Then I [ John ] heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser [ Satan ] of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

Satan spoiled a really amazing creation when he deceived Adam and Eve and brought the curse of death and separation to the earth. Unknown to Satan, God had pre-planned a restoration of all that was broken and planned a revelation of the depth of His nature that would stop all of heaven and earth in its tracks. The real proof of what God has done through the work of Christ’s death and resurrection is written in just one place – the changed hearts and lives of fallen humans. Our testimony is the expression of the gospel applied. Skeptics can dispute the claims of the gospel, but they have a hard time disputing “this happened to me, I once was ______________ but now I’m _______________.” The curse is felt by all men, and all men are drawn to a story of restoration. A testimony is irrefutable, powerful, and, according to Scripture, is the final proof of Satan’s removal from his seat of authority over men. 

As one of Adam’s sons or daughters, you were born into brokenness. As you grew up, you moved your unconnected life further and further from God. Your behavior to some extent followed your culturally influenced and satanically induced desires. The longer your journey away from God, the more distorted your story became. The start of your testimony is the accurate and honest telling of your condition before Christ. If you came from a Christian family and had a “tame” upbringing, your journey away from God probably took on a covert design. HONESTLY write about the state of your mind and the condition of your heart before Christ. Certain people need to hear that kind of testimony. Others have lives whose heart, behavior, and possibly even criminal record tell a blackened story. It is against this backdrop of stain and corruption that the power of the gospel will be shown powerful and effective. Spend the next few minutes writing down the B.C. (Before Christ) side of your testimony.