Text: Revelation 12:11
One of the potent weapons we have as believers against the devil and the forces of evil is the blood of Jesus. There is great power in the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is like an all encompassing drug. What do I mean? The drug doctors use to treat malaria or fever is different from the drug they use for someone who has kidney or liver problem. But the blood of Jesus contains everything that is needed to cure any type of ailment whether it is a minor ailment or a terminal disease. The mystery in the blood of Jesus is that while it is a medical blunder to use a drug meant for stomach upsets to treat cold and cough, Jesus’ blood can be used for all types of ailments. The blood of Jesus can heal you of headache, at the same time it can heal you of stomach ache, cancer or AIDS. Jesus is called the Great Physician because He is the only one whose blood can fight and treat all diseases known and unknown to man.
Not only can the blood of Jesus heal every type of sickness and disease (1 Peter 2:24), it also gives protection from all manner of evil (Exodus 12:13). The blood of Jesus can protect you from car accidents, at the same time it can shield you from armed robbers. It is also a great banner of protection from occultists and all who use evil powers. If you need healing, you can get it from the blood of Jesus. If you need protection, you can get it from the blood of Jesus. If you have been spiritually soiled by sin, you can get cleansing from the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). Whatever you need, whatever is lacking in your body or life, the blood of Jesus has the power to supply those things into your system and your life.
Today we are going to do some simple experiments using laminated and un-laminated paper to understand the victory Christ gave us when He shed His blood on the Cross of Calvary for you and I.
EXPERIMENT 1: Take the ordinary, un-laminated paper and tear it to pieces. Now take this laminated paper and try and tear it to pieces.
You will notice that it was so easy to tear the un-laminated paper to pieces while you couldn’t tear the laminated paper to pieces. This brings me to our first point in understanding the victory we have in the blood of Jesus.
1. THE DEVIL CAN’T TEAR YOU APART WHEN YOUR LIFE IS LAMINATED OR COVERED IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS
We understand from 1 Peter 5:8 that the devil is a roaring lion looking for whom to devour. Satan is looking for whom to tear to pieces. He wants to tear people’s hearts to pieces; to bring situations your way that your heart will be terribly broken and shattered, you become an emotional wreck that is so confused about life you end up making some foolish and costly decisions. Decisions you could regret for the rest of your life. Satan wants to tear homes and marriages apart. He wants to tear people’s businesses apart. Everything about us, Satan wants to tear to pieces.
In Daniel 6, the devil threw Daniel into a lion’s den so the lions could tear him to pieces. Daniel was a man of prayer and his prayers were disturbing and affecting the kingdom of darkness (Daniel 6:10), so the devil got some men to see that Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. But God supernaturally shut the lions mouth so they couldn’t harm Daniel (Daniel 6:22). This kind of special protection came to Daniel under the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant before Jesus had shed his blood. Hebrews 8:6 makes us understand that believers today have a better covenant of protection than anything Daniel had because we are partakers and beneficiaries of the New Covenant introduced by the blood of Jesus.
Just like we saw from the experiment that it is not easy to tear laminated paper to pieces, when our lives are laminated and covered in the blood of Jesus, the devil can’t tear us apart. On the contrary we are the ones that are meant to tear him and his kingdom apart. Jeremiah 1:11 tells us that God has appointed us to uproot and TEAR DOWN, to destroy and to overthrow…Jesus by His death and resurrection has given us power to tear down and destroy every Satanic plan, agenda or kingdom. If we understand this, we will stop being afraid of the devil and everyone working for him and with him and see that we are the ones that have power over him, that have power to tear him to pieces. Psalm 91:13 tells us that we will tread upon the lion and the cobra…This verse isn’t necessarily saying that we will go to a zoo or jungle and step on the lions there. It is telling us we have power over the devil; the roaring lion that wants to tear us apart.
The devil is a wicked, terrible lion, but we have a greater lion backing us up and fighting for us. Our Saviour who shed His blood for us is The Lion of the Tribe Judah. See what Revelation 5:5 says about him. By His blood, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah has triumphed over the devil and given us complete victory. He is a lion that is no match for the devil. Today, through the power that is in His blood, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will tear to pieces and completely destroy any spiritual lion that has been given an assignment to tear you, your marriage, family, business or career to pieces.
EXPERIMENT 2: Take this red drink and pour it on the un-laminated paper. Do the same for the laminated paper.
If you try and wipe out the stain of the drink from the laminated and the un-laminated paper, you will see from this simple experiment that you can still see the stain or mark of the drink on the un-laminated paper while it is not easy to see the same stain or mark on the laminated paper.
One of the reasons why people laminate their certificates or business cards or menus for restaurant owners is so that they are protected from fingerprints, stains, spills and marks. This brings us to the second point in understanding the victory we have in the blood of Jesus.
2. THE DEVIL CAN’T PUT AN EVIL MARK ON YOU WHEN YOU ARE LAMINATED IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS
One of the activities of the devil is to put evil marks on people. For instance, some people have an evil mark of failure that has been put on them such that whatever they do, nothing good comes out of it. They tend to experience repeated and continuous failure throughout their lifetime. Some others have an evil mark of rejection that has been put on them. That evil mark of rejection goes with them when they apply for jobs which results in their applications being rejected. The same applies to applications for visa. This mark of rejection can also affect their marital life. This is why you could have a lady who is so beautiful, has so many good qualities but no single man ever notices her beauty or good qualities because of this evil mark. Isaiah 62:4 explains this kind of situation. It refers to people who have been rejected and deserted. Today, through the power that is in the blood of Jesus, every evil mark will be removed from our lives. And as Isaiah 62:12 says, from today you will be sought after. As a single person you will be sought after. In business you will be sought after. Companies and organizations will start to seek after you. The works of your hands will be sought after in Jesus mighty name.
Colossians 2:14-15 makes us understand that Jesus through His death and resurrection, through His blood that was shed for you and I, has wiped away, erased and cancelled every evil mark and handwriting of the enemy on our lives. The blood of Jesus has wiped away the mark of failure, rejection and stagnation. Not only has Jesus removed evil marks through the shedding of his blood, the blood of Jesus has become a special mark that is placed on the foreheads of believers. Galatians 6:17 says let no one trouble me for I bear the mark of Christ. The mark of Christ is the blood of Jesus that is put on believers. The mark of Christ is a special mark of protection. In Exodus 12:13 during the first Passover, the houses that were marked with the blood of a lamb where divinely protected. Today, the blood of Jesus is a mark of protection that when placed on a believer or on the property of a believer, it causes evil to pass over. Every evil arrow, every Satanic plan and agenda for your life will pass over you because you bear the mark of Christ, because your life is laminated and covered in the blood of Jesus.
The mark of Christ is also the mark of the righteousness of Christ (Romans 3:22). All our righteousness are like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). If God were to go by our own righteousness, we would never receive anything from God. But thank God for Jesus, thank God for the blood of Jesus that qualifies the unqualified to receive from God. Because of the blood of Jesus, because of the mark of Christ, we with all our sins, weaknesses and frailties, can boldly and confidently approach God and receive from Him (Hebrews 10:19).
There are some things some children enjoy not necessarily because of who the child is but because of the respect, love and relationship people have for their parents. This is what we enjoy through the blood of Jesus that imputes the righteousness of Christ on us. There are things God gives us not because of our righteousness but because we bear the mark of His Son that He loves deeply. There are so many things that God has given us and will continue to give us not because of who we are but because of JESUS, because of the love, respect and relationship God has with Jesus, because of the blood of Jesus on our lives.
So when you want to approach God and the devil is troubling you with all kinds of accusations; that you can’t come before God, you can’t receive anything from God like he did to Joshua the High Priest in (Zechariah 3:1), don’t accept his accusations, lose your confidence and dejectedly walk away from God. Instead, if you committed the sin he is accusing you of, sincerely and humbly repent of it and receive cleansing from the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). Then boldly tell the devil, let no man, let no devil trouble me for I bear the mark of Christ.
EXPERIMENT 3: Look at this un-laminated business card and look at the laminated business card. Which looks better in appearance?
The laminated card looks more professional, looks better in appearance, and catches people’s attention. This brings us to the third thing we enjoy through the blood of Jesus.
3. NO MATTER HOW HARD THE DEVIL TRIES TO DESTROY THE APPEARANCE OF ANY PART OF YOUR BODY OR THE APPEARANCE OF ANYTHING THAT BELONGS TO YOU, THE BLOOD OF JESUS CAN CHANGE OR IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF THAT THING.
Sometimes due to our ignorance, carelessness, sin, or for reasons unknown to us, a door is opened for the devil to come in and spoil or tamper with certain things in our lives. It could be our health, business, marriage, children or ministry. At such times, we need a restoration. We need the life of Christ to permeate every aspect of our lives and bring about a significant change and improvement.
During communion, there is the bread which represents the body of Jesus and the drink which represents the blood of Jesus. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that the life of a creature is in the blood. This means that the life of Christ is in the blood of Jesus. So when you drink the blood of Jesus during Communion, the life of Christ flows into you. And as the life of Christ flows through you, it completely changes the appearance of the tissues, organs and cells in your body. This is why people can testify that they went for a medical test and they were told that their kidney wasn’t functioning properly. But after communion, after partaking of the blood of Jesus, it is a completely different thing the doctors see. What happened? The blood of Jesus had changed and improved the appearance of that kidney.
Hebrews 12:24 tells us that the blood of Jesus speaks better words. You may have something that is good but the blood of Jesus can make it better; the blood of Jesus can improve it. Your heart maybe okay, but the blood of Jesus can make it stronger and better than what it is when you partake of the communion; when the blood of Jesus flows into you. Your womb may be weak and damaged, doctors may have told you that you can’t carry a child with your womb, but when the blood of Jesus flows into your womb, it receives supernatural strength to not just carry a baby but twins and even triplets.
Whatever part of your body you need to be much better and stronger, the blood of Jesus is what you need for this change in your body. Whatever area of your life you need a change or improvement, the blood of Jesus is what you need for this change and improvement to become a reality. Because the life of a creature is in the blood, the life of Christ is in His blood and when His life flows into you, it changes and improves everything about you. It is not ordinary blood. As it flows, healing flows with it, deliverance flows with it, restoration flows with it. As it flows into you, it repairs broken and damaged bones, hearts, relationships and hopes. As it flows, the things that are missing and lacking in your life are released into your life to improve your life and make it much better than what it is.
The blood of Jesus makes things better; it moves you from glory to glory, it fills you with the life of Christ, it makes you a partaker and joint heir with Christ, it makes you a victor not a victim. It speaks better things for you...it speaks in your favour to improve everything about your life.
EXPERIMENT 4: Take the un-laminated paper fold it to a size that it can enter this small purse. Try and do the same for the laminated paper.
You noticed how easy it is to put the un-laminated paper into the little purse but it wasn’t easy to do the same with the laminated paper. Which brings us to our final point:
4. THE DEVIL CAN’T CAGE, BURY, TRUNCATE OR TERMINATE YOUR DESTINY WHEN YOU ARE LAMINATED IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
What we saw happen to the un-laminated paper that was folded and put into a little purse is what is happening to the destiny of so many people today. The devil has caged, buried or pocketed some people’s destiny. But when you are laminated in the blood of Jesus, your destiny cannot be manipulated and diverted by evil powers.
There are so many things that God has determined we would be even before we were born. For example, before Jeremiah was born God had destined him to be a prophet (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Did Jeremiah live out his destiny? Yes he died as a great prophet of God. In Matthew 2:3, when Herod heard that Jesus was born, he tried everything possible to bury and terminate the destiny of Christ, but he couldn’t. Jesus lived to fulfill the purpose why God sent Him to earth.
But we see in Ecclesiastes 10:7 an example of a destiny that has been truncated or diverted. Someone meant to be a prince who should be riding on horseback is trekking round the whole place on foot because he can’t even afford a second hand car or bicycle. Meanwhile, the person who is meant to be a slave is happily riding on horseback, driving the latest cars and enjoying what was meant for another person.
Today by the blood of Jesus, everything meant for you and I that has been diverted to another person or place or that has been buried or locked up somewhere, will be released back to us in Jesus mighty name. 1 John 3:8 tells us that the reason why Jesus came, the reason why He came to die for us was so that through the shedding of His blood, He could put an end to the works of the devil. The work of the devil is to hinder people from being who God created them to be by caging, burying, truncating or terminating their destiny. But when Jesus shed His blood He said “it is finished”! Meaning that he has brought to an end the operations of the devil in our lives.
The blood of Jesus is given based on a covenant between God and man (Matthew 26:28). This covenant nullifies all evil covenants. The blood of Jesus simply represents a covenant, an agreement God has made to deliver us from evil. So today, you can use the blood of Jesus to release your destiny from every force or power of darkness that is holding it down in whatever form. The blood of Jesus represents a binding agreement between you and God; an agreement that God has covenanted Himself through the blood of Jesus, to ensure that evil will not take root, stand or come to pass in your life.
Based on this understanding we have gained today about the victory we have in the blood of Jesus, let us confidently approach God’s throne of grace through the blood of Jesus and receive our deliverance and victory from every Satanic power that has been tying us down and from everything that is contrary to God’s plan and purpose for our lives.
PRAYER
• Father, through the precious blood of your Son Jesus Christ, purge and cleanse my life of every sin.
• O Lord, by the power that is in the blood of Jesus, let every evil mark; handwriting, curse and covenant be completely wiped out of my life. Wipe out every mark of failure, delay, rejection and stagnation.
• O Lord, as Abel’s blood spoke from the ground where Cain had buried him, let the blood of Jesus speak for me concerning every virtue, blessing, glory and opportunity meant for me that has been buried or suppressed by the enemy.
• Father, let the blood of Jesus free me from every evil hold and chain and release me now into the fullness of my God ordained destiny.
• Father, for comprehensive protection, healing and deliverance, laminate my life, family and everything that concerns me in the blood of Jesus.
• Father, let the life and power that is in the blood of Jesus deliver me from every stubborn, repeated and continuous problem in my life.
• Father, let your blood of protection, keep all evil arrows that are flying in the air far away from me. Let it keep sickness, disease, accidents and tragedies far away from me.
• On the authority of the Word of God, I say let no man, demon, evil power or force trouble me for I bear the mark of Christ. I bear the mark of divine protection, favour and honour.
• I declare and decree that because my life is laminated and covered in the blood of Jesus, I am a VICTOR not a victim, I am a WINNER not a loser, I am an OVERCOMER in Jesus mighty name, AMEN!
