“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)
Revelation 12 gives us one of the clearest pictures in all of Scripture of how God’s people overcome the devil. There is no way we can win this war through political power, cultural dominance, or personal success. Instead, we become victorious if we are a faithful, witnessing people who stand in faithfulness with the Lamb.
The dragon is overcome not by human force, but by covenant loyalty.
“By the Blood of the Lamb”
The foundation of our victory is not what we do, but what Jesus has already done. The blood of the Lamb cleanses us from all sin and removes every legal accusation the enemy can bring against us. Scripture calls Satan “the accuser,” but the cross has stripped him of his case. The verdict has already been rendered. In Messiah, we stand forgiven, justified, and reconciled to God.
We do not resist the devil from a place of insecurity or fear. We stand on Jesus’ finished work. The blood of Jesus speaks louder than every accusation and silences every charge.
“By the Word of Our Testimony“
Revelation then says we overcome by “the word of our testimony.” The Greek word used here is marturia. This word does not primarily mean a personal conversion story. Its meaning is so much much deeper.
In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures), marturia most often translates the Hebrew word ʿēdût— testimony — which is covenantal, legal, and public in nature. The tablets of the law were called “the testimony.” The ark of the covenant was the Ark of the Testimony. Israel itself was called to be God’s witness among the nations.
A “testimony” in Scripture is not a personal story of how God saved you. It is a public declaration of truth and allegiance to the rightful Ruler of the universe.
In that light, our testimony is not primarily how we came to faith. It is our covenant confession that Jesus is King — that he has been raised from the dead, enthroned to the right hand of God, and will return to establish his Kingdom on earth in its fullness. This confession directly confronts every competing claim to authority in the world.
To say “Jesus is Lord” is not merely devotional language. It is a declaration about who truly rules. We overcome the devil by holding fast to this testimony and speaking it, even when it is costly, even when it places us at odds with the powers of this age.
“They Loved Not Their Lives Unto Death“
Revelation adds a final and sobering phrase: “They loved not their lives even unto death.” This is where marturia takes on its full weight. In the biblical story, faithful witness often leads to suffering. Over time, the Greek word martus (witness) came to describe those who sealed their testimony with their lives — not because they sought death, but because they were unwilling to surrender their loyalty.
Victory does not come through self-preservation. It comes through allegiance. Scripture does not portray a Church that escapes hardship, but a people who endure through it. God’s witnesses are called to courage, perseverance, and faithfulness — even when there is a price to pay for their obedience.
The Lamb conquered through self-giving love. His people overcome by walking the same path.
The Way of the Lamb
Revelation 12 reveals a profound paradox: the greatest victory in the universe is achieved not through domination, but through faithful surrender.
We overcome by Jesus’ blood that justifies us, by our testimony that proclaims him as the true King, and by a loyalty that refuses to deny him, even under pressure. This is the way of the Lamb. And it is the way by which we defeat our accuser.
Victory is yours!
Scholarly Note: Martyria and Its Hebrew Background
The Greek terms μαρτυρία (marturia) and μαρτύριον (marturion) in the New Testament draw directly from their usage in the Septuagint (LXX), where they most frequently translate the Hebrew nouns עֵד (ʿēd, “witness”) and עֵדוּת (ʿēdût, “testimony”). In the Hebrew Bible, these terms function primarily within legal and covenantal frameworks, rather than describing subjective religious experience.
- Legal and forensic context
In the Torah, an ʿēd is a legal witness whose testimony establishes truth in covenantal judgment (Deut. 19:15). Truth is confirmed publicly, in the presence of the community and before God. The LXX regularly renders this legal testimony language using martus / marturia (e.g., Deut. 19:15 LXX). - Covenantal testimony
The noun ʿēdût refers not only to spoken witness but to the objective testimony of the covenant itself. The tablets of the law are called “the testimony” (ʿēdût) in Exod. 25:16; 31:18, and the ark housing them is named the Ark of the Testimony (Exod. 25:22; 40:3). In these passages, the LXX consistently translates ʿēdût as marturion, underscoring its covenantal and declarative function. - Israel as God’s witness
Prophetic literature expands this concept corporately. Israel is called to function as YHWH’s witness before the nations: “You are my witnesses (ʿēdai), declares the LORD” (Isa. 43:10, 12). The LXX renders this with martures mou, reinforcing the idea that marturia is a public declaration of allegiance to YHWH’s identity and rule, not merely a personal testimony. - From witness to suffering witness
In Second Temple Jewish literature, the concept of witness increasingly includes faithful confession under pressure, especially in contexts of persecution (cf. Dan. chs.3 and 6; 2 Macc. 6-7). This development forms the conceptual bridge by which martus (witness) comes to denote one who remains loyal to God even unto death — a martyr. Importantly, death is not the definition of witness, but the potential consequence of covenant faithfulness. - New Testament fulfillment
Against this backdrop, the New Testament’s use of marturia, especially in Revelation, retains its Hebrew covenantal logic. In Rev. 12:11, “the word of their marturia” refers to a public, covenantal confession centered on Jesus as the crucified, risen, and enthroned Messiah. This witness directly continues Israel’s vocation as God’s testifying people, now reoriented around the Lamb.
Thus, marturia in Revelation 12:11 should be understood not as personal conversion narrative, but as covenant loyalty expressed through public confession, sustained even under threat of death. The final clause — “they loved not their lives even unto death” — does not redefine witness as martyrdom, but reveals the ultimate cost that such faithful testimony may bring.
Featured image: street preacher in San Francisco. Photo by Tom Fisk on pexels.com.
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