Overcoming the Devil by the Blood of Jesus

“And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Revelation 12:11

I had a wrong perception about spiritual warfare.

“This is spiritual warfare, brother,” Vardan said to me one day after sharing with him some of my issues.

“What…?” I asked in slight confusion. “What kind of spiritual warfare?” The paradox is at that time I had already been a believer and church preacher for about nine years. It took me some years to understand what spiritual warfare is and I’m still learning today. But today I have a totally different position – a position of conqueror and victor in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37). I had to pay a price for not fully understanding the principles of spiritual warfare, but we can avoid many troubles by learning to understand and apply the blood of Jesus in our spiritual battles.

Overcoming the devil by the blood of Jesus is a powerful biblical remedy against the devil’s war actions on Christians. God wants his children to be knowledgeable about this spiritual war and act according to his prescriptions. Let’s have “ears to listen”:

“And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” -Revelation 12:11

All born-again Christians know that Jesus defeated the devil. But not all know that every Christian is expected to defeat the devil as prescribed by the Lord.

Three things to do while applying the blood of Jesus.

Overcoming the devil by the blood of Jesus may have multiple meanings, but I would like to share three things:

1) Acknowledging as deep as possible the benefits of the glorious sacrifice of Jesus Christ at the cross.

At the cross, Jesus paid the price for all your sins and consequences of sin: disease, blame, anxiousness, depression, etc. He suffered in your place, bore your penalty, your diseases and weaknesses so that you don’t need to bear them any longer (Matthew 8:17). He redeemed you and all believers from God’s wrath and transferred you into the Kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:13). Because of what Jesus did on the cross, God the Father doesn’t have anything against you. You are free! The Lord wants a relationship with you and He is there to help you. But you need to really believe that. Walk in it. Immerse in it. The spiritual realm is accessible only “by faith.” Faith is essential! So, think about the power of the blood of Jesus often! Believe it with all your heart! If you find it hard to believe, remind yourself about His great love for you and then decide to believe it! Your mind will soon obey!

2) Actively taking hold of the power of the blood of Jesus.

Taking hold of God’s promises (in this case, overcoming the devil) is an active manifestation of faith. You simply take hold of and believe (“the word of your testimony”) what God told you in His Word to take hold of. It is your right, your privilege as a child of God.

How do you do it? By believing in your heart and proclaiming it with your mouth (Romans 10:9-10) and living it out as your reality. Say to yourself: “It is written, hence it’s true. God’s reality is more real than my reality.” You need to trust Him and learn to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). This is what honours God. This is what brings victory.

3) Dedicating time to study everything the Bible says about spiritual warfare.

Like a well-trained soldier, you may want to advance in your fighting skills and learn to use all God’s weapons in your spiritual battles. God’s instructions for spiritual warfare in the Bible are quite diverse. It ranges from simply asking the Lord for protection (The Lord’s Prayer), to more specific instructions: “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power”, “Put on the full armour of God”, “Stand firm” (Ephesians 6). “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Write those verses on your walls, memorise them. Recite them often. Remind yourself that this is the everlasting WORD of God.

God’s Word works. It has always worked. It will always work. And His blood is enough.

Be blessed!

Ruslan Stanga
Youth for Christ International Board of Trustees
Ruslan has been in the Youth for Christ family since 2013 and is currently a Youth for Christ International board trustee. He is married with three children. Ruslan holds an MA with distinction from the London Metropolitan University, UK (2009, Social Development). He worked in a number of organizations, including the Council of Europe and the UN, while advancing the rights of different marginalized groups. During 2013-2015 Ruslan served in the Moldovan government as senior advisor for two Prime Ministers advising government in matters of social inclusion.
Ruslan has 18 years of experience in the field of non-profits, and permanently volunteers in different roles. Ruslan’s current specialization is rural development and local governance. Since 2021 Ruslan serves as ordained pastor in Ben-Sion Church in the capital city of Moldova, Chișinău.