Victory Through the Blood

CESAR CASTELLANOS D. © 2015

Published by G12 Editores SAS.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ®, ESV ®. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

G12 Media

Editing__Perla Doris Mora_Claudia Wilches__Ashley Lawrenson.

Cover & Book Design_Julián Gamba_Diego Gómez_Daniel Durán.

Spanish Version:

VICTORIA POR LA SANGRE

Published by G12 Editors 2015

Translation_Richard Harding_Roxanna Bayat_Doug Graham_

Ashley Lawrenson_Pablo Martinez_Doris Rybaltowski_Jennifer García.

Printed in Colombia by G12 Editors.

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JUNE 2015.

Introduction

Our Father in heaven offered His one and only Son who, through His sacrifice, has become the only bridge between God and mankind. Assuming human nature, Jesus Christ took our place. He became the greatest revelation of God as He bled and died, demonstrating the infinite love of God the Father toward those who did not deserve it. In a divine exchange, God handed over His Son Jesus, who had never sinned, to receive the punishment we were due. Paul said, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21a), to pay the price for our redemption with His blood.

It is so important for us to be aware that the adversary fights with all his strength to cause believers to ignore the power of the precious blood of Jesus. He does this because he knows that Jesus’ blood is the weapon with which God has powerfully and definitively defeated him. This is why it is so imperative for every believer to take hold of each of the seven times Jesus shed His blood, determining to face the adversary – though we should never do this alone – we need to rely on Jesus and His Word. He will then send us the Holy Spirit to help us in all things. Jesus said, Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house (Matthew 12:29). Note that, for the strong man (who represents the adversary) to be overcome, someone stronger must face and overpower him. That someone stronger is Jesus, who has already overcome the adversary by the power of His blood. Jesus told His opponents, But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you (Matthew 12:28).

Jesus has made the weapons we need to face and overcome the enemy readily available to us. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death (Revelation 12:11). Every believer should know how to apply the blood of Jesus; if we do not understand the power it holds, we will be unable to overcome the adversary. The writer to the Hebrews said, Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives (Hebrews 2:14-15).

When we apply the blood of Jesus, we are weakening the adversary, destroying his rule and setting people free. The members of our own families should be the first ones to experience this blessing; when we help them understand and assume their responsibility as believers, we will together be able to bring the kingdom of God to our cities and our nations. What the writer to the Hebrews adds is amazing: For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham (Hebrews 2:16). This implies that the Lord had to choose between redeeming the angels who rebelled, and redeeming us. He loved us so much that He was willing to give everything for our redemption. Regarding the angels, Jude said, And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day (Jude 6).

Dear reader, I am placing in your hands a manual for the most powerful weapon in existence: the blood of Jesus. The goal is that you would become an expert in applying this blood and that you would be aware that you can wreak havoc on the realm of darkness with it.

If we are able to truly appreciate this powerful spiritual weapon that God has given to us, we will not only see our lives and families transformed, but our cities and nations as well.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will shine His light on your life, and give you understanding and wisdom, so that you will be able to make use of the precious spiritual truths found in this book.

Cesar Castellanos

Chapter 1

THE

SIGN

The Star Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States, has come to represent freedom and liberty for many.

It can be heard at the opening of every sports game, military parade and academic ceremony in the United States of America. The song speaks about the significance of the American flag, which has become a symbol of freedom, not only for the country’s citizens, but also around the world. This song was born out of what is now known as the War of 1812 – a war between Britain and the United States (which was just coming into being at the time). This war is often referred to as the ‘Second War of Independence.’

Major George Armistead, the commander of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, knew that the region would be a key target for the British. He decided that he wanted a flag so big that the British would have no trouble seeing it from a distance. Armistead sent for a flag to be made, nine meters in height and thirteen meters in length.

Shortly before the attack on Baltimore, Francis Scott Key, a young American lawyer, was placed under guard by the British, along with two others. They were first detained aboard H.M.S. Surprise before being moved to their own boat. They were forced to wait out the battle behind the British fleet. In confinement, Key could hear the sound of war and feel the impact of the cannonballs.

The battle continued throughout the night. Able to distinguish between the sounds of the weaponry, the young man was certain that the British would end up defeating the Americans. He stayed awake throughout the entirety of the fierce battle. After 25 hours of fighting and shelling, daylight came at last. Francis Scott leaned out of the boat’s window and, there in the distance, he saw that great flag! Though slightly tattered, it was flying high over the fort as a sign of victory for the United States. With tears in his eyes, he wrote the words of the song that is still a symbol of freedom and liberty for Americans today.(1)

The flag became a sign of victory for a nation that was still very much in its infancy, a nation that has today become a symbol of strength around the world.

As Christians, we have a very meaningful sign of victory – the blood of Christ.

The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

(Exodus 12:13)

It is important to understand that nothing takes God by surprise. Ahead of time, He knew about a man named Abraham. He knew that from him would come a multitude, innumerable as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. God always has a very clear image of what He wants to do in the lives of His children; He could clearly see Abraham’s descendants before they ever came into being. After giving an offering to God, followed by a powerful time of intercession, Abraham felt as if all the power of the enemy came against him. He needed to face this definitive moment in his life. He fell into a deep sleep and great fear and darkness came over him. God showed him what his descendants would have to live through: Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions (Genesis 15:13-14).

The people of Israel spent four hundred and thirty years in Egypt, where they were oppressed and subjected to slavery. Because they cried out in prayer, God chose a man named Moses to confront Pharaoh and set the Israelites free from the harsh oppression they were under.

Pharaoh watched as his entire nation was destroyed right before his eyes. Yet, after nine devastating plagues, his heart remained hard. That was when God taught Moses how to prepare His people so that none of them would fall under the coming judgment – the death of the firstborn. This divine lesson later became one of the most important celebrations for the people of Israel, known as the Passover. Every family was to take a lamb and closely follow all of the instructions for the sacrifice. The father of the house was to collect the blood of the lamb in a basin. With that blood, he was to take some hyssop and paint the lintel and the two doorposts of the house. Finally, the family was to eat the meat roasted over the fire and stay in the house until morning. That was what the Lord had commanded them.

IT ALL BEGAN WITH THE PASSOVER

This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you (Exodus 12:2).

The celebration of the Passover marked a before and after in their lives, and separated the history of Israel into two. Their past in Egypt would no longer be taken into consideration because they were now entering into a new season in their lives. When Jesus came to earth, something similar happened; His birth, His ministry, His death on the cross, and His resurrection separated the history of humanity into two. It is the same when a person accepts Jesus in their heart as the Lord and Savior of their lives – when He begins to dwell in us, the past we spent in slavery is erased by the blood of Jesus.

Jesus had taught His disciples, saying, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). When He faced death, He was wounded by it, but not defeated. His sprinkled blood touched the lintel and the doorposts of the house - we are that House - as are all those who have become part of His Church through faith in His redemptive work. As a result, His blood provides constant protection for us. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate (Hebrews 13:12).

AN OFFERING OF BLOOD

The offering that pleases God is one that is sealed by the blood of Jesus. Solely and exclusively through Jesus’ sacrifice can the rebellious become righteous. The grace of God goes far beyond anything we could ever imagine, given that His Son decided to take our place and pay for our trespasses. Through the blood He shed, He reconciled us to God. During the Last Supper, once Jesus …had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood (Luke 22:19-20). Jesus spoke these words just hours before His suffering began. The cup represents His blood – the price that the Lord had to pay for our redemption.

The heavenly Father’s most private dwelling place is known as the Most Holy Place. When Jesus died, the first thing He did was enter the Most Holy Place with His blood. The Father was satisfied with the success of His Son’s mission because, by living in complete holiness, He had preserved the purity of His blood (Hebrews 9:12). Jesus opened the way so that all could enter into the Father’s presence. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… (Hebrews 10:19 NIV).

A PLEASING OFFERING

The first two offerings that were ever presented before God came from Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:3-5). God was pleased with Abel’s offering because it was an offering of blood, representing the sacrifice that God’s own Son would one day make, offering His own life in exchange for the redemption of humanity. While the blood of bulls and goats temporarily held a certain amount of power, we can compare that kind of sacrifice to an unfinished bridge – one that does not reach far enough to fully connect man to God.

Jesus gave His life to redeem mankind. If He had not offered Himself as a sacrifice, nobody would be able to receive salvation. This is why the Scriptures say, Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15). The writer to the Hebrews said:

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:12-14 NKJV).

The Lord Jesus invites those who find themselves lost in the labyrinth of life to come to Him, saying, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me (John 14:6).

For those who are disoriented, Jesus is the way; for those who are confused, He is the truth; and for those who are dead in their own sins, He is the life. Jesus paid the price for us, because we are the ones who deserved to die. He took the place of each one of us that day, offering Himself to God without blemish, That whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16b).

THE VOICE OF THE BLOOD

But you have come to Mount Zion […], and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:22-24).

What must the cry of Abel’s blood have sounded like when his brother Cain forcefully took his life from him? This was the first criminal act in the history of mankind. Abel was a man with an innocent heart, and he trusted his brother completely. He had not realized that Cain’s heart toward him had changed since they had presented their offerings before God.

Cain was unable to recover from the blow he received when God cast aside the offering he had presented; he concluded that he was also being disqualified because his offering was an external representation of what was in his heart. As a result, envy grew within him until his eyes were clouded with evil every time he looked at his brother. He decided that it would be best to get rid of him once and for all. And so, Abel unwittingly fell into the hands of the one his soul trusted.

Cain thought that nobody would realize what had happened. Nevertheless, much to his surprise, the blood he had unjustly shed became a powerful voice, reaching up to heaven, crying out for justice for what had just taken place.

Cain wanted to avoid the issue when the Lord asked him about his brother. That is why he said, I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper? [God] said, What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground (Genesis 4:9-10).

Think for a moment: What kind of cry must the sprinkled blood of Jesus make, given that the wrath of hell beat against His body, causing Him to shed blood seven times, even to the point that His heart exploded?

If God cursed Cain, saying, Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand (Genesis 4:11), imagine the consequences the adversary must have faced and must be yet to face because of what he did to Jesus, the Father’s only begotten Son.

Everyone’s blood has a voice. Yet, how can this be? We need to remind ourselves of what happened when God created man if we want to understand the significance behind this.

Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). God created man in three parts: spirit, soul and body. When a person dies, their spirit leaves and they stop breathing. Their soul also leaves their body, causing their blood to stop flowing. The Lord warned the people of Israel that none of them should eat the blood of any animal, explaining that …the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11 NKJV). On this subject, Derek Prince said, …one soul has to make atonement for another soul. Since the soul resides in the blood, blood must be shed in an atonement – the giving of one life for another.

(2)

THE PRICE WAS PAID

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV).

The idea behind sacrificing animals was that an innocent life would pay the price for the offenses of a sinful life. Nonetheless, all of this was simply a prototype for the blood of Jesus – the Lamb of God who would come to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Isaiah expressed the same idea when he said, As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11).

Jesus took the place of every one of Adam’s descendants and offered His own life in exchange for our redemption, just as God had established in the Law: …you shall give life for life (Exodus 21:23 NKJV).

God placed everything He created under man’s dominion. However, when the first couple sinned, mankind effectively ended up in captivity. The adversary assigned his guardians to watch us, demanding diligence so that they could give an account for all that they had been assigned. In a hostage situation, a high price is always demanded for the person’s release. The enemy had taken all of humanity hostage and the price for our rescue was incredibly high. Through the psalmist, the Lord said, No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them - the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough (Psalm 49:7-8 NIV).

If God was going to rescue humanity, there was only one option available. "…without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22b). When the enemy took mankind captive, he imposed his price: blood - and not just any kind of blood - the blood of somebody who had never been contaminated by sin.

God gave a decree when man sinned. He told the serpent, And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel (Genesis 3:15).

Our Redeemer would be born of a woman. Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). The apostle Paul said, But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5).

Jesus’ goal was to redeem humanity. Only through His blood, which had never been contaminated by sin, could He pay the price. Because of His holiness, He was victorious in defeating the tyrant who had been merciless toward us. Moreover, Jesus also recovered the plunder that the enemy had taken from Adam.

THE BLOOD: A SPIRITUAL WEAPON

And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death (Revelations 12:11).

Many believers, leaders included, are failing in this spiritual war because they do not know how to use the weapons the Lord has made available to them. It is a warrior’s responsibility to know their weapons well and to become an expert at wielding them. The apostle mentions three weapons that evicted the adversary from his place of authority in the spiritual realm. The first is connected to the blood Jesus shed for our redemption, the second to the confession we make about what the blood of Jesus has done for us, and the third is living a life completely surrendered to the Lord.

The following five confessions, once taken and used, can become powerful weapons in our favor against the enemy.

1. By the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed from the power of the enemy.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7).

The word redemption or redeem means rescue or to remove from the hands of the one who took our lives captive - and that is exactly what Jesus did. We were under the dominion of Satan, and he controlled and ruled over us because of our sins, but Jesus rescued us and set us free through His blood (the price He paid), meaning that Satan no longer has control over our lives.

But you have come […] to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:22a-24).

Coming to the sprinkled blood means confessing what the blood of Jesus has done for us. When we make this confession, the battle is waged in the spiritual realm. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy (Psalm 107:2).

As soon as the blood of Abel touched the ground, a loud cry went up to God the Father, demanding justice. However, the blood of Jesus speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

When we understand the power of His blood, we confess it and proclaim it with all our might; we declare it before the entire universe and before the invisible, spiritual world that hears us. Our confession will be heard by God and His angels, but also by the devil and his demons. By the blood of Jesus, I have been redeemed. God has rescued me from the power of the enemy. Satan has no power over my life because I have been brought into the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

When you take this phrase and confess it, something powerful happens because the blood of Jesus is the price that was paid for our rescue. Satan lost the control and dominion he had over our lives. Consequently, when we declare, By the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed from the power of the enemy, the adversary knows that he can no longer hold on to us or enslave us because the price has already been paid. The chains are broken, the bolts and bars are unlocked, and we fly out on freedom’s wings.

When we apply the blood of Jesus by confessing what it has done for us, it becomes a voice in our favor, demanding justice from the enemy who had long deceived and terrorized us. He cannot stand the cry that comes from the blood of Jesus because, in the mouths of God’s servants, it becomes the most powerful decree, able to displace even the most potent forces of the adversary.

Although Paul declared himself to be a great enemy of the Christians, the grace of God caught hold of him as he made his way to Damascus to persecute the believers. He then had a three day spiritual encounter, during which God revealed to him His plan of redemption for humanity. That is why Paul was able to clearly tell King Agrippa about the mission he had received from the Lord:

‘But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision (Acts 26:16-19).

As a minister of the gospel, Paul had the responsibility of opening the eyes of the believers’ hearts so that they could understand the plan of redemption, founded upon the blood of Jesus.

Declare:

By the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed from the power of the enemy, and I have been brought into the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

2. By the blood of Jesus, all my sins have been forgiven.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7).

Jesus told the paralytic who had been placed before him, Son, your sins are forgiven (Mark 2:5b). These words unsettled the Pharisees because they held that the only one who could forgive sins was God alone; they therefore concluded that Jesus must be blaspheming. While they were still thinking these things, the Lord asked them a question: Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? (Mark 2:9 NKJV). When someone is ill, they often have a wide range of options available to help them get better; however, there is only one means through which we can receive forgiveness: through the love of Jesus which He expressed through the shedding of His blood.

Paul said, For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV). Why was the blood of Jesus the only price that could be paid and the only means available to cleanse us from our sin? When God made Adam, He created him with blood that was pure, free from any kind of contamination. He placed him over the Garden of Eden to work the ground. In the center of the Garden, there was a tree. The Lord warned them not to eat any fruit from that tree, or they would die. But Adam disobeyed; he ate the fruit and had to face the consequences of the Word of God. Yet Paul referred to the blood of Jesus as the cup of blessing, which has reversed every kind of curse. Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16).

On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus …took the cup after they had eaten, saying, This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood" (Luke 22:20). When Jesus said this, He was making reference to the new covenant Jeremiah had prophesied about long before. Regarding this new covenant in the blood, the prophet had said, I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people (Jeremiah 31:33b). Only through the blood of Jesus can we relate directly to God.