Chapter 16

CONCLUSION

AS WE COME TO THE END OF THIS BOOK, I WOULD LIKE to put together the declarations about the blood of Jesus to which we have testified, making them into one proclamation:

We overcome Satan when we testify personally to what the Word says the blood does for us.

Through the blood of Jesus, I have been redeemed out of the hand of Satan. Through the blood of Jesus, all my sins are forgiven.

While I walk in the light, the blood of Jesus is cleansing me, now and continually, from all sin.

Through the blood of Jesus, I am justified, acquitted, not guilty, reckoned righteous, made righteous, just-as-if-I’d never sinned.

My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, redeemed, cleansed, sanctified by the blood of Jesus. Therefore, the devil has no place in me, and no power over me. My body is for the Lord and the Lord is for my body.

Lord Jesus, when I receive Your blood, in it I receive Your life, the life of God—divine, eternal, endless.

Thank You, Lord, that even when I cannot pray, Your blood is pleading for me in heaven.

Through the blood of Jesus sprinkled in heaven, I have access with confidence into the presence of God, into the Holy of Holies.

I would recommend that sometime during a time of prayer, you should go through this list and make your own personal confession for each testimony. Hopefully, as you take time each day in prayer, this list will be a help and a guide for you to make the right confession in the presence of the Lord. By making these proclamations, you will apply the blood to your life. You will do well to make this a habit, and it will help you learn to apply the blood in every situation.

HOLD FAST

Only Jesus is the Life-Giver. He shows His measureless love for us by the great price He paid to buy us back from the devil—His life-blood. Redemption, cleansing, justification, sanctification, life, intercession, and access. The blood of Jesus—sprinkled seven times—works in us in seven different ways. But remember, you overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony. That is how you enact His victory in your own life. That is how you apply the blood of the Lamb. Your persistence in this regard is what frightens the devil—and it is what will give you ongoing victory.

I can well remember when I first began to make this kind of testimony. I thought, “Well, I wonder where the devil will hit me next?” I know some people who won’t testify, because they are afraid of what will happen when they do. But friend, that is just playing the devil’s game. That is his way of keeping you from taking the action that is going to put you outside of his reach. It is only by the word of your testimony that you get the benefits of the blood.

You make your testimony once, and all hell breaks loose. All right. Praise the Lord! Say it again. The Bible says to “hold fast our confession” (Heb. 4:14). Then, when all hell breaks loose, the Word says, “let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering” (Heb. 10:23). So, we keep on saying it. It doesn’t depend on your feelings. It doesn’t depend on situations or symptoms or circumstances. Your testimony is as true as the Word of God. It is eternally true. Forever God’s Word is settled in heaven.

THREE ETERNAL, UNCHANGING FORCES

I want to point out in closing that there is a relationship between the testimony of the Word to the blood and the operation of the Holy Spirit. You cannot leave the Holy Spirit out. Even more, by testifying to the blood, you bring the Holy Spirit into operation.

In First John 5:6, John is speaking about Jesus and he says:

This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.

I do not have time to go into this in any detail, but as I understand it, the water mentioned here means the Word of God. Jesus came as the Great Teacher teaching the Word, sanctifying and cleansing us by the washing of water by the Word. He came as the Great Redeemer, shedding His blood as the redemptive price. These are the two main aspects of His redemptive ministry—redeeming by the blood, and the sanctifying and cleansing by the washing of water by the Word. He did not come by the Word only. That is to say, He did not come as a Teacher only. But He also came as the redemptive Savior to give His life a ransom for many. This role as Savior in no way sets aside His other ministry as the Teacher.

Ephesians 5:26-27 testifies to this dual ministry of Jesus in the context of the Church:

That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Here we have the double ministry of Jesus—by the water of the Word and by the shed blood of redemption.

HOLY SPIRIT HELP

When we bring the Word and the blood together, then it says the Spirit of God bears testimony because the Spirit is truth. As you and I begin to use the Word, stating what the Word says the blood does, the Spirit comes to us and bears testimony to the truth. All our best words can just be nice religious language. All of it may be very good language, and it may be doctrinally correct. But it doesn’t do anything until the Holy Spirit bears testimony. But when the Holy Spirit bears testimony, then it becomes irresistible.

Do you remember my comment in Chapter 12? I made this statement: “None of this will work unless the Holy Spirit is present.” I hope you can realize that there are no little rules and regulations in the Christian life—that if you do this, automatically it works. Nothing works without the Holy Spirit. But you can bring the Holy Spirit to work by testifying to the water of the Word and the blood, because then the Spirit bears witness. Then you have three eternal, unchanging forces at work on your behalf—the Word, the blood, and the Spirit.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 has tremendous application here:

…a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

When you begin to testify to what the Word says the blood does, the Spirit comes beside you to bear witness. Then you have the threefold cord—the Word, the blood, and the Holy Spirit.

What remains is for us to give thanks and praise to Jesus for all that He has done for us through His precious blood. Let’s do just that to close out the teaching in this book.

Dear Lord Jesus,

I give You all the thanks and praise. You were willing to pour out Your life-blood to enable us to receive all that we have discussed in this book. We bless You and praise You for all You have done for us through Your precious blood. Amen.