They overcame him

God has, as we have stated, brought many people through basic salvation. From this larger group a smaller population has been made aware of the work of the Holy Spirit in their life. Now God is drawing from the smaller population a Gideon's army-saints who are willing to follow God in the program of death to their self-will. When the remnant has been saved, filled with the Spirit, and obedient to the point of death, God will be pleased to charge Michael to cast Satan out of the heavens. The casting of Satan and his followers to the earth will cause enormous rejoicing in the heavens.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." (Revelation 12:10- 12-NIV)

"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." The blood of the Lamb refers to basic salvation. The "word of their testimony" has to do with the work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Holy Spirit is the Lampstand of the Tabernacle, to speak in a figure. The Holy Spirit testifies through us by the moral transformation He brings to pass in us and also by the gifts and ministries He gives to us.

The Holy Spirit is responsible for the fruit of Christ's image borne in us and also for the gifts of power and revelation He gives to us. Both the fruit and the gifts come from the Holy Spirit, and these compose the word of our testimony.

Loving not their lives so much as to shrink from death is speaking of the suffering we experience as we are being taught obedience. We must remain faithful unto death in the prisons in which we are placed. Only then are we eligible for the crown of life and righteousness.

Satan will continue to accuse our brothers before the Throne of God until a company of saints arises in whom the three aspects of overcoming have been brought to maturity, the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and loving not their lives to the point of death.

We think the formation of this Gideon's army is at hand and the wrestling match against Satan is soon to terminate in complete victory for Christ and His saints. This is a wonderful prospect and keeps us going when severe demands are made on us.