Sermon Devotional: The War Behind Every War
Sermon Title: The War Behind Every War
Scripture: Revelation 12 (ESV)
And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. . . . Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 12:4b, 17
In our sermon series on the book of Revelation, last week we came to the very center of the book and the ‘main event’ of Revelation and indeed of all redemptive history – The Kingdom of God coming to earth and Jesus Christ reigning forever and ever! We saw from this that John structured Revelation as a chiasm. This means that the event just before the main event relates similarly to the event just after, which is our text this week (chapter 12).
Last week in chapter 11, we saw, symbolically, God protecting His people, His church, and His message of the Gospel as it went out to the ends of the earth empowered by His Spirit. That period (the church age), I believe, was represented by 1,260 days. This week in chapter 12, we again see God, symbolically, protecting the church throughout the entire church age (again, 1,260 days). This time the church (all believers) is symbolized by a woman and her offspring. And, very importantly, this week we see who is behind all of the opposition – Satan (the dragon).
I invite you to read the entire chapter and note the beauty of Jesus and the Gospel and note how Satan/evil responds and is ultimately defeated.
It begins with a grotesque scene of Jesus being born and Satan (the dragon) trying to destroy Him immediately. (Herod is the pawn for this activity in Matthew 2:16.) God protects His Son and ultimately “snatches Him up to His throne” (Rev 12:5). This is the ascension, where Christ sits today “seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Lk 22:69). The other very important detail we learn here is that first of all, Jesus surrendered himself to the cross that “he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). Secondly, when that happened Satan was hurled down to earth where he continues to be “the ruler of this world” (Jo 12:31). Even now, and until Christ returns, Satan furiously tries to destroy us, the church, “because he knows that his time is short” (Rev 12:12).
Satan has been defeated “by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 12:11) and he knows it. Until the day that he is cast into hell forever, he is “furious with the woman and [he makes] war on her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 12:17). Satan is full of rage and is determined to take his anger out on us – he makes war on us. What do we do? Are we helpless against Satan’s schemes?
No! We are harassed but we are never helpless!
“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev 12:10-11). God possesses the kingdom, the power, and the glory and God has given these to his people “by the blood of the Lamb.”
Consider—
╬ Satan is our enemy every day. Our solution is, of course, found in Christ Jesus and his word. What scriptures have been your confidence and your comfort during the harassing and accusing onslaught of Satan’s schemes? Remember and rehearse “the Word that dwells within you” (Col 3:16). “Clothe yourselves in Christ” (Gal 3:27); put on “the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph 6:10-20).
╬ We are told that Satan is conquered “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” The hope of the Church flourishes by the Savior’s blood and the stories of those whose lives have been transformed from death to life in Christ. What stories will you tell? Who needs to hear your testimony?
╬ Pray with me please –
Our foe has been defeated; He knows his time is short,
And far from being seated In honor in God’s court,
His certain doom is looming Like clouds before a squall,
And blind rage marks his booming Attack upon us all.
But we have overcome him by the blood of God’s own Lamb.
We silence accusations; on Christ’s death we take our stand.
The devil fights with fury, with a cruel and bruising rod.
But we extol the triumph of the Kingdom of our God.
So, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!
Scripture: Revelation 12 (ESV)
And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. . . . Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 12:4b, 17
In our sermon series on the book of Revelation, last week we came to the very center of the book and the ‘main event’ of Revelation and indeed of all redemptive history – The Kingdom of God coming to earth and Jesus Christ reigning forever and ever! We saw from this that John structured Revelation as a chiasm. This means that the event just before the main event relates similarly to the event just after, which is our text this week (chapter 12).
Last week in chapter 11, we saw, symbolically, God protecting His people, His church, and His message of the Gospel as it went out to the ends of the earth empowered by His Spirit. That period (the church age), I believe, was represented by 1,260 days. This week in chapter 12, we again see God, symbolically, protecting the church throughout the entire church age (again, 1,260 days). This time the church (all believers) is symbolized by a woman and her offspring. And, very importantly, this week we see who is behind all of the opposition – Satan (the dragon).
I invite you to read the entire chapter and note the beauty of Jesus and the Gospel and note how Satan/evil responds and is ultimately defeated.
It begins with a grotesque scene of Jesus being born and Satan (the dragon) trying to destroy Him immediately. (Herod is the pawn for this activity in Matthew 2:16.) God protects His Son and ultimately “snatches Him up to His throne” (Rev 12:5). This is the ascension, where Christ sits today “seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Lk 22:69). The other very important detail we learn here is that first of all, Jesus surrendered himself to the cross that “he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). Secondly, when that happened Satan was hurled down to earth where he continues to be “the ruler of this world” (Jo 12:31). Even now, and until Christ returns, Satan furiously tries to destroy us, the church, “because he knows that his time is short” (Rev 12:12).
Satan has been defeated “by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 12:11) and he knows it. Until the day that he is cast into hell forever, he is “furious with the woman and [he makes] war on her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 12:17). Satan is full of rage and is determined to take his anger out on us – he makes war on us. What do we do? Are we helpless against Satan’s schemes?
No! We are harassed but we are never helpless!
“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev 12:10-11). God possesses the kingdom, the power, and the glory and God has given these to his people “by the blood of the Lamb.”
Consider—
╬ Satan is our enemy every day. Our solution is, of course, found in Christ Jesus and his word. What scriptures have been your confidence and your comfort during the harassing and accusing onslaught of Satan’s schemes? Remember and rehearse “the Word that dwells within you” (Col 3:16). “Clothe yourselves in Christ” (Gal 3:27); put on “the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph 6:10-20).
╬ We are told that Satan is conquered “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” The hope of the Church flourishes by the Savior’s blood and the stories of those whose lives have been transformed from death to life in Christ. What stories will you tell? Who needs to hear your testimony?
╬ Pray with me please –
Our foe has been defeated; He knows his time is short,
And far from being seated In honor in God’s court,
His certain doom is looming Like clouds before a squall,
And blind rage marks his booming Attack upon us all.
But we have overcome him by the blood of God’s own Lamb.
We silence accusations; on Christ’s death we take our stand.
The devil fights with fury, with a cruel and bruising rod.
But we extol the triumph of the Kingdom of our God.
So, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!