By the Word of Their Testimony

They conquered him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death. Revelation 12:11

My testimony? That’s easy. I was raised in church and I walked down the aisle when I was seven. Isn’t that how most of our testimony stories go? A yawnful summation of God’s grace. I thought my testimony ended at the end of that aisle with my cute seven-year old self. But my testimony isn’t over yet.

In fact, the decisions I made this very morning, in fact the very decisions while typing are an underlying current in my testimony.

What then will happen if we are silent? Yes, the blood of the Lamb is more than sufficient and all that we need. But why then did then John include that Satan was also conquered by the word of their testimony?

Our acts are to share the love of Christ, which is the central, piercing message of Scripture. Given my current situation in middle class America, there is very little statistical chance that I will be forced to testify for Christ in the face of death.

But will I declare my love for him in the face of life?

If I take a bold stand for Christ today, I will live the repercussions tomorrow. I will sit with that colleague again in the break room, interact with that family member at the next holiday, and be served by that same waitress.

We testify to give the glory to God. In that process, He uses our testimony to encourage fellow believers and call nonbelievers to Himself. The nightmares in our lives can serve to reunite God’s children with Himself. Or, especially if we remain silent, they can isolate us from the Body of Christ and even from God.

What’s your testimony today?