The weapons of warfare

One of the passages of Scripture available for today’s first reading (Revelation 12:7-12ab) gives us a glimpse of a cosmic battle between good and evil.

War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.

One might speculate about the details of how such warfare takes place, but the very next verses describe the means by which the battle was won.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them.”

These verses obviously do not describe just how angels and archangels gain victory over evil, but also how we human beings may conquer: by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, whose Blood gains us the victory, give us the grace to be powerfully faithful to him in our own deeds and words.