By PASTOR BRANDON YOUNG

Revelation 12:9-11 states, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” From these verses, we can conclude that our adversary Satan was cast out of Heaven, and his soul purpose on earth was to harm the people of God. We also learn from verse 11 that we can only overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimonies. The blood of Jesus is the most powerful substance on earth. The blood was placed upon the mercy seat by Christ himself for all humanity.
Hebrews 9:22 states, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission,” and Hebrews 9:12 proclaims, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” There is nothing Satan can do to defeat the blood of Jesus! The blood is sure proof bringing victory to the life of the believer, and there is nothing Satan can do to stop it. Since Satan cannot defeat the blood, he will attack the testimony of the believer because the testimony also brings defeat to Satan. Our testimony shows the change within our life, and this change will help to convince others to follow Jesus.
In this column, I would like to discuss how important it is to keep your testimony untarnished because it is the evidence of the power of God! A testimony is an outward sign and lifestyle of an inward happening. A testimony is much more than words. It is a life lived for Christ. A Christian testimony is given when Christians relate how we came to know the God of the Bible through the moving of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and we show forth that inward change by our outward conduct. Most commonly, we are sharing how we became Christians by God’s miraculous intervention, and work in our lives through specific events. Often, we can only see that in hindsight, but sharing that experience is vital. We are sharing our redemption with the world every day as we choose to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
To live as a Christian requires having the character of Christ. A transformation must occur, as a result of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling (Galatians 5:24-25). When we truly practice a Christian lifestyle, the inward evidence becomes obvious. God’s glory and power pours out upon all those around us. Our faith in the midst of turmoil flows from a heart given to a loving Father. Every breath carries words of compassion and affirmation to a hurting world. Those who live the Christian lifestyle live a confident life on the inside and outside. We must be very careful not to soil our testimony. It may take many years to gain the trust of sinners, but it only takes a moment to lose your testimony and reputation. Ecclesiastes 7:1 says, “A good name is better than precious ointment;” Satan knows he can get victory if he convinces us not to obey the voice of the Lord, and if our conduct is unbecoming of a Christian. We tarnish the name of Christ with our words and actions.
Paul writes to the church of Ephesus declaring things that a Christian should never have in their conduct. Ephesians 5:3, “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” We must do everything in our power to live a holy life and protect our testimony at all cost. Let me end the column with a simple story with a power spiritual meaning.
You decide your car is old and since it is giving you problems, you want to trade it in for a brand new one. When you get to the car lot, the salesman shows you the new cars. As your tour the lot, you are surprised that the new cars look as old as yours, and once you take them for a test drive, they seem to have the same mechanical issues. The only difference between your old car and the new ones is the price. None of us would want to trade our old car on this lot! We all want something better! We will never be able to convince sinners that they need Jesus unless they see a difference between their lives and ours. Our testimony should be that difference! Let’s stop trashing our testimony, follow the example of Christ, lead others to know Jesus, and overcome Satan!
(The Solution Column is provided by Brandon Young, pastor at Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton, and his associate, Hunter Greene)