Revelation 12:7-17
Please read your Bible text: Rev 12:7-17
While the Book of Revelation reveals the last days’ events – it is worthwhile to note that God deviates from the main flow of the tribulation judgment. This allows John to see several visions that shed light and clarity as to the things happening in the last days; like what we have read in the previous chapters: the rebuilt Jewish temple, the two super apocalypse witnesses, the vision of the woman with child and in this passage – the dragon and the warfare of Satan with the archangel, Michael.
It seems that although Satan, who was ousted out of Heaven in ancient times, still has some sort of restricted access to Heaven. In the Book of Job – Satan was summoned by God to account for himself and he took the opportunity to accuse the man, Job before God. Satan who was Lucifer, the created archangel, who rebelled and was cast out of Heaven (Ezekiel 28:14-16; Luke 10:18). Until Satan’s final destruction in Rev 20:1-3, 10 – he still is the prince of this world (John 14:30). I believe he is the cause and source of so much evil and destruction that is happening around the world today. And he is the one deceiving many from knowing the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here in Rev 12:7-17 – John sees a vision of a war breaking out in Heaven between the Archangel Michael together with his angels and Satan (described as the dragon) who will be defeated. It is important to note that the Bible said here in Rev 12:9 – that there is no place found in Heaven for Satan; even his restricted access into Heaven would be finally removed. Satan would be finally ousted out of heaven and is confined to earth in the end-times. Today Satan, knowing his time is short is doubling up his effort against the Jews (he hates the Jews to the core because from the Jewish race comes the Messiah, Jesus Christ) and against the church of Jesus Christ. So, we have a glimpse of who Satan is! He is the great dragon, the old serpent (the one who deceived Eve and Adam), and the Devil, the deceiver of the world.
Here are 3 devotional thoughts concerning Satan and our victory over him through Jesus Christ:
Know who Satan is and his scheme
It is essential in any battle, to know who your enemy is and his scheme. Here we have a glimpse of who Satan is. He is the great dragon, the old serpent (the one who tempted and brought the first human couple into sin), and the Devil (the deceiver of the world). Satan’s scheme is first to deceive, then to accuse the brethren (the Jews and the Christians), and to annihilate the Jewish people or nation. That is the only reason why the Jewish nation is so hated by most of the world today. I believe every anti-Jewish regime has its root in a demonic source.
Satan had deceived Eve & Adam in Genesis 3, and today Satan is also penetrating the Church with a great flood of deceits and counterfeits. The whole world has been deceived by Satan with counterfeit spiritual powers and ideologies called ‘religions’. Religion is the bludgeon of Satan to deceive and blind people from the Truth by offering humanity a man-made alternative to God.
Verse 13 is an essential truth for us to grasp. “Now, when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. The woman (Rev 12:1-6) is the Jewish people (Israel) who brought forth the male Child (Jesus Christ). Don’t you see Satan is all out to annihilate the Jews? Why? Because from the Jewish race would come forth the ‘seed of the woman that would crush him’ (Gen 3:15). As far back as in the ancient times before the great flood in Noah’s days – Satan had tried to corrupt the DNA of humanity to prevent the ‘seed of the woman’. He did so by polluting humans with demigods/humanoids or Nephilim but failed. Then at the birth of Christ – Satan tried to destroy the babe Jesus by having Herod the king killed all the Jewish boys in Judea. Having failed again to prevent Jesus from coming into this world as Savior of the world, now he is preventing Christ from ruling the world in the Millennium. We will see again in the Great Tribulation; Satan will attempt to annihilate the entire Jewish nation so that Christ will come back in vain to rule from the Jewish state. Satan would then nullify the ancient prophecies that Christ would reign on the Throne of David.
So, these are Satan’s schemes: to deceive the world with religions, to accuse the Christians, impute guilt and condemnation, and to attack the Jewish race (Israel) to wipe Israel out of the world map.
Know the Power of Jesus Christ and your Weapon of defense in Him
It is not just the power of the archangel, Michael that defeated Satan, but it is the power of Christ. A loud voice declares… salvation and strength, the kingdom of God, and the POWER of Christ (v.10) are heard when Satan is ousted out of Heaven forever. Believers ought to grasp that the same power of Christ against Satan is with us today when Christ is in us. Notice that Satan is also known as the ‘Accuser of the Brethren’. Satan is always accusing us and imputing guilt and condemnation on the Believer to undermine the complete finished work of Christ on the cross. We ought to know our ‘weapon’ of defense is the power of Christ in us.
The believer’s defenses against Satan are, first the blood of the Lamb, second the word of our testimonies, and third, not fearing death (v. 11). The blood of Christ spelled defeat for Satan because as the accuser of the brethren, he can no longer accuse us because by the blood of Christ we have been forgiven and no longer stand condemned in Christ. Satan had no ground to charge us any longer! The word of our testimonies is our verbal affirmation of the finished work of Christ on the cross and the resultant efficacy of his work on our life! The fear of death is banished because Jesus Christ died and risen again and thus conquered death. When the believers stand firm on this ground, Satan who is already a defeated foe, cannot has a foothold.
Notice in vv.13-17, that there is supernatural protection over Israel in the Great Tribulation. At a time when Israel is almost to be wiped out by Satan – the Lord God will intervene and bore Israel of Eagles’ wings to a place of safety and nourishment (a prepared place – v.6). God will also raise up gentile nations who are for Israel to protect her when Satan raises a ‘flood’ against her. If God is for us, (believers and Jews), who shall stand against us? Claim this promise too as your defense against your enemy.
Know this powerful truth about Satan’s Defeat
Satan may be described as the roaring lion, but he no longer can bite for he had been defeated! The Bible has several judgments passed on Satan – 1st – his removal from guarding the Throne of God (Ezekiel 28:14, 16), 2nd – the prophecy that his head would be crushed (Genesis 3:15), 3rd – his defeat at the Cross of Jesus (John 12:31), 4th – his being barred from Heaven forever (Rev 12:9), 5th – his confinement in the abyss (Rev 20:3) and finally 6th – his torment in the lake of fire forever (Rev 20:10).
So, if Satan as the accuser comes to remind you of your past (your sins) – believers, stand up and tell him of his future (his doom)!
Think: The LORD has a prepared place of Refuge for His People amid the days of troubles.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I no longer succumb to fear and the threat of the evil ones in this world – I stood firm on victory ground secured by your finished work on the Cross, and I enforce your victories over the works of the enemy in my life. Amen. Thank you, Lord, for the prepared place of safety kept for us in the days of the big trouble.
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