The War On Earth
Sermon Notes
Now as for today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Revelation, and it’s a series about finding peace in a world of chaos. The text we’re studying today is about a war on earth. It's about a war that started in heaven, but it’s now transitioned into a war here on earth. It’s a topic that’s very fitting for today considering it’s Memorial Day weekend. My Uncle Vincent served in WWII and my father was a sniper in the Army, so I’m very thankful for all our past and present military personnel who faithfully serve our country. But we should all be very thankful for those who sacrificed their very lives serving our country, which is what Memorial Day’s really about. It isn’t about getting an extra vacation day or getting lit with some friends at the beach. It’s about remembering those in our military who sacrificed their lives serving our country, so we can enjoy the many freedoms we’re enjoying today. Well today’s text is a reminder of an even greater war that started in heaven between God and Satan, but it’s now transitioned into a war that’s happening here on earth. It’s a greater war, with an even greater soldier named Jesus, who sacrificed his life on the cross so we can enjoy even greater eternal freedoms in heaven with him. If you’re a skeptic or a believer, this is a text that helps answer why you struggle so much in life. It helps answer why your life often feels like a battle. It’s because there is a battle, there is a war that’s happening in your life. It’s a war for your heart, and a war against everything Jesus says is good for your heart. So let’s turn to Revelation 12 and get into it. You’ll find Revelation in the back of the bible, it’s the very last book of the bible, and we’ll be in Revelation 12:9-18. Title of the message is The War on Earth, and the big idea is Satan’s seeking our destruction, but Jesus guarantees our salvation...Satan’s seeking our destruction, but Jesus guarantees our salvation...
Here’s your context. The book of revelation is about the 2nd coming of Jesus, and what will happen at the end of history when he finally returns. We divided the entire book into four major sections based on four major visions Jesus gives to John the author, and right now we’re in the 2nd vision which is of Jesus and the Cosmos. It’s of Jesus ruling over the entire cosmos, and his wrath being poured out on sin and evil. Over the past several weeks we’ve learned there’s 7 stages in God’s final judgement, and ch 11 ends with the 7th stage beginning, but the effects of that 7th stage isn’t discussed until ch 15. So the focus of ch 12 is primarily on a war that started in heaven between God and Satan, but it’s now transitioned into a war here on earth. Let’s check it out.
Revelation 12:9-18 states, “So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil, who is called Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.” Last week in our study of vs 1-9 we learned that the dragon is a symbolic description of Satan. We learned that Satan wanted to be like God, he wanted to be more powerful than God, so he sparked a war in heaven against God. He built a demonic army consisting of 1/3 of the angels in heaven, and fought against the archangel Michael and God’s angelic army. Vs. 8 says, “The dragon and his angels also fought, 8 but he could not prevail.” Satan and his demonic army fought, but they couldn’t prevail. Here in vs 9 we’re learning that Satan and his demonic army were thrown to earth, meaning the war that started in heaven is now here on earth. Satan knows he can’t prevail against God in heaven, so he’s trying to cause as much destruction as he can to God’s kingdom and God’s people on earth. If you’re a skeptic you’re probably thinking all this sounds crazy, but what if that’s exactly what Satan wants you to believe?...I mean if there’s really a supernatural war happening here on earth, if Satan really has a demonic army fighting for your heart and fighting against everything Jesus says is good for your heart, then wouldn’t he want you to think this is all a fairytale?...Wouldn’t he want you to think this war doesn’t exist, so you don’t protect your heart and protect everything Jesus says is good for your heart?...What if the reason you think all this is crazy, is because Satan already has a grip on your heart?
C.S. Lewis states, “If devils exist, their first aim is to give you an anesthetic. It’s to put you off your guard. If that fails, that’s when you become aware of them.” In other words it’s possible some of you are under Satan’s anesthetic, and you’ve dropped your guard...It’s possible Satan has a grip on your heart, and you need to turn to Jesus so he can loosen Satan’s grip...It’s possible God brought some of you hear today, because he wants you to wake up from Satan’s anesthetic so you can see the reality of what’s really happening in your life and the world around you. It’s like Shakespeare said in Hamlet, “There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your little philosophy.” What John, C.S. Lewis, and Shakespeare are all saying is we need to wake up to the reality that there’s so much more happening behind the curtain of our physical world than we realize. Jesus gives John this vision in Revelation 12 so we’ll realize behind the curtain of our physical world, behind the anesthetic, there’s a war happening on earth where Satan and his demonic army are trying to cause as much destruction as they can to God’s kingdom and God’s people on earth. It’s a war for our hearts, a war against everything Jesus says is good for our hearts.
Again vs. 9, “So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil, who is called Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, ‘The salvation, the power, the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been thrown down.” If you notice John’s teaching us Satan has two primary weapons he likes to use in this war on earth. He likes to use deceptions and accusations. This why Jesus calls Satan the father of lies. He says in John 8:44, “Satan doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” As the father of lies he likes to deceive us into thinking God’s word isn’t true, so we’ll think what God says isn’t what’s best for us. We have an example of this with Adam and Eve, where God says “Don’t eat the fruit or else you’ll die,” but Satan says, “Did God really say that? Surely you won’t die, instead you’ll be like God.” But they ate the fruit, and as a result sin and death came into our world. Satan likes to deceive us into thinking God’s word isn’t true, so we’ll pursue things that end up hurting us. He likes to deceive us into thinking our sin can give us greater joyful pleasures in life than Jesus. He likes to deceive us into thinking we can be self-sufficient in living our daily lives without Jesus. He likes to deceive us into thinking this war for our hearts doesn’t exist like we just talked about. But John also says Satan likes to accuse us. He likes to accuse us of our sins, of things we’ve done wrong. He sometimes hits us with a 1-2, a jab-cross combo. It’s a few jabs, a few accusations pointing out your sins, then a right cross of deception saying “Jesus won’t forgive you for that. Jesus won’t love you and restore you after doing that.” It’s a 1-2 combo of accusations and deceptions.
Now sometimes the accusations are true, meaning we have to admit we sin. Satan can tempt us to sin, but he can’t force us to sin, and so we have to admit when the accusations are true. We have to admit when we sin. But there’s a difference between when Jesus convicts you of sin, and when Satan convicts you of sin. When Jesus convicts you of sin it's to lead you to repentance and restoration, but when Satan convicts you of sin it’s to lead you to accusations and deceptions. Guilt that leads to repentance and restoration is from Jesus, but guilt that leads to accusations, deceptions, and condemnation is from Satan. We have a great example of this in the life of Peter and Judas. Both sinned by betraying Jesus, both felt guilty over their sins, and both desired to repent for their sins. People don’t always think of Judas feeling guilty and desiring to repent, but he did. Matthew 27:3-4 states, “When Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, saw that Jesus was condemned. He was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 4 He said, ‘I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.’” But the chief priests and elders rejected him, so he ran off and hung himself. The difference between Peter and Judas is Peter repented and turned to Jesus for restoration, but Judas repented and listened to Satan’s accusations, deceptions, and condemnation. So whenever you repent and turn to Jesus for restoration but you’re still feeling condemned, that isn’t Jesus it’s Satan throwing accusations and deceptions at you. Romans 8:1 says, “There’s now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Satan wants to accuse and deceive us from hearing and receiving those truths, so we’ll remain discouraged and condemned like Judas. But John’s about to tell us how to fight against these accusations and deceptions.
Vs. 11, “They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they didn’t love their lives to the point of death. 12 Therefore rejoice you heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you with great fury, because he knows his time is short.” John says God’s people conquered him, they conquered Satan, and they did it by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. They did it by remembering the gospel, by remembering the love and truth of Jesus found in the testimony of God’s word. Vs 12 says they’re rejoicing in heaven, meaning it’s people who were martyred for their faith in Jesus, but are now in heaven rejoicing with Jesus. Satan was able to influence some evil people to persecute and kill them, but he couldn’t take their souls. He was able to take some of their lives on earth, but he couldn’t take their souls from heaven. They’re rejoicing in heaven because their souls have been eternally secured in heaven by Jesus. They conquered Satan, by clinging to Jesus. They conquered Satan, by clinging to the love and truth of Jesus. They repeatedly reminded themselves of the gospel, of Jesus dying for their sins on the cross. This is how we counter punch Satan. When he hits you with an accusation, you repent, take your sin to Jesus, and hit him back with the cross of Christ. When he hits you with a deceptive lie, you hit him back with the truth of Jesus found in God’s word. There’s no accusation Satan makes that the love of Christ can’t forgive, and no deception Satan whispers that the truth of Christ can’t counter... There’s no accusation Satan makes that the love of Christ can’t forgive, and no deception Satan whispers that the truth of Christ can’t counter...We conquer Satan, by clinging to the love and truth of Jesus.
So if you’re hearing Satan saying, “You sinned!” You need to hear Jesus saying, “I died on the cross because you sinned!” If Satan’s saying, “You need to be discouraged and condemned because of your sins!” Jesus is saying, “You need to be forgiven and encouraged because I died on the cross for your sins!” If Satan’s saying, “Nobody loves you, nobody cares about you!” Jesus is saying, “I suffered excruciating pain on the cross because I love you and care about you!” If Satan’s saying, “Life isn’t worth waking up to in the morning because there isn’t much hope and joy for your life!” Jesus is saying, “I died on the cross and rose again on the 3rd day to show not even death can stop the hopeful joyful plans I have for your life!” This is how the martyrs of our faith conquered Satan! It’s by preaching the love and truth of Jesus back into their hearts over and over again! They allowed the love and truth of Jesus to work its way deep into their hearts, in the areas where Satan’s accusations and deceptions were trying to control their hearts. The only way to defeat a lie is with the truth! So we have to defeat the lies of Satan with the truth of Jesus. We have to remind ourselves over and over again of the truth and love of Jesus found in Romans 5:8, “God proves his love for us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The way to conquer Satan like the martyrs did, is by clinging to the love and truth of Jesus like the martyrs did. We conquer Satan, by clinging to Jesus.
Vs. 13, “When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time. 15 From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.” As I mentioned last week the woman in the text represents God’s people. So what John’s saying is after Satan was thrown to earth, he started persecuting the woman, he started persecuting God’s people. He couldn’t defeat God in heaven, he couldn’t defeat Jesus on the cross, and so now he’s going after God’s people on earth. In the original manuscripts the Greek word for persecuted is dioko, and it means to pursue, to chase, to hunt with hostile intent. This is why Peter says in 1st Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded, be alert! Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” He’s pursuing, chasing, hunting, prowling around with hostile intent like a roaring lion, looking to devour anyone he can, especially God’s people. But just like Satan failed to devour Jesus on the cross, he’ll fail to devour God’s people on earth. He can influence evil people to persecute and kill us, but he can’t kill our soul. In vs 14 John mentions eagle’s wings, which is a symbolic description of God rescuing his people from Satan like he did when he rescued theme from the Egyptians in Exodus. Exodus 19:4 states, “You’ve seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagle’s wings...” The eagle’s wings are a symbolic description of God’s rescuing arms coming to rescue his people. In vs 15-16 John mentions Satan spewing out flood waters against God’s people, but God opens the earth to swallow those flood waters as another symbolic description of God rescuing his people. The point is no matter what Satan does to God’s people, God will make sure Satan can’t touch our souls. He’ll make sure Satan can’t kill our souls, because our souls are eternally secured by Christ, through faith in Christ.
Vs. 17, “So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring,—those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus. 18 The dragon stood on the sand of the sea.” The dragon stood on the sand of the sea, thinking, strategizing the best way to attack God’s people. It’s a cliff hanger. He’s standing on the seashore thinking, strategizing, and the plan he comes up with is to unleash an anti-trinity against humanity. As he's standing on the seashore, he’s getting ready to unleash an anti-Father, Anti-Christ, Anti-Holy Spirit against humanity. But you have to wait until the Fall to learn more about that. You have to wait until Revelation Season 2 comes out. Until then, it’s to be continued...
The big idea of today’s message, is Satan’s seeking our destruction, but Jesus guarantees our salvation...Satan’s seeking our destruction, but Jesus guarantees our salvation through faith in his life, death, and resurrection...Revelation 12 says this is why you struggle so much in life, it’s why your life often feels like a battle. It’s because there is a battle, there is a war happening in your life. It’s a war for your heart, a war against everything Jesus says is good for your heart. Satan wants to attack you with accusations and deceptions so you don’t believe the gospel, so you don’t believe in the love and truth of Jesus. If you’re a skeptic, Satan already has a grip of deception on your heart, but the good news is Jesus brought you hear today to loosen Satan’s grip. He brought you hear today so you can repent of your sins, turn to Jesus, and be forgiven, restored, transformed by Jesus. If you’re a believer, Satan sometimes has a grip on your heart too! It happens when you believe his accusations and deceptions more than the gospel. Satan has a grip on your heart when you believe something else in this world can satisfy your heart more than Jesus, or when you stumble in sin and let your guilt turn into condemnation like Judas. You need to remember Jesus is the only one who can satisfy the joy void in your heart, and you need to remember Jesus was crushed for your sin so you don’t have to be crushed by your sin. You need to remember the accusations and deceptions of Satan, can only be conquered by the love and truth of Jesus.
So what accusations and deceptions have you been hearing? What accusations and deceptions have you been believing?...Where in your life does Satan have a grip on your heart?... Instead of hearing and believing his accusations and deceptions, turn to Jesus with those accusations and deceptions. Instead of letting Satan have a grip on your heart, let Jesus have a grip on your heart, and let the gospel of Jesus work its way deep into your heart. If you’re believing Satan’s accusations and deceptions it means you aren’t allowing the gospel, the love of Jesus to work its way deep enough into that area of your life. You need to preach the gospel back to yourself, and let the love of Jesus work its way deep into that area of your life. You need to cling to Jesus like your life depends on it, like your soul depends on it, because it does. So let’s cling to Jesus this morning. Let’s conquer Satan, by clinging to the love and truth of Jesus...