The Battle Satan Couldn’t Win
Revelation 12:7-12
January 8, 2017
As you know we are studying through the book of the Revelation and last Sunday morning we began our third parenthetical section of the book.
In chapter 11, after the 7th trumpet sounded all of heaven rejoiced at the now evident reign of Christ.
Revelation 11:15-18 “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
We learned from heaven that Christ reigns.
And He does so despite the rage and rebellion of the enemy.
This most recent parenthetical section illustrates that reality.
Chapters 12-14 reveal to us how Christ reigns despite the rage and rebellion of Satan.
I told you last week that this section reveals 4 major events.
1) THE CHILD SATAN COULDN’T STOP
2) THE BATTLE SATAN COULDN’T WIN
3) THE WOMAN SATAN COULDN’T KILL
4) THE THRONE SATAN COULDN’T KEEP
WE SAW THE FIRST LAST WEEK
Way back in the garden God revealed to the serpent
That the seed of the woman would crush his head.
That woman is Israel and that child is Jesus. So Satan did everything he could to try and kill that woman before she could give birth to the child.
• He tried to use Pharaoh to annihilate them
• He tried to use Sennacherib and Tiglath Pileser of Assyria
• He tried to use Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
• He tried to use Haman of Persia
• He tried to use Antiochus Epiphanes of Greece
And each time God delivered the woman from his grasp.
Satan then resolved to wait for the child to be born and then kill him.
• This plan began early as Herod ordered all the babies of Bethlehem to be slaughtered, but again God delivered.
Satan did finally succeed in killing this child, but God simply raised Him up again and then successfully seated that child on His throne.
And we learned that despite Satan’s rage and efforts
He was unable to stop this child from coming or from reigning.
HOWEVER we know that despite the crushing blow rendered to Satan
HE DID NOT GIVE UP ON HIS BATTLE.
We know that he rages on, even today.
• Today his rebellion is seen through the accusation and the temptation of the
saints.
• Today his rage is revealed through deception and the instigating of sin and
rebellion against God.
Having failed in stopping the child, his goal is now
To turn sinners against God and to turn God against His children.
IT IS A BATTLE TO CONDEMN GOD’S ELECT
Now, to some extent this battle is absolutely necessary.
• Similar to the days of Job; Satan incited God against Job and God was willing to afflict Job at Satan’s request, but only to prove that the power God had to save Job was greater than the power Satan had to destroy him.
The rage of Satan today against Christ’s work of redemption
Only accomplishes that same end.
Satan’s battle only illustrates how great the work of Christ really is,
Since Satan has not been able to “undo” or even “prevent”
The salvation of one single person who are among God’s elect.
Despite Satan’s efforts God is saving every single one of them.
John 6:37-40 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
That passage reminds us that, despite his efforts, Satan isn’t winning. The cross is greater still.
Romans 5:18-21 “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
And again:
Romans 8:28-39 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Despite Satan’s rage and rebellion, the work of the cross;
The work of the child remains totally effective.
Satan is losing and he will lose forever.
Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
This morning we see the day when
He will permanently lose this current battle he is fighting.
He already permanently lost the battle to stop the child.
This morning we look forward to the day when
He will permanently lose the battle to condemn God’s elect.
We’ve seen the child he couldn’t stop.
Now let’s look at the battle he couldn’t win.
There are three main points
#1 THE DRAGON EXPELLED
Revelation 12:7-9
When you read those three verses, regardless of the detail,
THE MAIN OBSERVATION IS CLEAR.
SATAN IS KICKED OUT OF HEAVEN PERMANENTLY.
This reality has caused confusion for some. I actually remember a 2 hour debate about this in one of my seminary classes.
So in case you have any confusion regarding what is going on,
I want to take a moment to see if I can clarify it for you.
LET’S JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT WE KNOW IS TRUE.
1) We know that Satan is a created angel, and therefore he must have been created perfect.
• When we read God’s creation account in Genesis, we see that God did not create anything that wasn’t perfect. It was all good. Satan certainly fit this bill.
• Beyond that Satan was in heaven with God, and this would not have been permitted if Satan were not one of the holy angels.
2) We know that Satan fell sometime before Genesis 3.
• Obviously something occurred because in Genesis 3 Satan shows up in the form of a serpent and he is a liar and a deceiver and a slanderer of God.
• This can only indicate that at some point in history this holy angel indeed fell into sin and rebellion against God.
In fact, we read about that event last week.
Revelation 12:4 “And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.”
This would be his demonic army, who are also fallen angels.
And they have been present on earth throughout history, which again gives us indication that Satan fell long ago and has been at war with God ever since.
(Incidentally, as a side note, there are many people today who do not believe in the security of the believer. There are many who claim that a saved person on this earth can in fact lose their salvation.
But I don’t know a single one of those people who does not believe that this salvation can be lost after a person enters heaven. In short, they believe security of the believer begins in heaven.
And yet we find here that their theology is flawed. If salvation can be lost then even heaven cannot secure it since even the devil and his angels fell from heaven.
The reality is that salvation is only secure in heaven
Because our security is not based upon our location
But rather upon the finished work of Christ.
This makes us secure not only in heaven but also on earth.
But we know that Satan fell long ago
And has been at war on the earth with his demonic army.
I believe that fall is specifically spoken of by the Old Testament prophets.
Isaiah 14:12-14 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”
Ezekiel 28:11-16 “Again the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. “You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. “By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire.”
So we know that Satan fell and is now at work with demonic armies
Who are clearly seen throughout the New Testament
And who continue even to this very day.
3) We also know that despite his fall Satan currently maintains some sort of strange access to God.
We see this in the book of Job.
Job 1:6-7 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
Even in our test today down in verse 10 we read that Satan is “he who accuses them before our God day and night.”
So he currently has some sort of strange access
Whereby he continually accuses us before God.
4) Along with his work of accusation he is also engage in warfare continually with us on the earth.
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Not only does Satan accuse us before God,
He is also at work accusing God before us.
We call this TEMPTATION
Remember the wilderness when Satan tempted Jesus?
• He did so by accusing God of being a bad provider, “If You are the Son of God command these stones to become bread…”
• He accused God of being a bad protector, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself from this temple…”
• He accused God of having a selfish plan, “If You bow and worship me I will give you all the kingdoms of the earth…”
Like what Satan did with Even in the garden he did with Jesus in the wilderness, seeking to drive a wedge between Christ and the Father.
Beyond his work of temptation we also know him to be a liar,
Continually distorting truth to secure the destruction of sinners.
But you get the point: HE IS CURRENTLY AT WAR
He fell from heaven; he fell from holiness;
And he has been at war with God and God’s people ever since.
THE EVENT WE READ OF HERE IS THE END OF THAT WAR.
Here we read of him again falling from heaven.
This was not his original fall, this is his final fall.
This is the day when his access to God is forever revoked
And he can no longer continue in his work of accusation.
(READ 7-9)
• This type of warfare is not uncommon, it is also alluded to in Daniel 10.
• But here we find that Michael has had enough.
• Satan went on an all-out attack to regain his status in heaven and Michael thumped him.
“there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.”
• That is not just “heaven” but the heavens.
• We read in Ephesians that he is “the prince of the power of the air”, but on this day that access is revoked.
He is removed from the heavens and is relegated solely to the earth.
No longer will he ever be able to accuse God’s children before God.
We also learn a great deal about his warfare
Through the names he is given here.
“the serpent of old” is a reference to the garden and no doubt refers to his work of deception and blasphemy against God.
He lies about God in order to tempt and deceive people into sin.
“who is called the devil”
This is a word that means “accuser” which, as we have seen, is what he does relentlessly.
“Satan” is a word that means “adversary” and that probably sums him up better than any other since his only objective is to oppose whatever God is doing.
NOW WE ARE READING ABOUT THE DAY WHEN HE IS THROWN DOWN.
(He will still be a tempter and a liar, but his opportunity to be an accuser is over)
The timing of this event is also made clear to us.
Revelation 12:13-15 “And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.”
This final fall of Satan occurs at the half-way point of the tribulation.
This is simultaneous with the timing of the opening of the second seal.
• Remember the first seal is 3 ½ years of deception and false peace.
• Halfway through comes the abomination of desolation and world war
Here we see part of the reason for that world war.
Satan is kicked to the earth and so he begins a revolt on earth
Like has never been seen before in all of human history.
The Dragon is Expelled
#2 THE VICTORY EXPLAINED
Revelation 12:10-11
This event is NOT YET THE FINAL DESTRUCTION of Satan,
That will occur after the 1,000 year millennial reign of Christ.
But this event does sort of seal the deal.
• It’s like that touchdown to go ahead by 21 with 2 minutes to play.
• All of heaven (and Satan too) knows it’s over.
Jesus wins!
And that reality is what causes the celebration to begin.
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come…”
Everything we’ve been waiting for.
• The judgment of Satan
• The removal of the curse
• The glorification of all believers
• The full demonstration of the power of God
• The total reign of Christ
All of God’s children whom he has been accusing are totally secure.
WHY?
“for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.”
Satan no longer has access to God
Whereby to accuse the brethren any longer.
If you are football fan, it’s like when your team is losing and there is two minutes left, but you don’t have any timeouts and the other team is just taking a knee.
The game is not technically over yet, there is still time on the clock, but there’s nothing you can do about it because you don’t even have the ball.
That is the predicament Satan is in.
He can accuse no longer.
Ever since the ascension of Jesus, when Satan lost that battle,
His main objective has been to condemn God’s elect
By accusing them before God.
It didn’t work, and on this day he’ll never be allowed to do it again.
But that is not all that is revealed to John,
THE MEANS OF THE VICTORY OF THE SAINTS is also revealed to John.
It is as though heaven wants John to know
How these saints managed to survive the battle
That was waged against them.
And I think this is very important and very relevant information.
Spiritual warfare is a popular topic among some circles of Christian life,
But I run across very few who have any clue how to wage it.
Many think it has something to do with rebuking the devil or commanding him to flee.
• You know, you’ve got to raise your hands in the air and command him in the name of Jesus to flee.
• I even had one pastor tell me about how in one of his services a man came down to the front of the church and started doing karate moves during the singing service. When the pastor asked him what he was doing, he said he was engaging in spiritual warfare.
But you don’t overcome Satan by karate kicking the air. You don’t overcome the enemy by giving him orders.
• Paul taught us to “put on the full armor of God”. Things like truth, righteousness, faith, assurance, readiness, and the word of God.
• Peter taught us to “resist” the devil.
Here the loud voice in heaven
Reveals how these saints defeated the enemy.
(11) “And they overcome him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
This is how you fight spiritual warfare.
Let me explain it a little more.
There were 3 reasons given here as to
Why these saints were able to overcome the enemy.
1) THE WORK OF CHRIST
“the blood of the Lamb”
This is nothing short of the sacrificial atonement of Christ on our behalf.
Do your best live right and live good, and all of that stuff,
But the good you do will not outweigh the bad.
I don’t care how many dollars you give, or how many hours you pray,
God does not judge on the “good enough” system.
God judges by the standard of perfect holiness.
• One sin is enough to condemn you for all eternity and no amount of good deeds will ever undo that.
• Someone who commits a murder goes to prison regardless of how much money they’ve given to the Salvation Army.
• Guilt is guilt
And since Satan’s objective is to accuse the brethren before God,
You should know that there is not the slightest chance
That one of your sins will ever go unnoticed.
He is the ultimate tattle tale. He points out your flaws
And demands that God punish your sins just as God punished his.
So how do we overcome the “devil”; the “accuser”?
“the blood of the Lamb”
Romans 8:33-34 “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
When we sin and Satan points out to God,
Jesus steps in and intercedes on our behalf.
He does not intercede based upon His fondness of us,
He intercedes based on the fact that He already paid the debt for His elect.
(Go read Zechariah 3)
His blood was shed as payment for our sin.
If you don’t have “the blood of the Lamb” you don’t have a chance.
• You will not be saved
• You could not stay saved
• And you couldn’t lead anyone else to salvation either
Without “the blood of the Lamb” there is no defeating Satan.
THESE SAINTS OVERCAME THE ENEMY
BECAUSE JESUS HAD REDEEMED THEM WITH HIS OWN BLOOD.
2) THE WORD OF CHRIST
“and because of the word of their testimony”
I hear this verse quoted all time as some sort of proof that
The power to overcome Satan is found
In you sharing your own personal testimony.
Now look, I’m certainly fine with people sharing what Christ has done in their life through His work of redemption.
• You can read Paul’s testimony in several places in Scripture.
But here WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT the power of a personal testimony as the secret to overcoming Satan.
What are we talking about?
Well, throughout the Revelation
We are told what “the word of their testimony” actually is.
Revelation 1:1-2 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
Revelation 1:9 “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
Revelation 6:9 “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;”
The testimony being referred to here was not their personal testimony,
It is “the testimony of Jesus”
John 15:26-27 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
That’s why I showed you that video to begin today.
• “We Preach Christ”
• “We Preach the Gospel”
That is how you overcome Satan.
The gospel is the power of God for salvation,
Not your own personal testimony.
• Is your testimony useful? Certainly
• Should you give an account of the hope that is in you? Without a doubt
But more than that, preach the gospel.
Preach Christ
This is the message that leads sinners to salvation.
This is the message that cuts through the lies of the deceiver
And brings about redemption.
• You don’t waive your hands in the air and rebuke the devil.
• You don’t karate kick the air in some sort of frenzy.
• You don’t command or declare or break or any of that nonsense.
If you want to overcome the devil then you preach Christ.
You tell sinners about the finished work of the One
Who can set them free from the snare of the devil.
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
If Satan is going to be overcome it will require the work of Christ, the word of Christ
3) THE WORTH OF CHRIST
“and they did not love their lives even when faced with death.”
What does that mean?
It means they loved Christ more.
They valued Christ more.
What did Jesus say?
Matthew 10:37-39 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Jesus could not have been clearer in His preaching.
There is only one way to come to Him
And that is with absolute devotion.
• You don’t come to Jesus half-way.
• You don’t come to Jesus half-hearted.
• You don’t come to Jesus with rocky soil that will only follow when it is easy.
• You don’t come to Jesus with weedy soil that wants Jesus amidst all your idols.
You have to love Jesus more than life.
If you don’t, you will not overcome the enemy.
WHY?
Because his weapon is one of temptation.
And his target is the desires of your flesh.
If your goal is to gratify the flesh and love the flesh and love yourself
Then Satan will topple you every time.
That is why Peter said:
1 Peter 4:1-2 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
When you determine to love Christ more
When you determine to value Christ more
That is when Satan loses his grip.
These Saints were victorious over Satan…
• Because of what Jesus did on the cross
• Because of the gospel they preached
• Because they chose Christ over the world
That is the victory explained.
And it’s the same for your life.
The Dragon Expelled, The Victory Explained
#3 THE BATTLE EXPECTED
Revelation 12:12
Satan battled for years to stop that child,
But when he lost he began a new battle in the heavenlies accusing the saints.
Here he lost that battle too,
But that doesn’t keep him from starting a new one.
Once Satan is permanently removed from heaven,
He will start a new war on earth.
Now certainly heaven should rejoice at this.
“For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them.”
Absolutely, the accuser is gone, that is cause for rejoicing.
We win.
“Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
He’s going to wage all-out war on the earth,
But even he knows the cause is lost.
He knows his time is short.
And the point we are making is that SATAN IS THE ULTIMATE LOSER
Since the day he first fell from heaven
He has scratched and clawed and worked and manipulated
To kill Israel, or kill the Christ, or destroy the redeemed
And he hasn’t succeeded yet.
And he never will.
OUR GOD REIGNS
That means we take the truths learned here
Regarding how to overcome him and we apply them to our lives
Knowing that victory is certainly ours as well.
Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
