s the trouble with Christians today” he said “Everybody says they love Jesus but nobody wants to go and see Him!”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the precious blood shed by our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ and that in Him we can be overcomers of sin and death and punishment and temptation. Forgive us we pray for our weakness, for our mediocrity and our lack of commitment. We recognise we fail You often, but we want to stand out and stand up for You, we want to be Christian soldiers who go onward for You in the knowledge we can overcome because You overcame for us. Help us to be bold in our testimony and sacrificial in our giving that we may gain the richest prize promised to those who are faithful – eternity in Glory with You. Amen
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33