- [Narrator] Michael faces the dragon
and his fallen angels.
For any team to win,
there must be a contest.
Revelation 12 describes the ultimate battle
between good and evil.
The hosts of heaven take on the dragon and his angels.
Does good eventually win?
"And war broke out in heaven.
Michael, the archangel and his angels
waging war with the dragon.
The dragon and his angels fought,
but they were not strong enough
and did not prevail
and there was no longer a place
found for them in heaven."
Revelation 12:7-8.
War broke out in heaven.
God will turn the tide against Satan
at the midpoint of the Great Tribulation,
first in heaven, then on earth.
Satan will be denied access to heaven
as a result of a battle.
While Satan is likely headed to hell,
he is not presently there.
It's common to see cartoons depicting Satan
in a red outfit with a pitchfork and pointed tail,
but such medieval folklore
is hardly faithful to the biblical picture.
In Job 1,
Satan is mentioned as having access to heaven
and visiting God's presence there.
This brings us to Revelation 12,
where the Devil and his imps march on heaven
creating a cosmic spiritual conflict.
As the dragon fought, he did not prevail.
The archangel Michael was God's champion
and commanding general of God's forces.
We read, "Michael and his angels."
The most well known angelic being in the Bible
is probably Michael along with Gabriel.
What exactly does Michael's role
as an archangel entail?
In what capacity does he fit into God's heavenly host?
What has he accomplished
and what are his duties?
Michael, that name begs the question,
who is comparable to God?
Many parents who name their sons Michael
have no idea what the name means.
Michael is introduced to us
by the prophet Daniel.
Michael and his angels fought with the dragon
and the dragon and his angels fought.
This is a dramatic scene
of a battle between good angels and evil angels,
faithful angels and fallen angels.
Who fights in this battle?
Satan represents the dragon
and Satan is not God's counterpart.
God has no peer.
Michael, the chief angel opposing
this chief of fallen angels.
Why is the battle fought?
In a previous scene of conflict
between Michael and Satan, Jude 9,
Satan had faced Michael.
Here is another occasion
where Satan wants to get in the way
of God's plan for the end times.
Based on Daniel,
Jewish people recognized Michael
as their guardian prince
who would defend them from the angels
of the other nations who sought to oppress them.
Daniel 10:13,
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia
was standing in opposition to me for 21 days.
Then behold, Michael,
one of the chief of the celestial princes,
came to help me,
for I had been left there with the kings of Persia."
Michael could single-handedly
ward off angels of other nations.
Michael's power, however, had limits.
He could not overstep his authority
and, hence, could not act against Satan himself
without the permission of God.
Moreover, he would be ordered to stand out of the way
so Israel could experience the final tribulation.
Jude 9, "But Michael, the archangel,
when he disputed with the devil
and argued about the body of Moses,
did not dare pronounce against him an abuse of judgment
but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.'"
Here, however, Michael and his forces
cast down Satan's forces,
symbolizing Christ's earthly victory in heaven.
When is this battle fought?
This battle happens at the midpoint of the seven years
as described by Daniel.
Daniel 12:1, "Now at that end time,
Michael the great angelic prince
who stands guard over the children of your people,
will arise and there will be a time of distress
such as never occurred
since there was a nation until that time.
But at that time, your people,
everyone who was found written in the book of life
will be rescued."
How is this battle fought?
We know this is a real fight,
but is it a material or a spiritual battle?
Our battle with Satan and his demons is spiritual,
fought on the battleground of truth and deception,
of fear and faith.
Ephesians 6:12,
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood
contending only with physical opponents,
but against the rulers,
against the powers,
against the world forces of this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness
in the heavenly supernatural places."
Regarding material attacks against the believer,
Satan and his demons were disarmed at the cross.
Colossians 2:15,
"When he had disarmed the rulers and authorities,
those supernatural forces of evil operating against us,
he made a public example of them,
exhibiting them as captives
in his triumphal procession
having triumphed over them through the cross."
In his classic work, "Paradise Lost,"
the great poet Milton imagined this battle.
"Michael bid sound the archangel trumpet.
Through the vast of heaven it sounded,
and the faithful army's rung,
Hosanna to the highest.
Nor stood at gaze the adverse lesions.
Nor less hideous joined the horrid shock.
Now storming fury rose,
and clamor such as heard in heaven till now was never.
Arms on armor, clashing brayed, horrible discord,
and the madding wheels of brazen chariots raged.
Dire was a noise of conflict.
Overhead the dismal hiss of fiery darts,
in flaming volleys flew.
And flying vaulted either host with fire.
So under fiery cope together rushed both battles main,
with ruinous assault and inextinguishable rage.
All heaven resounded
and had earth been then,
all earth had to her center shook."
Revelation 12:9,
"And the great dragon was thrown down,
the age old serpent who was called the devil and Satan,
he who continually deceives and seduces
the entire inhabited world.
He was thrown down to the earth
and his angels were thrown down with him."
Immediately following Satan's defeat,
and prior to his war against the church,
a loud voice in heaven proclaims God
and his people's victory over Satan, the accuser.
In verse nine, the dragon is identified as Satan,
but in verse 10, he is described as the accuser
who brings charges against God's people.
Satan refers to his identity,
but accuser refers to his role
in God's war against his people.
Since believers triumphed over Satan,
they are confident of victory
even though Satan continually accuses them.
Their victory over Satan
was based on three factors,
the blood of the lamb,
their faithful testimony to Jesus,
their faithfulness to Christ.
A faithful testimony to Christ
brings them victory in this spiritual war.
We read, "So the great dragon was cast out."
Throughout this verse,
our spiritual enemy is referred to as a dragon,
the serpent of old, Devil, Satan,
and the one who deceives the whole world.
These titles describe Satan as vicious,
an accuser, an adversary, and a deceiver.
We read, "He was cast to the earth."
The Bible describes various falls of Satan
and Revelation 12:9
describes the second of these four falls.
"He fell from glorified to profane."
Ezekiel 28:14-15,
"You were the anointed chair
who covers and protects
and I placed you there.
You were on the holy mountain of God.
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire,
sparkling jewels.
You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
until unrighteousness and evil were found in you."
Satan went from having access to heaven
to restriction to the earth.
1 Kings 22:21,
"Then a spirit came forward
and stood before the Lord and said,
'I will entice him.'"
Satan also went from the earth to bondage
in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.
Revelation 20:1-2,
"And then I saw an angel descending from heaven
holding the key of the abyss,
the bottomless pit,
and a great chain was in his hand
and he overpowered and laid hold of the dragon,
that old serpent of primeval times
who was the devil and Satan,
and bound him securely for 1,000 years, a millennium."
We read, "His angels were cast out with him."
This implies that demonic spirits
are fallen angels who allied with Satan
and his rebellion against God.
These are his angels.
These angels are also the same
as the third of the stars of heaven
described in Revelation 12:4,
"And his tail swept across the sky
and dragged away a third of the stars of heaven
and flung them to the earth.
And the dragon stood in front of the woman
who was about to give birth
so that when she gave birth,
he might devour her child."
It's comforting to know that faithful angels
outnumber fallen angels two to one
since Satan only drew a third of the stars of heaven,
a joyful declaration in heaven.
Revelation 12:10-12,
"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
'Now the salvation and the power
under the kingdom, dominion, reign of our God
and the authority of his Christ have come,
for the accuser of our believing brothers and sisters
has been thrown down at last,
he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges
of sinful behavior against them
before our God day and night.
And they overcame and conquered him
because of the blood of the lamb
and because of the word of their testimony,
for they did not love their life
and renounce their faith
even when faced with death.
Therefore, rejoice, oh heavens,
and you who dwell in them
in the presence of God.
Woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you in great wrath
knowing that he has only a short time remaining."
We read, "The accuser of our brethren
who accused them before, are gone,
day and night has been cast down."
Satan's accusing work ends here
when he is cast out from his access to heaven.
That is why today we need an intercessor and advocate.
Hebrews 7:25,
"Therefore, he is able also to save forever,
completely, perfectly for eternity
those who come to God through him,
since he always lives to intercede
and intervene on their behalf with God."
1 John 2:1,
"My little children, believers, dear ones,
I am writing you these things
so that you will not sin and violate God's law.
And if anyone sins,
we have an advocate
who will intercede for us with the Father,
Jesus Christ, the righteous,
the upright, the just one
who conforms to the Father's will in every way,
purpose, thought, and action."
We read, "And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb
and by the word of their testimony
and they did not love their lives to the death."
This tells us three keys
to the saint's victory over Satan.
Satan may have deceived even himself
into thinking that he has a chance.
Our rebellion against God makes even less sense
than Satan's rebellion does.
The heavens can rejoice over the dragons departure
but it is bad news for the earth and the sea.
The devil knows his time is short
and he is determined to pour out his wrath
as widely as possible.
The dragons spleen is vented,
especially against Israel,
the nation from which the Messiah came.
John then offers a simple strategy for believers
to overcome Satan's attacks,
a threefold plan against the devil's assaults,
covering, confession, and courage.
Christians who think spiritual warfare
is an excellent subject to debate
but don't think it impacts their lives daily,
may be vulnerable to spiritual defeat.
Good soldiers of Jesus Christ
know Satan roams the earth
seeking those whom he may devour.
We must be ready.
1 Peter 5:8,
"Be sober, well-balanced, and self-disciplined.
Be alert and cautious at all times.
That enemy of yours, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion,
fiercely hungry, seeking someone to devour."
The primary way Satan attacks the people of God
is through blasphemy
and he is the accuser of our brethren.
Even so, believers have a divine advocate
before God named Jesus Christ.
1 John 2:1,
"My little children, believers, dear ones,
I am writing you these things
so that you will not sin and violate God's law,
and if anyone sins,
we have an advocate
who will intercede for us with the Father,
Jesus Christ, the righteous, the upright, the just one
who conforms to the Father's will in every way,
purpose, thought, and action."
Satan, the adversary,
may seek to destroy God's people,
but Jesus Christ is the good shepherd.
John 10:11,
"I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep."
John 10:14,
"I am the good shepherd
and I know without any doubt
those who are my own
and my own know me
and have a deep personal relationship with me."
There are many lessons here.
The truth,
first victory only comes with a fight.
Every crown comes at a cost.
There's no success without sacrifice.
The good news is anything worth achieving
is worth the fight.
Michael didn't fight alone
and the saints didn't defeat the enemy alone.
Victory rarely comes without teamwork.
God designed us to win in community.
A victory should always be celebrated.
The heavens rejoice when the lamb wins.
The greater the victory,
the greater the celebration.
In closing, our question for the day,
what's a worship song
that has helped you feel closer to God?