The Blood of the Lamb

“But they overcame [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” –Revelation 12:11, NET

As a kid, I was not allowed to watch the cartoon He-Man due to its dark, pagan elements (i.e. “By the power of Grayskull”). But I have to confess, my brother and I snuck around and watched it when we were left unsupervised. As ridiculous as the show is, I love that magical moment when He-man lifts his sword and summons a great transformational power. I don’t know about you, but I am drawn to those magical moments of metamorphosis when an otherwise ordinary individual becomes supernaturally empowered by a weapon of power. That moment when Arthur draws out Excalibur; or when Aragorn takes the sword Anduril from Elrond; or the scene where Harry is given his wand by Olivander; or when Luke lights up his lightsaber; or when Peter unsheathes the sword given by Father Christmas.

You know, every Christian has such a power available to them.

HOLD OUT THE SWORD

Let us examine this two-edged weapon we are to hold.

We have a sword. It is the word of God (Eph 6:17), which proclaims His promises, declares His marvelous works, is a witness to His glorious character. But it is also the atoning blood of THE Word of God (John 1:1), who embodies all those things.

“By ‘the blood of the Lamb’ we understand our Lord's death as a substitutionary sacrifice. Let us be very clear here. It is not said that they overcame the arch-enemy by the blood of Jesus, or the blood of Christ, but by the blood of the Lamb; and the words are expressly chosen because, under the figure of a lamb, we have set before us a sacrifice. The blood of Jesus Christ, shed because of his courage for the truth, or out of pure philanthropy, or out of self-denial, conveys no special gospel to men, and has no peculiar power about it. Truly it is an example worthy to beget martyrs; but it is not the way of salvation for guilty men. If you proclaim the death of the Son of God, but do not show that he died the just for the unjust to bring us to God, you have not preached the blood of the Lamb. You must make it known that “the chastisement of our peace was upon him,” and that “the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all,” or you have not declared the meaning of the blood of the Lamb. There is no overcoming sin without a substitutionary sacrifice.” (Charles Spurgeon, The Blood of the Lamb) (Isa 53:5) (Isa 53:6)

What do we do with this sword? Do we hang it upon the wall as an exhibit only to friends who we’ve allowed to see our inner lives? Do we pull it out only as a comfort when fear overtakes our heart and threatens the security of our safe places? If so, then we have not experienced its transforming power.

For the atonement is our transforming sword (2Co 3:18) that purchased our glorious sonship (Gal 4:6; Rom 8:14-17). It has made us holy soldiers (2Ti 2:3-4), granting us the power of the Spirit to bring our flesh into submission (2Ti 1:7-8), and to be enlightened in our understanding and sight (Eph 3:16-20). It makes us bold in our testimony (Acts 1:8) and sacrificial in our love (Eph 5:1-2). By it we are promised victory (1Co 15:57) as conquerors (1Jo 4:4).

PARRY WITH THE SWORD

But a blade is not to be simply held but brandished in battle. We must be ready to make use of this conquering weapon to wage war, alert in prayer against imminent attacks (1Pe 5:8; Mat 26:41).

“This precious blood is to be used for overcoming, and consequently for holy warfare. We dishonour it if we do not use it to that end…. By the atoning blood we withstand corruption within and temptation without. This is that weapon which nothing can resist.” (Charles Spurgeon, The Blood of the Lamb)

“How?” you might ask.

What do we do when we have been sifted (Luke 22:31) and our Accuser (Rev 12:10) thwarts us access to the throne? He is like a snarling, black, monster of a dog in our father’s yard. Will we allow his lies to keep us away? Or will we unsheathe the atonement as we boldly approach the door (John 10:9), making use of that bloody blade which testifies to our full ransom (1Pe 1:18-19) and ensures us unhindered access (Heb 4:14-16)?

“[The Blood of the Lamb] will drive away [the devil’s] blasphemous suggestions and foul insinuations better than anything that you can invent. The dog of hell knows the dread name which makes him lie down: we must confront him with the authority, and specially with the atonement of the Lamb of God.” (Spurgeon)

Do you use this weapon when sin has seduced you out into the corrupt yard of the world? Without our sword, we have no authority (Acts 19:13-16). We walk with empty hands of guilt and shame (1Jo 2:28; Phi 3:19), to be either pummeled and pulled away because of our pride (1Pe 5:8), or to flee in fear (Heb 10:35-39). But if we humbly grasp this sword, submitting ourselves to God, it is our enemy who must retreat (Jam 4:7).

And yet why do I still feel guilt assailing me?

My eldest son, whenever convicted of wrongdoing, seems to harp upon a thing obsessively, no matter how small. One night, after being reprimanded for a racist comment, he continued to repeat, “I feel so bad,” as the evening progressed. “Do you forgive me?” he kept asking, ignoring the previous affirmative answers.

Are we not all like that? We allow conviction to get twisted into shame by our enemy who whispers, “Surely asking for forgiveness is not enough. You must DO something more to earn such a gift.”

We think too much of ourselves, and dare to pollute the pure and precious plasma of the Prince of Peace with our filthy rags (Isa 64:6). If with one hand we hold our mighty weapon, and the other we cling to the shield of faith (Eph 6:16), we can grip nothing else. He has told us we are forgiven if we repent. Do we believe Him or not (1Jo 5:5)?

“Come, brother or sister, the next time thou hast to do with Satan as an accuser in the heavenly places, take care that thou defend thyself with no weapon but the atonement. All comfort drawn from inward feelings or outward works will fall short; but the bleeding wounds of Jesus will plead with full and overwhelming argument, and answer all,” (Spurgeon).

If we are indeed His adopted children (Eph 1:5), if we have believed upon the Son (John 3:14-15) and have truly felt godly sorrow over our sins (2Co 7:10), then let us empty our hold of all that is human pride, and grip the “weapons of righteousness” with both hands (2Co 6:7).

“Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.” –Romans 8:32-34

ATTACK WITH THE SWORD

But our weapon is not just our defense against fear, shame, and temptation, but also our offensive strike against all kinds of false doctrines and idolatry.

“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God. For I decided to be concerned about NOTHING among you except Jesus Christ, and HIM CRUCIFIED. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling. My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.” –1 Corinthians 2:2-5, NET

On the surface it seems strange that the Apostle Paul asserts he preached nothing but the atonement, especially when he touches on so many glorious topics in this letter (unity, church discipline, sexual immorality, marriage, idol worship, head coverings, the Lord’s supper, spiritual gifts, etc). Yet at the core of his correcting the church on all these issues is the substitutionary atonement of Christ, the foundation everything is built upon (1Co 3:11; 15:3-4). For it is the cross that stands as the blood covered mercy seat (Heb 9:11-12), and the resurrection as the final evidence that “it is finished” (John 19:30), our sins paid in full (1Co 15:17). All right living and doctrine flow from this (Heb 9:13-14).

“The doctrine of the precious blood, when it once gets into the heart, drives error out of it, and sets up the throne of truth. You cannot be clinging to an atoning sacrifice, and still delight in modern heresies. Those who deny inspiration are sure to get rid of the vicarious atonement, because it will not allow their errors. Let us go on proclaiming the doctrine of the great sacrifice, and this will kill the vipers of heresy. Let us uplift the cross, and never mind what other people say. Perhaps we have taken too much notice of them already. Let the dogs bark, it is their nature to. Go on preaching Christ crucified. God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ!” (Spurgeon)

But do we wield this sword boldly in holy warfare, or keep it hidden for fear of being identified as a soldier and attacked (2Ti 2:3)? What is the word of our testimony? Do we love our lives, or lay it down to be faithful witnesses (Act 1:8; Luke 21:12-19)?

“We shall not overcome Satan if we are fine gentlemen, fond of ease and honour. As long as Christian people enjoy the world, the devil will suffer little at their hands.... Brethren, if we are to win great victories we must have greater courage. Some of you hardly dare speak about the blood of Christ in any but the most godly company; and scarcely there. You love yourselves too much to get into trouble through your religion…. [God] uses the men who spare not their reputations when these are called for in defence of truth. Oh to be at a white heat! Oh to flame with zeal for Jesus! O my brethren, hold you to the old faith, and say, ‘As for the respect of men, I can readily forfeit it; but as for the truth of God, that I can never give up,’” (Charles Spurgeon).

The church is built upon the rock-solid proclamation: “Jesus is the Christ!” When we assault our enemy from this platform, their defenses are unable to withstand our supernatural steal (Mat 16:15-18). So may we never step off the stone “not cut with human hands,” for it smashes all other kingdoms and fills the earth (Dan 2:34-36). We must forfeit our lives to do the bidding of our King in battle (Luk 9:24; 22:42). However, we are guaranteed spiritual victory (1Co 15:57)—eternal success (2Co 4:18). And we are guaranteed spiritual rewards (Mat 6:20; 1Co 3:14), of which any temporal pain in this life is not even fit to be compared (Rom 8:18).

Unsheathe this mighty spiritual weapon and gaze upon its majestic gleam. Recite its inscription until it is etched on your heart. Hold it aloft and feel it transforming you into something greater as you boldly stand.