It's Time for War
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
As we open our Bibles to Revelation 12, I want to ask you a question this morning. I want you to think about it reflectively for a few minutes. Here’s the question:
What haunts you from your past? Is it a moment? Is it a series of mistakes? Is it something you said, something you did, when you were angry or hurt?
Regardless of what it is, it’s probably something that’s played over and over and over again in your mind and no matter how hard you try to escape, it plays in your mind like a playlist that’s on repeat.
Whether it’s a moment from your past, or an ongoing pattern, it’s as if IT has a voice. It whispers that you’re worthless. You can’t be forgiven. You are a failure and that’s all you’ll ever be.
In Revelation 12 we are reminded of a WAR, a war that isn’t against flesh and blood, but against the one who wants you to believe that YOU ARE DEFINED BY YOUR WORST MOMENTS. Notice with me...
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
John sees a war break out in Heaven. This is a totally foreign concept to us, but I take it as literal. When you think of heaven, you need to remember that there are “three heavens.” Let me explain:
The first “heaven” is what we think of when we think of the “sky” above us. It’s the sky we can see.
The second “heaven” is the empty space above our vision. You may think of it as the universe, the solar system, etc.
The third “heaven” is what we usually think of when we think of Heaven. We think of the dwelling place of God.
There is some debate as to where this war took place. However, notice Revelation 12:10
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
Whatever Heaven this is referring to, it is a place where Satan had access to be able to ACCUSE the BRETHREN day and night before God. But now he is cast down and no longer has access to this place. We will talk more about this in a few minutes but let’s focus on:
The Combatants in the Heavenly War
The Combatants in the Heavenly War
Michael & His Angels
Michael & His Angels
We’ve heard of Michael in other places in Scripture. We know that he is an Archangel
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
We also know that he assisted Daniel—Daniel 10:13
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.
He’s also referred to again in Daniel 12:1
“At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
Throughout history Michael has been associated with Israel.
It also appears that Michael’s voice will be heard at the time of Christ’s return
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
So we have Michael, who seems to be the leader of the rest of the angels doing battle with...
The Dragon & His Angels
The Dragon & His Angels
The dragon is also referred to as...
The Serpent of Old
The Serpent of Old
This is the same snake that deceived Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden and as a result plunged all of humanity into darkness and chaos.
This is the same snake that would bruise the heel of the promised Messiah (the seed of the woman—Genesis 3:15).
If there’s any mistaking who this is, John tells us plainly in verse 9 that he is also called “the Devil and Satan.”
Devil/Satan
Devil/Satan
The Greek word for “Devil” is “DIABLOS.” The name literally means “THE ACCUSER” or “SLANDERER.” We will talk more about this in a few moments.
The name SATAN is a Hebrew name and it means “THE ADVERSARY” or the “ENEMY.” He is the enemy of Christ and His people. He has a malicious hatred toward God!
In Revelation 12:10-11 the scene begins to shift from Heaven to Earth:
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Once again we see another name given to this enemy:
The Accuser of the Brethren
The Accuser of the Brethren
The word “accuser” comes from the Greek word that means “to bring charges against.” He’s like a PROSECUTING ATTORNEY that perpetually brings accusations against believers.
He’s constantly bringing up our past, prosecuting our past over and over and over again, constantly reminding us of our failures.
Not only does he do that and play mind games with us, but he has been lodging these complaints before God INCESSANTLY! Scripture says that he does so “day and night.”
We see something similar happening in the book of Job. Notice what he accused Job of:
Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
I wonder if we could peel back the layers of your mind and thoughts today, what things is the enemy whispering in your ears about your past that may or may not be true. I wonder if we could peel pack the curtains of heaven and hear the complaints he is lodging against you this morning in the presence of God.
Telling God you are this and you are that, telling God you did this or your did that, telling God you’re worthless, telling God you’ve failed too many times, accusing you of only serving God for what you can get out of him.
Thankfully, we can overcome the Accuser and these accusations the same way these brethren did. Notice...
How the Brethren Overcame
How the Brethren Overcame
Through the Blood of the Lamb
Through the Blood of the Lamb
While many of the enemies’ accusations are half-truths and bold-face lies, many of his other accusations are truths about our past, and present. We are guilty and we know we are guilty.
The same has been true throughout the ages. The prosecuting attorney incessantly brings up our guilt time after time, and day after day. He’s being doing that throughout history! How did people overcome? They overcame THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!
It’s the BLOOD of the spotless Lamb of God that has the power to remove our sins and silence the accusations of the enemy. If the blood of Jesus hasn’t covered, washed, and cleansed you of your sins you have no standing before a holy God and no hope. But if the BLOOD of Jesus has cleansed you of your sins, he can make all the charges he wants, but none of them will stick!
Through the Word of Their Testimony
Through the Word of Their Testimony
This carries with it the idea that they remained FAITHFUL to the GOSPEL of the Lord Jesus Christ. They did not give in or give up. This reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
They kept their confession even until death!
Notice again the end or Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
These individuals did not have the power to overcome the enemy in their own strength and neither do we! If we think the enemy is on the warpath now, how much more after this battle...
Notice Revelation 12:12
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Today’s War
Today’s War
Do you realize today that we are in a battle against the invisible, spiritual forces of the Prince of the Power of the Air?!
Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:10-12
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
One of his greatest tools is that he paralyzes people with the regrets of their past and he constantly accuses and prosecutes them over and over and over again for the things that have already been placed under the blood of Jesus.
I promise you that some of you today, sitting in this room, live your life with regret, living in the past, living in the “what ifs”,
But today I want you to...
Imagine a courtroom in heaven. The judge's bench is massive, and seated on it is God, the righteous Judge of all the earth. The courtroom is hushed, solemn, and absolutely full of glory.
In one corner, a figure stands as the prosecuting attorney. He is called Satan, the accuser. He is relentless, and he is good at his job. He points a long, bony finger at you—the defendant. You are standing in the middle of the room, feeling small and utterly exposed.
The devil begins his case, not with fabricated lies, but with the undeniable truth. He pulls out a long scroll, a perfect record of your life. He reads off every lie you've ever told, every selfish thought, every moment of anger, every act of pride. The list is long, and the evidence is overwhelming. He is not making things up; he is simply reciting the truth of your guilt.
"Your Honor," he says with a sneer, "the evidence is conclusive. This person is a sinner. They have broken every one of Your laws, not once, but countless times. The law is clear: the wages of sin is death. I demand that justice be served and the defendant be found guilty."
And you know he is right. You hang your head in shame, ready for the gavel to fall. There is nothing you can say, no argument you can make. The truth is you are guilty.
But then, before the Judge can speak, a figure rises from the other side of the room. It is Jesus, your defense attorney. He doesn't go to the Judge and argue your innocence. He doesn't say, "Oh, but they're a good person!" or "That sin wasn't that bad!" He acknowledges your guilt immediately.
"Your Honor," Jesus says, "the prosecutor is correct. This person is guilty."
A gasp goes through the courtroom. Why would your own attorney admit your guilt?
Then Jesus continues, "But I have already paid their penalty and justice has been served on their behalf."
He walks forward, holding out His hands, and you can see the scars from the nails. "The fine has been paid," He says. "The debt has been satisfied. I took the full punishment for every sin on that list." He looks at the Judge and says, "There is nothing on that scroll that has not been paid for by My blood."
The Judge, who is both perfectly just and perfectly loving, looks at the payment, then at the record of your sin, and then at you. The Judge then turns to the prosecutor and says, "Case dismissed."
The accuser is silenced, his case null and void. The Judge then looks at you, not with condemnation, but with a smile. "You are free," He says. "You are not guilty."
The Haunting of the Past
But the story doesn't end there. The scene shifts. You are no longer in the courtroom, but in a quiet place, perhaps a room where you are praying. The devil, no longer in his role as a prosecutor, now acts as a tormentor. He whispers in your ear, reminding you of the very sins that were on that scroll.
"You know you're not really forgiven," he says. "Remember that thing you did? God couldn't possibly forget that. You're a fraud."
And you, feeling the shame and guilt all over again, start to pray and confess your past sins to God. You say, "God, I am so sorry for what I did. I can't believe I did that. Please forgive me."
You confess the same sin over and over, trying to find freedom through your own sorrow. But the feeling of shame won't go away.
And in the silence, you hear God's gentle, loving voice. It's the same voice of the Judge in the courtroom. He asks you a simple question:
"What sin?"
You, bewildered, tell Him about the sin again. You describe the details, the shame, the guilt.
And God's voice, full of love and finality, asks you again:
"I said, 'What sin?' I remember them no more."
He is not being cruel or forgetful. He is simply confirming the verdict. The sin you are clinging to was dealt with on the cross. It was paid for, dismissed, and cast into the depths of the sea. It is no longer a part of your record. The only one who is holding onto it is you.
Because of Christ, you are truly free—not just from the punishment of sin, but from the power of its shame. The devil may try to whisper accusations, but you have a new plea: "My debt has been paid."
I want to speak to those of you who have yet to embrace Christ as your Lord and Savior. The prosecuting attorney has a strong case against you. You are guilty...he knows it, you know it, and God knows it, and God demands JUSTICE.
The wonderful news is that JUSTICE has already been executed against you in the person of God’s only Son. He’s already paid your sin debt. He’s already opened the prison door. All you have to do is trust Jesus by faith and in doing so you are free! But if you don’t repent of those sins and trust Jesus to forgive you then God’s justice will be executed upon you.
"And to the believer in this room, you have been declared righteous! The accuser's case against you has been dismissed. So why are you still acting like a condemned man? Why are you still living in the prison of your past? The chains are broken, but you are still carrying them. The verdict has been rendered, but you are still living as if you are under a shadow of condemnation."
(The challenging part) "Your job is not to earn your forgiveness; your job is to live out the freedom that has already been won. When the accuser whispers his lies, your response must be an act of spiritual defiance. You must choose to reject his voice and confess the truth of who Christ says you are. The war is over in heaven, but it continues on earth in the battlefield of your mind. Your faith and your obedience are the weapons that will silence the accuser's voice. Don't just believe it; live it. Take up your testimony and fight back."
You are not who the accuser says you are, you are who the blood of Jesus says you are!
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS!
Salvation
Will you acknowledge your guilt, and will you acknowledge that Christ and Christ alone has already paid the debt that you owe to a Holy God? Will you right now call on the name of the risen Christ, confess Him as the Lord and Savior of your life, and accept His full and complete payment for your sin?
How many Christians need to stand up today and confront the lies of the great deceiver? How many believers in this room need to make the conscious decision to stop agreeing with him, and start agreeing with the Word of God that YOU are who He says you are?
They overcame the devil by the “word of their testimony.” Do you have a testimony today? Can you remember a time when you turned from your sins and embraced Jesus as your Savior and Lord. If so, when the enemy reminds you of your past, say, “MY DEBT HAS BEEN PAID. MY SIN IS REMEMBERED NO MORE. I AM FREE FROM CONDEMNATION.”
For every Christian that make the decision today to stop believing the TORMENTOR’s lies about your past I want to invite you to stand up right now or come to this altar. We are going to have a special prayer of blessing over you and your commitment. I PROMISE YOU IT’S GOING TO BE TESTED, MAYBE BEFORE YOU EVEN GET HOME...YOU ARE GOING TO BE TEMPTED TO LET THE ENEMY DECEIVE YOU. Is anyone bold enough to stand or to come forward and say, “I’m tired of believing the enemies lies?”
PRAYER
Did anyone make the decision to follow Christ today? Would you be bold enough to meet me in the conference room down stairs immediately after the service? When you walk out of the double doors of the sanctuary, follow the stairs down and meet me in the last room on the left. I’ll be waiting for you with some materials that can help you in your new found faith in Jesus and I want to pray with you as well.
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