A Different Kind of Victory

If I scored zero in a round of golf, I'd be thrilled. If my final score was zero in a game of basketball, I'll be embarrassed. The victors score looks different, depending on the rules of the contest. Most would agree in a fight to the death, the person left standing is the winner, but here too, it depends on the judge. In Revelation 15:2, there are saints of God in Heaven, who have "gotten victory over the beast." They were in heaven, instead of the earth, because they stood against the beast and were put to death. They refused to worship the false god, take the mark of the antichrist and for their stand, they were executed. And God called them victorious.

Revelation 13:11-18 tells us more about the power the beast has over the world. Anyone who does not take the mark is restricted from participating in society, they can not buy nor sell. Rich or poor, powerful or weak, free or in bondage, it doesn't matter, you take the mark and worship the beast. If not, you die. These faithful few stand refusing to worship the beast. Having their eyes opened by the Spirit of God, turning from their sin to trust only in Christ Jesus, they refused to bow to worship an idol god, even if it costs their life.

From earth, people will see what happened and will be afraid of following suite. They will participate because they don't want to die. All they have to do is take the mark. All they have to do is bow down and worship the image and they live to fight another day. A win, right? How foolish for these people to stand for Christ and get put to death, for what? What did they gain? Think of all the good they could have done. That's the perspective from the Earth. It looks a little different in Heaven. The martyrs lost their lives and immediately were in the presence of the Lord. They didn't lose their battle with the antichrist, they won. All the enemy could do in his persecution, is chase them up to Heaven. If we are worldly minded then we can only think of worldly victories. But the heavenly minded person sees the real battle and by faith knows what victory looks like. As the persecutor put their mortal bodies in the ground, he believed he was ridding himself of his opposition, so naturally, he was winning. But in reality, it was the martyrs who won. God has a different type of scorecard.

They are the victors. Not in a metaphorical way. Not just some sentimental words to comfort those who remain. They overcame the wicked one by the blood of the Lamb, declaring the gospel of Christ, that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ's work alone. They did not gain victory through their own death, but "they loved not their lives unto death," (Revelation 12:11). Faith was the victory that overcame.