And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Revelation 12:11 (ESV)
In chapter twelve, the apostle John sees in a vision that the devil, the great dragon, is defeated and thrown out of heaven by Michael and his angels (Rev. 12:7-9). This heavenly victory over the devil is shared by the saints on earth. The victory over the devil is sure but not complete. He is no longer in heaven, but is now on earth, and his wrath is great because he knows his time is short (12:12).
One of the keys for the saints' victory over the devil according to John is "the word of their testimony." Through their testimony they bear witness that Jesus is the Son of God and confess their allegiance to him as Lord.
When John tells us that the saints overcame the devil by the word of their testimony, he is saying that they willingly confessed faith in Jesus Christ and renounced any allegiance to and love of this world (1 John 2:15-17). According to the vision, the saints' worship of Jesus as Lord will be tested by the pressure to worship the beast, the dragon's representative on earth (Rev. 13).
What does this mean for us today? This verse directs us to the fact that our testimony about Jesus, who he is and what he has done for us, is an important source of our victory in the spiritual battle against the evil one.
An early confession of faith in the church was "Jesus is Lord" (1 Cor. 12:1-3). This confession was in opposition to the confession that "Caesar is lord." It set apart Christians from the other peoples in the Roman Empire. By this confession the early Christians testified that Jesus is God, he is the Lord, one with the Father, not merely a holy man, a good teacher, or an inspired leader. He was and is God. It was an expression of their loyalty and worship of Jesus as God over against the push for allegiance to the emperor.
Every day we are invited to confess our faith in the Son of God by saying "Jesus is Lord." This simple confession spoken in praise and prayer brings to our attention that we belong to God and that Jesus Christ is risen, ruling over all things, even the powers of darkness (Eph. 1:20-23). When we testify that Jesus is Lord and speak it aloud, we put to flight the oppressive forces of darkness that try to discourage and depress us.
I encourage us to testify today, declaring aloud that "Jesus is Lord." Let's testify to this truth in prayer and through our conduct standing firm in our faith that Christ is risen and is coming again. Amen.