Overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb

I never understood Revelation 12 before, because I knew too much.  I still don't understand it fully, but I know one thing: it is a testimony of how satan is defeated.  He hates that, but when I read, "They overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death," I almost shout!

The chronology is simple; it revolves around the birth of Christ in the center of history, clearly portrayed at the beginning of the passage. The devil either had or has a place in heaven that he lost and the key to his defeat was the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony about Him.  So, Satan must have had a place in heaven until at least the death of Christ.  Now we are either in the time when satan has been cast down to Earth or in the time of war in heaven.  I'm leaning toward the latter in my understanding.  I still don't understand where in history the 1,260 days or the "time, times, and half a time" fit.

But whatever the truth is, the outcome is so sure that God had it written down nearly 2,000 years ago: the devil has lost; his kingdom is crushed; God's rule is established.  Whether satan is still fighting the angels in heaven or the saints on Earth, my job is to overcome him by the Blood of the Lamb.  Then, experiencing that initial victory, I am to continue to overcome him by the word of his testimony.  And I am not to let love of life or any other distraction stop me from overcoming, even to the point of death.

So, if I experience sickness, sorrow, sin, etc., I must still overcome, knowing that victory is sure.  It may be a difficult battle, but I have no fear of death or anything the devil can throw my way.  Because he has been overcome by the Blood and he will be further overcome by my testimony of God's goodness in my life.  Amen! Praise the Lord.