The format of this sermon is BIBLE STUDY. It is designed with more personal application in mind. Be blessed!
Text: Revelation 12:7-18+
Date: September 29, 2002 (St. Michael and all the Angels)
Title: In everything Christ touches there is VICTORY!
If you ever decide to take the time out to study History, you will be reminded that much of our history has been surrounded by war. In the past year alone, America has begun its war on terrorism! Recently the president has been talking about us getting into yet another war. So it is safe to say that war or the threat of war is constantly around us. But what we don’t expect to see is war, taking place… in heaven! That location is supposed to be exempt from battle. Yet God allows us to see that a battle in heaven indeed took place. And he does this with the ultimate purpose of preparing us not only to remember his former victories over the dragon but also the daily victories that he wins for us by the blood of our Savior.
It was a war of words, so to speak. The devil stood before the throne of God with the argument that he was the better choice to truthfully represent we the saints. He challenged Jesus’ throne and God’s authority and purpose. When he lost that argument, he began to accuse God’s people all the more of all the crimes that we were guilty of, and I am sure he made up a few extra sins, just for spite. Satan was very angry and fought against Michael and his angels as he stood before throne of God. And all of heaven took part in what should be called the war to end all wars. Because the wars we hear about on earth, can only destroy the body. But the battle that was fought in heaven was for our body and our soul.
The battle took place to see who was the strongest. It was a two to one battle in favor of our Lord. Two thirds of an infinite number of angels were on God’s side, verses Satan and one third of those who followed him. Yet with all the dragon’s cunning and skill… he lost. Satan lost! And with that first loss of the devil comes our first shout of victory.
No longer could Satan go back and forth from earth to heaven. When Michael and the angels kicked him out. The door would be forever shut and Satan could never again come before the throne of God to accuse us. There was never a doubt that Satan would win, but imagine if he did. I just think about what God allowed him to do to Job and then think about him doing worse if he had the freedom to do so. Thinking about such things only causes me to thank my Lord all the more and worship Him with the joy of His victory.
This reminder of the war to end all wars causes us to be joyful, but also to be concerned or at the very least aware. The concern or awareness is justified when we think about where the Devil went after he was kicked out of heaven. If Satan no longer has access to heaven then, that means he is stuck here on earth. To me, no human made horror story can match this terror should a person without Christ, be made aware of these things. God does not want us to make light of the Devil, but we are to be aware of his desire to destroy our relationship with God. We are to consider him a threat! We are called to be on the lookout! Satan, now confined to this world, WILL take his fury out on the human race and life itself. He and one third of an infinite number of his angels are now residing with us. Again, their goal is to utterly destroy our life and our relationship with the Lord. And Satan will never stop.
God makes us aware of the Devil’s presence again today because it is all too easy to forget about his purpose and his activities. That old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind” really does take place for us especially when we get caught up with the day-to-day trials of life and thus forget all about the devil presence. And our Lord knows this and thus wants us to be on alert not only to remember what Satan is all about but also, to mainly recall the many, many victories that the Holy Trinity has won in His battle against the dragon.
As we read on in our text, we discover Satan’s complete battle plan. His first attack would be to persecute and hopefully destroy the woman. His reason is clear, it was a woman who gave birth to the Messiah. If he can destroy the woman, he could also destroy future souls who would worship our living Lord. Cause for alarm? Sure! But there is no cause for fear because as we read verse 14 we again see God’s intervention. Listen, “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 a half a time.” Isaiah 40:31 helps explain what this verse means. Hear these words: “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” When the woman, or any one of us is attacked, our Lord promises protection. He will aid us to flee the wrath of the devil. This was accomplished for us, when Jesus suffered upon the Cross-, only to rise again so that all our sins would be forgiven. Although the context of being given eagles wings, is directed toward the woman. It truly relates to each and every one of us just as the blood of Jesus covers each and every one of us.
More good news! God will even use the earth to defeat the devil. Verses 15 & 16 say, “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. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.” Here the term woman is not only directed towards females but also to the church. For it is the church that God uses to bring forth a spiritual life to us all. Satan seeks to attack God’s church with lies, and deceit just as he did in the Garden of Eden. But God will rescue and defend his people from the onslaught, even by way of miraculous events. We have an example of such activity within the pages of Numbers.
In Numbers 16 (And I will try to shorten this account for the sake of time) We read the story about Korah. He had members of Moses and Aaron’s congregation who joined him. And their goal was to go against Moses and Aaron, and thus go against God. Korah rose up before Moses and Aaron with some 250 leaders of the congregation. They said to Moses, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” After hearing this, Moses responded by saying that in the morning God would show who is His, and who is holy. Soon the Lord came before those who challenged Moses and as Moses finished speaking, the ground that was under Korah and those who still stood with him, opened up and swallowed them all.
When God’s people were threatened, and when His Word was threatened, God responded. This truth is yet another victory that our Lord has won for us. For even the earth can and will be used in order to protect us from the wrath of the Devil! It is so wonderful to know how far, high, wide and deep our Lord will go to protect us.
When Satan was defeated yet again, he became furious! Verse 17 reads: “So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” We can remember the dragon’s first attack when Jesus was born. His hatred was never more evident than when he went to destroy every child less than two years of age. The devil will try to make his will our own. He certainly placed his will upon an eager Herod in order for him to do his dirty work.
Recently there has been talk of a woman who beat up her own little child. When I saw that video on TV all I could think about was that the devil was working his will to destroy both the mother and child. Since he wants to destroy the woman and her offspring, what better way to do it, than to pit mother against child? We can only pray that this woman rests her weakness upon the lap our Savior; for he can bring her and her child to reconciliation and healing. Satan would like nothing more than to spew them both out of his mouth! But Jesus will have none of it, should the mother long for Him.
When Satan attacks us, it is personal. He will try to tempt you! He will make every effort to remove you from God’s Word and gifts. He will offer discouragements to you and he will seek to destroy your faith. He will seek to put hatred in your heart. He will work to remove your desire to forgive. And with his help, judging others regularly can be our focus. Can there possibly be anything more alarming then that? There could indeed be something more alarming. If Christ did not come to this world, in order to win for us total victory over such things as sin, death and the devil we would have no hope and everyone us would be walking around with bitterness, judgment, anger, no forgiveness and no hope upon us. But instead of being terrified, we have peace. God has not only made us aware of the devil’s plot, He has also reminded us of who really is in charge of all things and who has been victorious over all things. His victory is our victory!
What you have heard this morning is a reminder of the complete victory that Jesus won for us. The Holy Trinity and his angels surround us constantly, and their watch is ever vigil. Thus we have cause to rejoice even while Satan comes after us. We rejoice in God’s former victories that still remain active to this day. We rejoice that he will use the earth itself to protect us and we rejoice because even in the midst of Satan’s attacks, we can stand on the strength of our Savior. We, who have been purchased and won by the blood of Jesus, have upon us the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. And with that truth, we have a weapon that we can use at any time the devil comes a calling.
With every attack comes a counter attack! He accuses us and we can simply remind him of his future and our comfort in Christ. If he increases his assault and applies pressure with trials of every kind, then our response is to turn to God’s Word so that we can be restored to all these victorious promises we have heard today. And if his attack ever becomes threatening, where as it troubles our faith, than we can be assured that Christ is seeing to it, that Satan leaves once again without a victory.
The angels and Elders in heaven rejoiced over the victories that our Savior has won for us. They still rejoice over one sinner that repents for that is yet another victory that is taken away from the Devil. Now we rejoice, not only that our name is written in the book of life, but also that we have God’s Word to protect us from our enemies. With this in mind, our hope is constant, our faith is fed, and our love for God grows all the more, despite any effort to the contrary by he who was kicked out of heaven. Satan cannot destroy Jesus. He cannot destroy the church and he cannot destroy her seed, you and I, as Jesus nourishes that seed. Something to think about! Amen.
(C) 2001 By Douglas W Koehler LC-MS
