11a And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.
Satan and his hosts of demons have, according to previous verses of this chapter, been trying to destroy Israel and Christ and all the believers on earth. Satanic destruction has been unleashed against believers all through the ages and will reach its climax against the saints of the Great Tribulation. He will try to destroy and slaughter all of the believing people.
However, Satan will be defeated. Notice what our text says: “they overcame him”. Believers will overcome all satanic opposition and persecution. How would they overcome Satan and his demonic hosts? According to our text, their overcoming of Satan and his demons was not by rebuke, incantations, bindings of demons or exorcism.
They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14 describes the Tribulation saints as “they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”. Because of Christ’s blood shed for their redemption, no accusation would stand. No accusation against the suffering saints of the Great Tribulation would stand before the throne of God. In fact, no accusation against any believer in any age would stand. It is not that they possess some personal power of their own, but rather that “God hath set forth (Christ) to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Romans 3:25). As Paul said, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6-7; cf. Colossians 1:14). All of the accusations against us fall on deaf ears because we have been saved by the blood of the Lamb, even our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:12, 14).
What’s more, the believers also overcame Satan “by the word of their testimony”. In a world filled with demonic treachery and opposition, their testimony never wavered. They remained faithful regardless of all the threatening situations brought against them by the fury of Satan. They were unflinching and unwavering in the face of hostility. Their witness was clear and steadfast. Truly, Christians do not surrender; as “overcomers”, they go forth bearing Christ’s testimony, even in times of satanic hostility.