Wooden Stakes and Silver Bullets

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. . .” (Revelation 12:11)

Bloodthirsty villains in fiction stories are not real. TV heroes can kill two of them with a wooden stake driven through the heart or by shooting them with a silver bullet. They are scary only if you allow them to grab hold of your thoughts and emotions. But these are just fictional characters brought to life by imaginative people.

Life is not a fictitious narrative. And there is a “villain” who longs to be the lead character in every life story, but he cannot override God’s authority in believers. Though he has profound power and ingenuity, Omnipotent God—all-powerful—is far greater than he. And Satan knows that. But, being a liar and deceiver, he has frightened and held captive many a soul.

This villain who looks to destroy and devour life is not affected by wooden stakes and silver bullets. But he can be suppressed. We have mighty weapons: the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. By the words we speak, we testify God supplies salvation (eternal and daily rescuing) through His Son Jesus and forgiveness of sins by His shed blood, thereby becoming children of God. As we yield to God and resist the devil, he will flee (James 4:7). A stake or bullet cannot stop this adversary of ours, but one day his story changes. God will cast him and his followers into the lake of fire that burns forever (Revelation 20:10, 15).

Another powerful life opponent is you—yes, you. When you allow the will of your way—the choice of your flesh to take over your words, your actions, and your thoughts, you become the “bad guy” in your life story. You can rid yourself of the villain of “you” with the weapon of repentance. To repent, you stop going in the wrong direction, turn around, and walk with God again. Repentance is a choice, and you must choose to receive God’s forgiveness.

Although some lives read like horror stories, a good editor can change the poor script and carry the narrative in the right direction. The great Editor-in-Chief—Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God—can take a broken life and not only repair but make it brand new for His glory. After forgiveness, regardless of your past, don’t allow either villain to regain a foothold in your life. Prove to the devil and yourself whom you trust and live out that trust.