Overcoming Our Accuser
Spiritual Warfare • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “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.
11 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.
12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Describe everything you can about the war that is fought in verses 7-9.
Describe everything you can about the war that is fought in verses 7-9.
Notice the different titles used for Satan in verse 9. What can you learn about him and his tactics against you from each of these descriptions?
Notice the different titles used for Satan in verse 9. What can you learn about him and his tactics against you from each of these descriptions?
Great Dragon - Destructive Creature
Ancient Serpent - Deceiver in Eden
Devil - Slanderer
Satan - adversary
One who deceives the whole world
Accuser V.10 - Accuses Believers before God
What words or phrases in verse 10 emphasize God’s strength in contrast to Satan’s?
What words or phrases in verse 10 emphasize God’s strength in contrast to Satan’s?
Salvation and Power And Kingdom of our God
Authority of His Christ
V.
Accusers of brothers and sisters
Accuses before our God
Been Thrown down
Satan accused but ultimately he is powerless in the grand scheme
He had to accuse to someone!
Someone of greater authority
That one being God!
On the one hand, the devil is described as “the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night” (v. 10). But in the next breath he is described as the one who “has been hurled down” from heaven. How does “the blood of the Lamb” overcome all of the devil’s accusations against us (v. 11)?
On the one hand, the devil is described as “the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night” (v. 10). But in the next breath he is described as the one who “has been hurled down” from heaven. How does “the blood of the Lamb” overcome all of the devil’s accusations against us (v. 11)?
The Saving Grace offered us through the Blood of the Messiah
The Messiah and Sacrificial Lamb whose blood was poured out for the sin of mankind
Their love for the Messiah was greater than their own lives
When you have felt assaulted by guilt or shame, how has it helped to realize that Christ’s blood was shed for you?
When you have felt assaulted by guilt or shame, how has it helped to realize that Christ’s blood was shed for you?
DAILY!
Guilt and shame bring about humility and understanding
A second key to overcoming Satan is our “testimony” (v. 11).
How can sharing our faith with others—even in the face of opposition—enable us to overcome the devil?
How can sharing our faith with others—even in the face of opposition—enable us to overcome the devil?
The testimony of man speaks of the actions and work of God
Of this the devil cannot stand
He despises the good works of the Father
This aligns the moving of the Holy Spirit and an Alignment of our lives with His will
This keeps us closer to God and more able to recognize the goodness of His works in our lives
The closer we are to God the further out of reach we are of the devil
But the harder he will try!
Verse 11 implies that if we love our lives too much, then we will be hesitant to testify about Christ in the face of opposition or threats. Why would this be true?
Verse 11 implies that if we love our lives too much, then we will be hesitant to testify about Christ in the face of opposition or threats. Why would this be true?
John is referencing end times prolifically here
John is picking up on the opposition that can come from loving our lives
A love of the world is despised by the world
Loving our life is a form of loving the world
When the world begins to attack
Attack if we are following Christ
If we love our life more than Christ
We will neglect to speak or even speak against in order to keep our life!
The desires of the flesh can creep in
we see this with Peter (Matthew 26:69-75)
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.”
71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”
74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.
75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Here we see
an example of Peter denying Christ right after His crucifixion!
We also see that in Matthew 26:33-34
33 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”
34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
Peter thought in the moment he would never deny Jesus!
When reality sunk in he did so without hesitation
He did so that very night!
We have got to be sure of what/who we love more
The Lord or our lives
25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
We are called to love the Lord our God above all things!
When Christians are martyred for their faith, it appears to the world that they have been defeated rather than victorious. Yet how can their apparent defeat be seen as an ultimate victory?
When Christians are martyred for their faith, it appears to the world that they have been defeated rather than victorious. Yet how can their apparent defeat be seen as an ultimate victory?
First of all in the glimpse of Heaven there will be rejoicing
They are victorious to self as they will be with the Father and the Son for the rest of eternity
They have left the life in this world of which they hate
Verse 12 concludes by saying that the devil “is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” Why should this statement keep us from being complacent about our struggle with Satan?
Verse 12 concludes by saying that the devil “is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” Why should this statement keep us from being complacent about our struggle with Satan?
Complacency has no place in the Christian walk!
Complacency opens the door for Satan to come in and attack
Complacency takes off its armor
Complacency puts a bullseye on the weak spots
How can John’s vision of the war in heaven encourage you in the midst of the spiritual battles you face?
How can John’s vision of the war in heaven encourage you in the midst of the spiritual battles you face?
John’s vision of the war in heaven helps to to put God’s power in to perspective
John’s vision also helps to serve as a reminder of hope
A reminder of eternity future
Assurance of God’s presence