III. The Power of the Blood

I was listening to a Christian missionary testify in a church one day when I was surprised to hear him say that he had experienced terrible problems with demonic attacks on the mission field. Now, the attacks didn’t surprise me. Christians ministering in other dark places had told me of similar experiences. But what surprised me is that this man said that he didn’t know what to do about them. So in desperation, he went and got a minister "from one of those other churches” (his words) to come and pray for him and the work God was doing. The particularly horrific attack he described stopped immediately, and other attacks were diminished.

Since that time I have asked other missionaries how they prayed for their churches. Many had the same answer: they asked God to cover their ministry, their homes and their families with the blood of Jesus Christ and to put a hedge of protection around them. They even prayed this from day to day.

So is this scriptural? I believe that it is. Look at what Scripture says:

Rev. 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

In Revelation we are told of a terrible battle between the saints of the Lord and the enemy. The saints will overcome, we are told, by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus‘ blood, and by the word of their testimony. I believe that this is an ongoing battle, daily coming against the enemy with the Word of God, and with the blood of Jesus Christ.

Going back to the Old Testament, consider Job, a servant of God. What did Satan complain about?

Job 1:9-10 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land.”

According to Job 1:1-3 this hedge of protection protected Job, his seven sons and three daughters, his possessions including seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, complete with servants. Notice that these children were adults!

How did this hedge of protection come about?

Job 1:5 Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ This Job did regularly.

Here we have the reason why there was a hedge of protection. The blood of the sacrifice Job made on a regular basis was the foreshadowing of the blood of Jesus Christ which is available to us now. Job sacrificed on a regular basis and all his household was covered. Similarly, I believe that we should ask for the blood of our sacrifice, Jesus Christ, to cover us and all our families and households on a regular basis.

Again, looking at the New Testament, we see this verse:

1 Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct….but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

The blood of Jesus Christ has redeemed us. Together with Rev. 12:11 quoted above, we know that we are redeemed and can overcome Satan by of the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Looking again at the Old Testament, there are several instances of blood sacrifice. When giving instructions for the Passover, for example, God told Moses:

Exodus 12:3-7 “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying” ‘On the tenth of the month every man shall take for himself a lamb…for his household….Your lamb shall be without blemish….And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it,

Also, Exodus 12:13 (God speaking) “Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike that land of Egypt.”

When the Temple and Aaron‘s sons were consecrated, the blood of sacrifice was sprinkled on them, Lev. 8:10-15, 19, 21, 30. Cleansing was also done by applying the blood of sacrifice for the Leper, Leviticus 14:1-18, esp. vv. 7-8, 13-14.

Consecration and cleansing was always done by using the blood of sacrifice.

The general principle is in this verse:

Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Something else that is apparent in Scripture is that the blood was always applied. It was taken out of the bowl and sprinkled or smeared on the things it cleansed and consecrated.

We see in the Old Testament, for example, that the priest would sprinkle with hyssop, a small woody plant, that was dipped in the blood of sacrifice. By sprinkling with hyssop, people were made clean and consecrated. In Ps. 51:7, after his terrible sin with Bathsheba, David writes, Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. I believe that he is referring to cleansing his sin by sprinkling with the blood.

Look at these passages as well:

Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.

Heb. 9:19-21 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the blood itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.

Moreover, I believe that every believer is sprinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 52 and 53 are prophetic passages that speak of the torment, crucifixion and death of Christ. Look at this passage:

Isaiah 52:13-15 Behold My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; So shall He sprinkle many nations....

We believers are those nations that have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood, to make us clean and cleanse us from all sin:

1 Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

I believe that every believer is cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ blood upon salvation. I believe also that we can ask for that blood covering from day to day. Just as Job sacrificed for his household and enjoyed a hedge of protection, so can we. The blood must be applied.


Sample Prayer: Father, thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, and for His precious blood that was shed for us on Calvary. Father, I pray for You to cover me and my household with the blood of Jesus Christ, and to put a hedge of protection around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Diana Clancy
Copyright October 2007