From a former prof of mine:

The Ancient Word...

The Book of Revelation symbolically portrays Christ as both a powerful warrior "Lion" and a helpless sacrificial "Lamb" (Revelation 5:5-6, NIV). Paradoxically, these contradictory images of Christ complement one another.

In Revelation, Satan tries to "overcome" Christ and his people by persecuting and killing them (see 11:7; 12:4-5; 13:7).

In contrast, Christ "overcomes" Satan and the forces of evil not by killing, but by dying. On the Cross, the "Lion" offers himself as the sacrificial "Lamb" that brings forgiveness of sins and a place in God's Kingdom:
...you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10)

Revelation also proclaims the good news that we, his New Covenant people, share in Christ's victory:
The great dragon was hurled down -- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray...They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (Revelation 12:9, 11; compare 3:21; 17:14; 21:7)

First, Christians overcome Satan and his allies "by the blood of the Lamb" -- by embracing the sacrifice of Christ and the benefits it brings.

Second, Christians overcome "by the word of their testimony." By proclaiming the good news of Christ's death on the Cross, we enable others to embrace forgiveness of sins and God's emerging Kingdom. We participate in Christ's victory over Satan by helping to free people from the Devil's power.

Third, Christians overcome Satan by remaining faithful to Christ until death. In other words, we overcome by not allowing Satan to reestablish his hold on us even if serving Christ brings hardship, persecution, or martyrdom. Revelation 2:26 affirms this as Christ offers promises to "him who overcomes and does my will to the end."

... for Today
The irony is obvious. Just when we think that "overcoming" means glorious living, the New Testament tells us that death may come first. Just when we want to embrace words like "victorious," "conquering," and "defeating," Revelation reminds us that the Lord defines these terms differently than we do.

The prosperity gospel of our day, with its emphasis on health and wealth (if we have enough faith), is actually a counter-gospel. The Apostle John invites us to embrace poverty and death (if need be) as a sign of our deep faith.

The only way we can live such radical lives -- prepared to die such radical deaths -- is by fixing our eyes on the Lamb.

Jesus stands at the center of Christianity. His life, death, and resurrection become the pattern for his followers. We dare not expect short cuts or cheap options.

Many of us struggle with this gospel call. Although Christ rejected violence, we want to justify or excuse our own fury. While Christ did not open his mouth at his trial, we want to defend ourselves and our reputations vigorously. We don't see that dying helps anybody, so we resist it. We want to be activists, not passivists. Hanging on faithfully is not enough for us. We need to storm the heights and flex our muscles. But as Jim Wallis once noted, "The difference that we make will be determined in the end simply by how faithful we are to the gospel. The rest has to be left to God."

We want the glory of the Lion, not the meekness of the Lamb. But, paradoxically, God touches the world most powerfully through faith, not force.

The promises of the Christ-experience (death and resurrection) belong to those willing to walk in the way of the Lamb.