REVELATION 12:11 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.

The martyrs overcame Satan in Revelation 12. These men and women were willing to die for their faith in Christ. The way they overcame the devil is the same way we must overcome him today. Overcoming is mentioned seven times in Revelation 2-3 where Christ addressed the churches. We are still responsible today for overcoming the attacks and slanders and temptations of the devil. We overcome three ways:

By the blood of the Lamb. Paul wrote in Romans 4:7–8: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.” The truth that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1) applied to them. No accusation against any believer will stand, because the Lamb’s blood was shed for all their sins. The first and most important key to defeating Satan’s assaults is to “take the helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17; cf. 1 Thess. 5:8). The unshakable foundation of all spiritual victory is Christ’s purchase of redemption at Calvary.

By the word of our testimony. The martyrs in Revelation, indeed martyrs throughout history, have been killed because they wouldn’t keep quiet about their faith. Today, men and women who are bold enough and faithful enough to testify for Christ will overcome the devil.

By loving God more than life itself. No one can say they have overcome the devil if they deny Christ in order not to be killed. The promise of eternal life means little to one who would fight to keep hold of earthly life. History is filled with the accounts of those who did not love their lives to the death.

Satan cannot overcome people who have no fear of death. They are free to live their lives in complete obedience to the Lord because Satan has no power to separate them from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39).