DEFEATING THE DRAGON

 

There is much that might be said concerning the long war between God and Satan, that this brief devotional on Revelation 12 cannot exhaust. We will be able to only touch the hem of the garment, but pray that the virtue of Christ will flow into the reader.

Satan is real. He is not some bogeyman of myth meant to frighten little children.  His fight against God though fierce is futile. God is omnipotent and the Dragon is not. In fact, when Satan attacks the gates of Heaven, God does not need to lift a finger.  It is Michael who leads a band of holy angels to repel this hellish horde. The outcome has never been in doubt. 

Though he has no might to resist God, he has been granted permission to deceive and destroy.  His movements are only within the parameters a sovereign God permits. As we learn in the book of Job, the Devil and his demonic hosts must still report to God (Job 1-2).  There will come a time, however, that his access to heaven is halted and he who has been cast down, will be cast out, awaiting only a few years until he is ultimately cast into the lake of fire.

But, the devil is not in hell today. He is raging against the saints.  He is “the accuser of [the] brethren,” (Rev.12:10). He wants to present a list of crimes for which the people of God are guilty—that God might condemn us and consign us to hell with Satan. Yet, we have an Advocate who has ascended (Rev.12:5) who “is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them,” (Heb.7:25).

So, if the Serpent cannot bring us eternal punishment, he will cause earthly pain. Not only is his hatred directed toward the church, but to Israel—God’s chosen people who birthed Christ (Rev.12:1-6). Old Testament history shows repeated attempts by the Devil to obliterate Israel in an effort to prevent Messiah from being born.  Failing in that, the New Testament story shows  Satan seeking to slay the Savior, which only accomplished His mission as the Lamb, leading to Him overcoming death as the Lion, and ascending to glory as the Lord!  What is left for the Dragon to do, but to seek the genocide of the Jews and the slaughter of the saints?  The story of the last two thousand years shows this.

So much more might be said concerning this long war against God. But, I want to move beyond the panorama of spiritual conflict through the ages and the prophetic aspect of the end of the age, to the present application of this to the church age.

There are three essentials to overcome the Devil.  He is overcome by our communion with our Substitute, our communication of the Scriptures, and our commitment to the Savior.

Our communion with our Substitute is indicated by this, “they overcame [the Devil] by the blood of the Lamb.”  The accuser has no answer to this. The powerful blood of Jesus has blotted out our sins. When Satan wants to point out our sins, we point to the blood and say, “What sins are you talking about?”  Jesus became our Substitute on the cross—paying the debt in full that we could never pay and giving us His perfect righteousness that we could never procure. Regularly, we should have communion, so those elements of the bread and the cup remind us of this truth (1 Cor.11:24).

Our communication of the Scriptures is stressed in this, “they overcame him…by the word of their testimony.”  God has given us the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph.6:17). As we practice that truth in obedience and proclaim it in witness, we go on the offense against the Dragon. The Word in our heart and confession of our lips is the testimony of our faith that puts the Devil to flight. It is how the perfect Man, Jesus overcame and how we must (Matt.4:1-11). 

Our commitment to the Savior is underscored by, “they overcame him…[because] they did not love their lives to the death.”  What is Satan’s worst threat?  He can tell us, “I am going to kill you!”  He cannot so long as God has a purpose for us in this world. The moment of our death is by God’s appointment and not the Devil’s decision. Should God in His providence decide that suffering and martyrdom is to be the means of our testing in this world and exit from this life, all Satan can accomplish is to send us on our journey to the glory that awaits!  So, why should we fear?

“How does this future war apply to the church today? The same serpent who accuses the saints in heaven also deceives the nations on earth (Rev. 12:9); and one of his strategies is to lie about the church. He deceives the nations into thinking that the people of God are dangerous, deluded, even destructive. It is through Satan’s deception that the leaders of the nations band together against Christ and His people (Ps. 2; Acts 4:23–30). God’s people in every age must expect the world’s opposition, but the church can always defeat the enemy by being faithful to Jesus Christ" (The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol.2.Warren Wiersbe, p.603).

In America, the church had a period of favor as our religious liberty was enshrined in our Constitution. The citizenry saw the church as a positive force to be embraced. That favor became apathy as a changing culture decided to ignore us and though unbelieving, tolerated the church. The nation saw the church as a neutral force to be endured. Now, the forces of secularism are speaking of animosity toward the church. The voices are louder and more direct.  They speak publicly from the highest platforms of civil authority and you can hear the Dragon’s fire in their voices.  The majority are starting to see the church as a negative force to be eradicated. 

Brace yourselves, saints of God as you meditate on these truths in Revelation 12!

(Thanks to the late Dr. Henry Morris, for the phrase, “the long war against God,” taken from his book by that title).

THE HOPE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST: A Promised Consummation

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26)

We are told to observe the Lord’s Supper until Christ returns.  As we look to the past and Christ’s death on the cross, and look about us in the present communion we share with the Savior and the saints, we must also look ahead and above for the King who will return—not crowned with thorns, but glory; not with spikes in His hands, but the scepter of universal dominion.  What a day that will be!

There is this dimension of the meal—that looks to the future and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  That is when communion will be complete.  One of our church members, Harry Scruggs wrote a poem that speaks of this reality in a powerful way:

WHEN COMMUNION WITH HIM IS COMPLETE

            When you’ve dipped in the blood that was spilled in your stead

            And you’ve drunk from the cup and eaten the bread
            When your sacrifice of praises is laid at His feet
            Then communion with Him is complete.

            When the power of the Word scales the walls of your heart

            And breaks down the barriers that keep you apart
            When beams from the Son cause the shadows to flee
            Then communion with Him is complete.

            When you drink from the well and your thirst finds relief

            And trust in the Word changes doubt to belief
            When your hope and your faith overcome your defeat
            Then communion with Him is complete.

            When the cares of the world all have been laid aside

            And love for the Savior has diminished your pride
            When His will for your life of Him you entreat
            The communion with Him is complete.

            When the King of the Ages you’ve met face to face

            And knelt in His presence and His glory embraced
            When “To God Be the Glory” you forever repeat         
            The communion with Him is complete.

THE HOPE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST: A Present Communion

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Paul is taking us back to the Upper Room where Jesus shared a meal with His disciples.  Together they observed the Passover.  All that lamb of the Old Covenant symbolized was being fulfilled in the death of Christ, the Lamb of God, who would take those same elements and institute the New Covenant. 

We call this time together in our worship, “communion.”  As we meet here, we are in the Presence of Christ and have fellowship with Him, and we share this together as a church so that we have communion with each other.

It is thrilling to know that as we come to the Lord’s Table, there is present an honored Guest taking the seat at the head of the Table—Jesus Christ Himself!  He is unseen, yet very much there.  As we look around this Table, we see His family—a banqueting hall filled with royalty—princes and princesses seated about us in sweet company, breaking bread with one another!