The blood of Jesus is a tangible power in both the spiritual and physical realms, and we need to apply it to our lives every day as protection from the enemy.
In 1 Peter 5:9, we are told to resist the devil by standing firm in our faith. How? By the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). The power to overcome satan lies in the blood of Jesus, but you must understand what the blood stands for and how to apply it.
Using the Blood to Fight Spiritual Battles
Hebrews 9:13-14 shows us how the blood works its power. Although animal sacrifices foreshadowed what God was going to do through Jesus, the blood of goats and bulls could not operate in the spiritual realm (Hebrews 10:4).
But the blood of Christ is different. Because Jesus is an eternal spiritual being with a physical body, His blood can penetrate both the earthly and spiritual realms. And because of that, it is able to cleanse the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. What’s more, because the spiritual realm dictates what takes place in the earthly realm, the blood of Christ is a powerful weapon against satanic operations that affect events on earth.
How to Apply the Blood in Your Life
Pleading the blood of Jesus over earthly circumstances is not something mystical. It’s not an incantation, but a spiritual exercise of faith.
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Hey, Pastor Bob, where in the Bible are we commanded to ‘plead the blood’” Let me show you.
David used the term “plead” when addressing Saul, who had wrongly accused David of planning to harm him. “The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me;” David said, “and may He see and plead my cause, and deliver me from your hand” (I Samuel 24:15).
David knew that if he pleaded his case before God’s eyes of justice, God would protect him from Saul’s lies and assaults. And God heard David and delivered him from the hand of Saul.
Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God even invites us to plead our causes before Him. “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgression for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put me in remembrance; let us argue our case together. State your cause, that you may be proved right” (Isaiah 43:25-26). (Note that the King James Version translates the word “state” as “plead”)
Jeremiah understood the necessity of doing that: “Righteous art Thou, O Lord, that I would plead my case with Thee; indeed I would discuss matters of justice with Thee” (Jeremiah 12:1a).
These men of great faith understood that the word “plead” was a legal term, not an act of begging to persuade God to do something. It meant “to assert a defense by an advocate”.
According to John, the blood of Jesus is your advocate. “…We have an Advocate with the father,” he writes, “Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins…” (I John 2:1-2).
That word “propitiation” derives its meaning from Greek culture. In ancient times, it described how a man might try to appease the gods—and protect himself from their wrath. In the Bible, however, propitiation refers to the work of Christ’s blood, which is to protect and help us avoid destruction.
You have a legal right to plead the authority of the blood of Jesus just as you have a legal right to use the name of Jesus. You are stating your case that satan has no authority to rule you, accuse you, condemn you, intimidate you, or harm you or your family. Satan is stripped of all authority and disarmed by faith in that precious blood. He is no longer free to act against you or your family to bring harm or mischief. And satan must therefore flee.
When you plead the blood of Jesus, you are calling on God—as David did—to fulfill God’s promise of protection in Psalm 35:1-2, “Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help” (KJV).
Althea didn’t make such an eloquent appeal to God that night in Brooklyn. But something happened when she claimed the blood of Jesus against the horror she faced. In response to a simple cry for help, God took action.
I encourage you to make that cry—apply the blood of Jesus to the doorposts of your life. Dare to stand on the written promises in God’s Word and testify boldly of your faith in the blood of Jesus. When you do, satan will flee from you, proving once again that Jesus is Lord over all the earth.
Originally published in the November 1997 issue of Reaching Higher