On February 15, 2015, a video was released showing 21 Christian men in orange jumpsuits paraded to a beach in Libya by armed and masked terrorists in black garb. A Muslim man explained these Christians, who would not renounce Christ, were being executed to retaliate for the death of Osama Bin Laden. Then they were gruesomely beheaded. But the video also reveals that while some of these men were being executed, they were speaking the name of Jesus.

Present-day murders of Christians by Muslims is the very spirit of the Anti-Christ’s terrorism that will take place during the seven years of Tribulation. Revelation 20:4 refers to future martyrs saying, “…and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God.” Revelation 12:11 tells us these martyrs will die at the hands of cruel terrorists, but in a remarkably terrorLESS state of mind: “they overcame him [Satan].” It is important for all who know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior to embrace the three ways these martyrs will find victory in the face of death. First, they will remain victorious “by the blood of the Lamb.” In order to truly be a Christian, one must trust in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as the payment for one’s sins, apart from all religious or moral works. It is trusting in His blood that gives us a righteous standing with God and eternal life. Martyrs overcome Satan in the sense that they refuse to abandon this trust. Second, they overcome Satan “by the word of their testimony,” which is an unfaltering trust and reliance in the written Word of God. It gives strength, comfort, and confidence, no matter what a believer faces. Third, they overcome Satan because “they loved not their lives unto the death.” This means they chose to believe eternal life is more important than continued days of earthly life, and that their responsibility was to live or die to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ who died for them. Nothing else really matters.

While we believers today will never experience the specific tribulation persecution sent from Satan’s Anti-Christ, II Timothy 3:12 tells us “…all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Whether suffering for our faith is great or small, we can triumphantly remain terrorLESS by living the same three principles tribulation martyrs will possess. Why wait? Begin living all three now!