D-Day and the Devil

Read Rev. 12:7-18 (13:1)

Prayer

Introduction

Illustration: Some of you here today might have been alive and well in 1944. If you were then you’ve got first-hand experience to recall what happened on June 6th, whereas people like me can only read of the events of that day in history books. ---- In the early morning hours of June 6th, 1944 then major General Dwight D. Eisenhower was on edge because Operation Overlord was getting ready to commence. Hitler and the Nazi’s were running low on men and materials, and they were prepared to make a major push in an effort turn the tide of WW2. From the perspective of the Allied forces, and General Eisenhower all of the proper planning had taken place, all of the correct people had been briefed, and all of the correct provisions had been made; all that was left was to pray for the best, conduct business, and see how things turned out. Now, that sounds pretty straight forward and simple doesn’t it, but consider the fact that the lives of thousands of soldiers rested on the shoulders of General Eisenhower. In fact, it could be very persuasively argued that the fate of the free world, to a large extent, rested on his shoulders as well! ---- The D-Day invasion, as it would come to be named, was the biggest military invasion in recorded human history. The events that transpired on the beaches of France all those years ago literally changed the course of history, and we are the beneficiaries of it today. ---- If that’s true of the Normandy invasion of June 6th, 1944, how much more so of the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ! That event set the pace for eternity to come, and what you believe about what Jesus did in that event seals your fate for eternity as well. Friends, that’s what the second portion of Revelation 12 is about; D-Day and the Devil; it tells us that Satan is a defeated foe lashing out against God’s people because he knows his days are numbered, and I want to take the next few minutes of your time this morning to show you the amazing truths that are taught in this amazing passage of Scripture!

12:7-9 “War in the Unseen Realm”

-First, in vv.7-9, War in the Unseen Realm.

Explanation: One of the things many believers, especially western Christians, have trouble wrapping their minds around is the truth that there’s an unseen spiritual realm inhabited by divine/spiritual beings created by God (angels, cherubs, and seraphs each is different). Scripture tells us that these spiritual beings assist God in his rule over the earth, not because he needs help (he’s God after all, he’s sovereign), but because, apparently, that’s how God wants to do things. Scripture also says that while some of these spiritual beings are hospitable to mankind, others are extremely hostile. The obvious question is why(?), and we could go into several hours of deep discussion concerning that, but suffice it to say, for our current purposes, that both pride and jealousy are major issues, even in the unseen spiritual realm. When God created heaven and earth, and all that’s in them, he placed supreme priority on humankind, not those of the angelic realm, to be the caretakers and rulers over it all, and let’s be honest here, apparently that was and is a tough pill for some members of the spiritual realm to swallow. The truth is that for one particular member of the angelic realm God’s sovereignty and man’s supremacy in creation was too much for him to handle, and so after God created mankind and placed them in Eden, the rebellious Satan tempted humankind and we chose to follow after the temptation. The amazing thing is that from that point on in Scripture the story line we’re given forms the greatest love story ever written centering on God’s redemptive plan that unfolds in time and history, one that ultimately finds it’s fulfillment in the war and defeat of the powers and principalities of darkness and their leader in the unseen realm. That defeat, church, is what Revelation 12:7-9 is about.

Argumentation: Notice that in v.7 we’re given a brief description of a war that’s fought in the heavenly realm between spiritual powers, Michael and his angels and the Dragon and his angels. Even though we can’t physically see this with our eyes, God’s word clearly tells us here that this was and is a reality, and you and I both know that when there’s a battle there has to be a winner and v.7 tells us that the victor in this case isn’t the Dragon and his angels, but instead it’s Michael and his angles. We’re told that the Dragon, along with his angels, were thrown out of heaven and cast down to the earth. Now, we know from what’s said in Rev. 12:5 that this battle in Rev. 12:7 is one that took place, not in Eden, but at some point, during the life of Christ, but the question is when(?) and we’re is going get an answer in vv.10-12, but as it stands now, from the perspective of the text at hand, Rev. 12:7-9, we know that the Dragon (that is Satan) has been defeated. And I don’t know about you, but when I look at all that’s going on around me, how wicked people are, and how they pervert God’s good world (by the way, after the fall God’s good world is never once called bad!), it gives me an extra measure of comfort to know that the powers of darkness have been, and ultimately will be, defeated in the work of Jesus Christ. (Amen?). Appeal: If you’re listening to me today, or you hear this message in the future, you can have that comfort too! Let me tell you how, by placing your faith in, and trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Things might look pretty bleak, but I can assure you that Christ is King and he is might to save! Won’t you call out to him today?

12:10-12 “When Victory Comes (How we overcome)”

Argumentation: Do you remember, just a minute ago I told you that the battle we’re told about in v.7 took place at some point during the life of Christ? ---- Well, if you want to know when, you’ve got to look at vv.10-12 because they give you the answer, vv.10-12 tell us when victory comes, but also, underlying that is another really important truth; vv.10-12 also tell us how we overcome. Let’s take a look.

Explanation: Notice that in v.10 John says that he heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “10 … Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ …” When did this happen? Verse 10 says that it happened when the accuser (that’s Satan) was cast down, and when was that? ---- Listen to what Paul wrote to the Colossians because he addresses that question, “9For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:9–15, NKJV). Church, Satan was cast down, he was defeated at the cross! But remember, there’s a core truth underlying Jesus’ victory over Satan that extremely important to us as believers, and that’s this, because Jesus has conquered, if you’re in him (in other words, if you’ve professed faith in Jesus) you overcome through him! That’s the point of vv.11 and 12. John says there that we overcome how(?), “by the blood of the Lamb (v.11).” It’s through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and only through it, that believers overcome. We overcome by testifying to the fact that Jesus is who he says that he is, and so strong is that testimony that for some it costs them their lives. ---- Let me tell you why that’s so important, it’s because our conquering “by the blood of the Lamb” acts as a double-edged sword. On the one hand it points us as believers to the truthfulness of the gospel we believe enabling us to persevere, and in doing so it also acts as a witness to those who would place their faith in Christ, calling on them to do so. Appeal: On the other hand, it will one day act as a witness, a condemnation at the final judgement, why(?) because those who refused to accept the truthfulness of the gospel will one day have to admit that the blood of the martyrs really did point to the truthfulness of the fact that Jesus was and is the Christ! Every knee will bow, and the question is this, are you going to do it now willingly in faith, or will you be made to do it when he returns in judgement? So, get right with him now before it’s too late! You overcome by the blood of, and only by the blood of the lamb! But if that’s how and why we overcome, because of what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf, then why do things seem to be so bad? Why are God’s people so often so persecuted? ---- The last verses of chapter 12 answer those questions; they give us a glimpse into Why things are the way they are.

12:13-18 (13:1) “Why Things are the Way They Are”

In v.13 John says that after the Dragon (Satan) was cast down to the earth he headed off on a tirade of persecution against the woman who had given birth to the male child. Now, like I told you before, there’s some disagreement over who this woman is, but in my view the woman mentioned here is a symbolic representation of the people of God, that is believing Jews and Gentiles who make up the church. But notice that even as Satan persecutes the woman (v.13), in v.14 we’re told that God protects her by giving her two wings of a great eagle, which she uses to fly away into the wilderness where she will be taken care of and nourished for a period of time. John’s use here of imagery from the OT Exodus narrative acts to show us that just as it was during the Exodus from Egypt, God protected his people then, so too will he protect his people during the final exodus. Exodus 19:4 says, “4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.” Now, here’s what you and I, church, have got to realize when it comes to the Devil, when God acts to protect his people, Satan doesn’t like it because it keeps him from doing what he so wants to do, and he gets, furious (v.15)!

Illustration: You’ll remember that at the beginning of the message I talked about the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The fact is that in one single day the entire outcome of WW2 was set because of what happened on the beaches of France. The truth is that anyone who looked at the Nazi regime after Normandy realized that for all intents and purposes the war was over, the axis powers were on the run because they knew they were eventually going to lose. But let me ask you, what happened after Normandy, did Hitler phone Roosevelt and Churchill and beg for a diplomatic peace treaty? ---- No, he fought that much harder! ---- The Battle of the Bulge is said to be the bloodiest battle in the history of the United States Army. Years later in an interview about his experience during the Battle of the Bulge, one soldier said this, “Did you ever see land when a tornado’s come through? Did you ever see trees and stuff, twisted and broken off? The whole _____ forest was like that,” said U.S. Army Charlie Sanderson.”[1] No, Hitler didn’t sue for peace, he fought even harder than before! Why(?) because he knew that his time was short, and folks, the same is true of Satan! He’s hoping that the flood of persecution he vents against the people of God will destroy them, but that’s not going to happen! Do you know why? ---- Look at v.16.

Explanation: In v.16 we’re told that the earth helped the woman by swallowing up the flood of persecution spewed out by the Dragon. Now, I know some of you are wondering what on earth this is talking about. ---- Here’s what I think is going on, what I think John is trying to get across to us. We’ve already seen how John is using OT Exodus imagery, and that’s what I think he’s doing here. In Exodus 15 after Israel had crossed the Red Sea, Moses, and Israel along with him, sang a victory song to the LORD about what he’d done to the Egyptian hordes that were perusing them. In Exodus 15:11-14a you read this, “11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. 14 The people shall hear, and be afraid …” (Exo. 15:11-14a). To put it bluntly, what God did there is laid a major smack-down on those who were oppressing and persecuting his people, and guess what, a day is coming when he’s going to do it again. So, hold your head up, trust in the Lord, do as Rev. 12:17 says, “keep the commandments of God”, stay strong in your faith! You will face opposition but take heart because no matter what happens your redemption draweth nigh (Lk. 21:28)! Church, our D-Day has come in Christ, Satan is a defeated foe, and now we await the return of the king! Appeal: But in speaking of his return, I want to ask you if you’re ready to meet him. If Jesus returned this evening would you be ready? Are you saved? If not, why don’t you make Christ the Lord of your life today?

Invitation

Closing Prayer

[1] https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge