Battle the Beast with the Blood

In this week’s blog I continue to reflect on my dream from July 2 in which I found myself sharing words of encouragement to a grieving congregation. I also want to unpack more from the text of Revelation 12:11. Dwelling on the dream and this particular scripture have enabled me to gain insights on how to shine and do battle in the current culture we are immersed in.

I shared a troubling part of the dream with a friend, the funeral service was sadly due to the pastor taking his life. I couldn’t understand how Revelation 12:11 could bring comfort to the church particularly relating to this situation. My friend said to me, “think about the pain pastor’s go through leading congregations, especially in the culture we live in. Think about your own pain as a pastor.”

I thought about what he said as I continued to meditate on the dream, the passage, and the call to fight. As I read through Revelation and thought about the dragon or the beast that wars against the church, the Bride of Christ-it occurred to me that the greatest battle is the beast within.

Yes, Satan and his hordes of hell are real and continually making war on the Father’s children. Yet, often the war takes place within me. I have a beast within my soul, my flesh, my sinful nature. The goal of the enemy is to unleash the beast within to bind my mind with fear, doubts, that lead to massive insecurities, which opens the floodgates to all types of sin. Satan’s goal is to build a strong hold in my mind-to wage a war within so his wicked lies can bring about despair and ultimate destruction.

The greatest weapon to overcome the beast within is-The Blood:

“The conquered him completely through the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 12:11a

This past Sunday we were blessed to participate in communion. As I was preparing my heart I thought about the wounds of Christ. How from His head, hands, feet, and side blood flowed out and splashed all over the ground. That ground represented my dirty, dusty, rocky heart that is dead in sin. Yet- The Blood is pure, precious, perfect, and powerful enough to wash away all of my sin and spring new life out of dirt. It keeps me in a love relationship with my Abba Father, the only TRUE SOURCE of SECURITY.

Spiritually, I ran to the cross and by faith declared victory over the beast within by The Blood of Lamb who overcame the beast’s hold over me by taking my place on the cross. The Lamb fought and overcame the beast by His own blood. Notice, He didn’t use physical force, political activism, no corporate power plays, only Blood.

In the massive battle we are facing in our day our only victory will be through The Blood of forgiveness. As we daily live under His loving forgiveness and acknowledge by faith our death with Christ, we share in the Lamb’s victory. We become little lambs, secure in His love (Read and Sing Rev. 15:1-4).

We war against the beast within and the beast in the world by a supernatural love that can forgive ourselves and our enemies. Pastors and Churches need to run back to our place of victory, the Cross where blood was poured out, and unleashed an eternal river of forgiveness that doomed the beast for ever.

Today are you feeling defeated, full of despair, hearing demonic lies, controlled by insecurities and fears? Please run to the fountain of blood and let His love drench you in healing forgiveness. As the old hymn says:

“There is power, power, wonder working power in the precious blood of the Lamb!”