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.
The word of your testimony matters. It is highly consequential what you speak out about world. I have woken up more times than I can count to my Facebook feed overrun by horrible stories of death and destruction happening in our home towns and around the world. It is overwhelming sometimes and truly catastrophic indeed.
But how are believers to respond? Mostly what I’ve noticed, from Facebook posts, comment threads, conversations, etc., is fear. Lots of fear. Lots of fear and lots of what I call “extraction prayers”–you know, the ones that beg for God to take us out before it gets as bad as we think it will. The ones that reveal our subtle acceptance that the world is being taken over by evil, that Christians are the underdogs, and that we are powerless to stop it. This belief is more damaging than you can imagine, friends, and it’s diminishing the power of the Gospel and it’s robbing you of your destiny as the Church to carry the name and purpose of Jesus to the ends of the earth, to rule and to reign, and to establish the domain of the King.
Remember, it is you, Jesus lovers, that he spoke about when Jesus said he would build his Church and the gates of hell would not overcome it. That was you he was talking about. Do you think you were created just to live in fear of the encroaching evil until you get to heaven? Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. We don’t want to let the world burn, we want to see it turn!
Friends, and I’m talking to followers of Jesus here, it is time to leave fear and escapism behind and take up the life of intimacy, identity, and victory you were made for.
I know the very real danger that seems ready to pounce at any moment, and I know what it feels like to fear the unknown, but I also know that I was born for such a time as this–and so were my children and so were you. I know that Jesus defeated Satan at the resurrection and I know that there is nothing–not even death–that can separate me from him or from my destiny in him. And I also know that God is working all things for good, reconciling all things to himself, and making all things new. He has done it. It is being done. And it will be done.
He has overcome. He has won. Period.
And because he has overcome, in him you have overcome.
So my friends, instead of speaking words of surrender and fear, choose to pray the prayers of overcomers. Speak out the true words of one who is heir to the kingdom, because that is who you are! You are not one who shrinks back to destruction. No, you are indwelled with the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead.
Our battle is not against flesh and blood here, and it is time to take up our responsibility as his beloveds and offer the only one true answer to the devastation around the world: Jesus himself. Speak out the blood of Jesus. Proclaim his life. Give thanks for yours. Pray prayers that remind the enemy that he has already lost this battle. If Jesus could appear to Saul, who actively persecuted Christians, on the road and awaken him to his destiny as the great apostle of our faith and an establisher of God’s kingdom family, then he can do the same for every single person that is terrorizing, spreading fear, and sowing darkness now.
What if God poured out his Spirit over all flesh (as he promised!) and these evil-doers–even ISIS–had miraculous encounters with the Living God that changed the course of history? What if this was the kind of engaged, active, faith-filled prayer we prayed together as the Church. This is the kind of prayer an overcomer prays.
Turn to Jesus. There is an awakening coming.