And they have overcome (conquered) him (Satan) by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony ...
If I was going to give this post a title, it would be The Power of the Blood. This is a subject that has been on my heart for awhile, and one on which the Holy Spirit has recently been guiding me. I have connected the "blood" dots, so to speak, throughout the entire Bible and it has revealed not only the power that God imposed on blood, but what a gift it is to us. In centuries past Christians wrote, sang, and preached about the "power in the blood". But I'm not sure much emphasis is put on it in today's churches, or that Christians fully comprehend the real power that is in the blood of Jesus.
We are told early on in the Bible that blood is important: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11). First of all, we see that blood is the very source of our physical lives; without it, we die. He gave us cells within the blood to fight disease and carry oxygen to our brains. Blood is the power that feeds our bodies.
But this verse also tells us that God has another purpose for blood: it is to be sacrificed upon the altar for the forgiveness of our sins -- from the first blood sacrifice of animals to cover the naked bodies of Adam and Eve after they sinned; to the Israelites in the Old Testament and the blood of the animal sacrificial system; to the blood sacrifice of God's Son in the renewing of His covenant with all mankind. If blood is the only thing that can cover our depravity and sins in the eyes of a Holy God, then there is great power in it!
We are all familiar with the part that blood played in the Exodus of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt. God commanded them to kill a lamb, dip a hyssop branch in it, and apply it to their door frames. The power in that blood would cause the Angel of Death to skip their homes and protect their families. But here's the thing, the blood had to be applied!! It had to be utilized, exercised, implemented, and brought to bear against Death! If it had been shed and left sitting in the bowl, it would not have had the power to avert Death.
Nothing has changed in these thousands of years! Yet, do we modern-day Christians recognize that we can call on that same power to bear against the designs of the Enemy, who represents Death? I think we all discern that without Christ's blood shed on the Cross, there is no chance for our sins to be forgiven. In the Old Testament, the blood of the sacrificed animals was sprinkled upon the altar for forgiveness. Today, we confess with our mouth that we believe in Christ and what his shed blood did for us; it is sprinkled upon our hearts, and our sins are forgiven. Even without the physical presence of blood, there is eternal Power in it!
I am not belittling the greatness of the power to forgive sins, but I want to ask you another question ... Is that all that the power of the blood can do for us? We have already established that from the beginning, God required a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, and the writer of Hebrews confirms it: And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22). Does the blood of Christ have the power to do other things? Consider the Word of God:
It sanctifies us. “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate” (Hebrews 13:12). The blood has the power to set us apart from the world; to direct us on a specific path to serve God.... If we apply it!
It gives us courage to approach the throne of God. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus…” (Hebrews 10:19). The blood has the power to strengthen us as we present ourselves to God. Without applying it, we would not have the confidence, the will, or the audacity to enter His presence.
It enhances and makes our relationship with God more intimate. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). The blood has the power to diminish the distance between us and our Creator, and to allow us to rest in His presence ... but we have to implement that power!
It can heal us. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5). The power in the blood at the Cross has the power to heal us ... but you must recognize it and apply it!
It can protect us. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13). Just as God could see the blood on the door frames of the Israelites, He can see the blood of Christ that covers you. The blood has the same power as it did then ... just as the Israelites had to physically apply the blood, so do we need to spiritually apply it!
It can bring us peace. And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:20). Whether it is peace on the entire earth, or personal peace that you seek, there is power in the blood of Christ to restore harmony in your life. You just have to call upon that power to experience it!
You can overcome Satan and his strongholds in your life. I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14). Just as the featured Scripture today shows us, this verse also proclaims the power in the blood to conquer Satan in this world. He cannot touch us when we apply the blood of Christ to our lives.
I'm sure there are those who will tell me that once I accept Christ's gift of salvation through faith in His act on the cross, that I am covered by His blood for eternity, and that all these other circumstances are automatically mine. Yet, how many of us suffer from an aloof and detached relationship with God; or from illness, and fear, a lack of peace, or of confidence that we deserve our salvation? If we truly aspire to a greater knowledge and closeness with God and our Savior, we must never take our eyes off the Blood. God has made it evident from the beginning of His Holy Word to the very end, that sacrifice is an important element of obtaining the Blood. The Israelites had to sacrifice something of value to them; we must sacrifice our very lives to the One who sacrificed His blood for us! When we offer ourselves to the fullest, we will see the workings of the power in the Blood in our lives.
There is great mystery and power in the Blood, would you agree? And there is much for us to learn about how to apply it to our lives. I am praying for Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to teach me of its power; and to allow His shed blood to become spirit, and life, and power, and truth in all my days.
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