In This Article
Spiritual Warfare: Overcoming by the Blood
One of Satan's main weapons in spiritual warfare is condemnation. (Watch Related Video on Spiritual Warfare)
Condemnation can only take hold when a saint's mind turns back toward the flesh. Once a saint returns to the flesh, they become easy prey for Satan and his evil spiritual forces.
It works like this:
- Satan accuses, the saint doubts and accepts the accusation, and the mind returns to the battlefield of the flesh.
- Once there, the saint returns to the mind of the flesh they becomes an easy target and can be pounced on and devoured.
Satan's Strategy
Satan's strategy is to get saints to judge their position by their feelings, behavior, or personal performance. Once that judgment is accepted, as Paul discovered in Romans 7, defeat is inescapable.
For this reason, Paul begins Romans 8—a chapter about freedom in the Spirit and victory in spiritual warfare—with these words:
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1
Romans 7 and Human Defeat
Romans 7 ends with a man trying to overcome through the flesh, using fleshly strength. His final battle cry is:
"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?"
Why did Paul call it the body of this death? (Watch Related Video on Romans 7)
Because once a saint returns to the battlefield of the flesh, defeat and death are certain.
Romans 8 begins by establishing no condemnation—because victory in spiritual warfare requires it. It does not say fight harder, perform better, use more willpower, or show greater determination.
But simply remembering the words "no condemnation" through human mental strength will not work.
Satan’s Trap
Satan can defeat that thought if it is supported merely by human will and determination.
That is Satan's trap.
How do we escape? According to Revelation 12:11, it is by the blood of Christ.
But how do we, as spiritual warriors, apply the blood in a way that Satan cannot defeat? The truth of no condemnation cannot become concrete in the mind through human willpower alone.
The Blood of Christ as God Sees It
For that, we must understand the blood as God sees it. When a saint understands the blood as God sees it, Satan's accusation is defeated.
What is God's view of the blood of Christ?
God has accepted Christ's blood completely. It is final. It is finished. The sin debt is paid. Its value does not rise when you believe you are doing well. And it does not fall when you believe you are doing poorly.
The blood does not change, it does not weaken. It cannot fail.
Receiving God's View by Faith
When a saint receives God's view of the blood by faith, no condemnation becomes concrete within the mind—not because of human strength, but because the saint understands the blood as God sees it.
Believe what God says.
Satan can defeat our understanding of the blood, but he cannot defeat God's understanding of the blood. Self-judgment loses its power. Satan's accusations lose their opening. And the saint remains free to set the mind on the Spirit and fight according to the Spirit.
That is why Revelation says they overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 12:11