The Devil’s Failure

The Devil’s Failure

“The Devil’s Failure”

(Revelation 12:1-17)

Series: Understanding The Book Of Revelation

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

First Baptist Church, Henderson KY

10-8-06 (AM)

 

 

  • Please open your Bibles to Revelation, chapter 12.

We are continuing our series of messages through the Book of Revelation.  In chapter 12 we pick up with the visions that John has been receiving while he is in the throne room of heaven.  We have been learning about things that will take place during a future time known as the Tribulation.  Chapters 6-11 give a chronology of the tribulation period.  Now in chapters 12-19 we have John filling in some of the details of the tribulation period.  It’s like chapters 6-11 represent the forest, while chapters 12-19 give us the details of the leaves on the trees.

 

  • Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Holy Word.

 

1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.

2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.

4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.

5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

9 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.

 

  • Pray.

Introduction:

 

When Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recently called our president as “the devil,” we Americans expressed our displeasure for many days.  Whether you agree with the president or not, you just don’t go around calling someone “the devil.”  To call someone “the devil” is to equate a person with everything sinister, everything evil, and everything diametrically opposed to the ways of God.

 

Yet I wonder just how many Americans really believe in a literal devil?  Well the Bible teaches us about a literal devil who has consistently failed in his attempts to usurp the power of God and the people of God.  This chapter teaches us about the devil’s failure and, more specifically, what to remember about the devil’s failure.  First remember:

 

1.  God’s Continual Power over him  (1-6)

is a matter of Historical Record

1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.

2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

 

The woman is a sign, a sign of Israel.  She gives birth to the Christ child.  So she’s not the church because you can’t have the church before you have Christ.  She is Israel.  In Genesis 37:9-11 we read of the dream of Joseph.  The Bible says that Joseph “dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers and said, ‘Look I have dreamed another dream and this time the sun, the moon, and the 11 stars bowed down to me.’”  Joseph constitutes the 12th star so we read verse one here and we understand that the woman is the nation of Israel.

 

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.

 

We learn later (verse 9) that the dragon is the devil.  The devil appears 13 times in the book of Revelation as a dragon.  He is described here as having then horns, which seems to refer to his control of worldly kingdoms both past and present and seven heads with seven diadems on his heads.  This seems to refer to his desire to rule as the prince of the world.

 

4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.

 

This probably refers to that point in history when the devil was cast down from the throne room of heaven after Satan rebelled against God.  Most evangelical scholars believe that Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 give us the background for this fall of Satan.  Satan, in his attempt to become like God Himself, was cast down from heaven and took with him a third of the angels who were loyal to him, a third of the fallen angels or demons.  While Satan was cast down from the throne of heaven, he still has some limited access to heaven as we read in the first chapter of Job.  Satan walks “to and fro on the earth” and he has access to heaven where he can talk to God.  But this will all change during the Tribulation period as we’ll read in later verses of the chapter.

 

And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.

 

Despite the devil’s attempt to overpower God, God has continually overpowered the devil.  It’s a matter of historical record.  The devil has failed throughout history in his attempt to devour the Child who would be born of the Jewish people.  He tried to keep the Christ-child from being born into the world as far back as the book of Genesis when he moved upon Cain to kill Abel.  Then we read in the Exodus that the devil moved Pharaoh to kill the Jewish boys.  But he failed in completely carrying out his mission.  We read later how the devil influenced King Saul to kill David, but he failed again.  We read of how the devil influenced Queen Athaliah to destroy the royal heirs to the house of Judah, but the devil failed again.  The devil failed in getting Haman to kill all the Jews in the book of Esther.  And in the Gospels we read again of the devil behind the scenes, moving upon Herod to kill this child born of the Jews, but he failed again.  So we read in verse 5:

 

5 She [Israel] bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

 

That verse summarizes the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Verse 5 is a look back.  It tells us that the devil has failed to overpower the Christ-child in history past.  Verse 6 is a look ahead.  It introduces the fact that the devil will fail to overpower the Christ-child in the future, as well, particularly the future time of the Tribulation.

 

6 Then the woman [again, Israel] fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days [that’s 3 ½ years, most likely the last half of the 7-year Tribulation period].

 

Satan will seek to annihilate the Jewish people during the second half of the Tribulation period, but God will protect the nation of Israel.  We’ll read more about that later.

 

God’s continual power over the devil is a matter of historical record.  Remembering that helps us get through the times when this broken world makes little sense.  It helps us deal with events such as a maniacal 32-year-old gunman entering a quiet Amish schoolhouse last Monday in rural Pennsylvania, brutally killing 5 schoolgirls before turning the gun upon himself.  The way that Amish community of Christians responded to that tragedy brings glory to God.

 

An editorial in yesterday’s (10-7-06) Chicago Tribune captures their incredibly forgiving spirit:

 

A relative of 13-year-old Marian Fisher, one of the children shot by Charles Carl Roberts, 32, extended an invitation to Roberts’ widow to attend the girl’s funeral. The Amish woman told a reporter, “It’s our Christian love to show to her we have not any grudges against her.”  … Another Amish woman told NBC News, “Tell the world that we are grateful for its prayers, but also remember to pray for the gunman’s family.” …The Amish, who don’t believe in asking for donations, have set up a college fund for Roberts’ three children.

 

Another source (The Hamilton Spectator) reports:

 

Rita Rhoads, a midwife who helped in the births of two of the murdered girls, said the father of one told her that God had helped his daughter. “He said there was a battle between good and evil Monday, and good won,” Rhoads said…. She said, “He felt that way because the shooter was killed before he was able to carry out all of his plans.”

 

We’re talking about the devil’s failure.  God’s continual power over the devil is a matter of historical record.  Secondly:

 

2.  God’s Continual Punishment of him  (7-12)

is a matter of Heavenly Rejoicing

 

Every time God punishes the devil there is rejoicing in heaven.  Look at verse 7.

 

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

 

During the future time of Tribulation, a battle ensues in heaven.  There are two key players: Michael, the archangel, and the devil.  It’s interesting that the devil is battling with Michael.  Michael’s name means, “One like God” and the devil has always wanted to be like God.  This is why he was originally cast out of the throne area of heaven.  He attempted to be like God in his self-centeredness and selfishness.

 

Yesterday evening our family was riding bikes in the neighborhood.  It seemed there were cars everywhere.  I said to Matthew, “Wouldn’t it be great if you could keep all the cars off the road when you’re riding your bike?”  He said, “No, that would be selfish.”  I said, “Okay, wouldn’t it be good to be selfish for awhile?”  He said, “Yeah.”  Then he smiled and said, “I’m surprised at you, pastor!”

 

Satan is selfish and he has forever wanted to be like God so he is fighting Michael and his angels.

 

8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. [That is, the devil and his angels did not prevail]

9 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.

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.

 

So the devil is cast out of heaven again, punished and banished from the presence of God again.  While he presently has limited access to heaven, he will have no access at all after this battle in heaven.  Revelation chapter 20 teaches us that he will be later cast down into the abyss during the millennium after which he will be permanently cast down into the lake of fire.

 

11 “And they [That is, believers during this time of Tribulation, those who believe in Christ] 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.

 

During this future time of Tribulation, believers overcome the devil the same way they overcome him today: by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony—their witness.  The Bible even says that these believers during the Tribulation period are favorably recognized because “the did not love their lives to the death.”  In other words, they lived for Jesus, not for this world.

 

In a few moments we’re going to recall our victory over the devil by remembering the basis for our salvation in verse 11: the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony—our witness.  During the Lord’s Supper, we recall the power of the blood of Christ and our participating in the Supper is a means by which we witness to our faith in Christ.  In one real sense, when we partake of the Lord’s Supper we celebrate the devil’s failure!

 

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.”

 

God’s continual punishment of the devil is a matter of heavenly rejoicing.  Verse 12 says it: “Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!”  And all who believe in Christ on heaven and earth can rejoice.  But then there is a woe pronounced upon “the inhabitants of the earth and the sea.”  Remember “the inhabitants of the earth” or the “earth-dwellers” is the technical term for all of those who love the world instead of Christ.  It is the term for the unbeliever.  The Bible says woe to them, “for the devil has come down to you, having great wrath,” why?  “Because he knows that he has a short time.”  He has just 3 ½ years before he is cast down into the abyss during the millennial reign of Christ.

 

Someone said, “The next time Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future!”

 

We’re talking about the devil’s failure.  God’s continual power over the devil is a matter of historical record.  God’s continual punishment of the devil is a matter of heavenly rejoicing.  Thirdly:

 

3.  God’s Continual Protection from him  (13-17)

is a matter of Helpful Reflection

 

When the devil is cast down to the earth, we might think it’s all over for followers of the One True God, but God continually protects His people.  Look at verse 13:

 

13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.

 

Now remember, “The woman” represents the nation of Israel.  Satan hates the Jewish people.  We saw that earlier.  He has been trying to exterminate the Jewish race for thousands of years.  So the devil goes after Israel once again during the last half of the Tribulation, seeking again to exterminate the Jews.  But the devil will fail again.  See how God protects His people:

 

14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

 

Remember this is symbolic language.  God protects the nation of Israel by giving her “wings of an eagle” that she might “fly” to some location where she is protected for 3 ½ years.  “Time and times and half a time” is one of John’s ways to designate one year, two years, and half a year—3 ½ years.

 

15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

 

Satan’s attack upon the nation of Israel is described as his spewing “water out of his mouth like a flood.”  This could refer to a literal flood, but many scholars believe John is merely continuing his symbolic language and that Satan’s “spewing water out of his mouth” is a reference to further blasphemies and false accusations against the Jews.  Whatever it means, God protects His people.  That’s the point of verse 16 where we read that the earth “helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.”  God protects His people from the devil.  What is the devil’s response?  Verse 17:

 

17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

 

The devil is enraged with the nation of Israel and went to make war with “the rest of her offspring.”  Who does this describe?  Those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”  Any Jew or Gentile believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  It’s no different than today.  Satan is at war today against every believer of the Lord Jesus Christ.  But remember his failure time and again.  Reflect upon his failure and be encouraged.

 

God’s power over the devil is a matter of historical record.  God’s punishment of the devil is a matter of heavenly rejoicing, and God’s protection from the devil is a matter of helpful reflection.

 

When you feel the devil coming against you by causing you to doubt and fear, when he attacks you in your most vulnerable areas, when you wonder whether you’re going to make it, you just remember he has failed to overpower God and he will fail to overpower God.  He is an utter failure.  And when Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.

 

We’re going to build upon that last point during the Lord’s Supper.  God’s protection from the devil is a matter of helpful reflection.  I said earlier that in one sense when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we celebrate the devil’s failure.  The devil thought he won in seeing Christ crucified, but Christ’s crucifixion was the means by which we have victory.  It is through Christ’s shed blood that we are protected from the effects of the fall.

 

O Victory in Jesus, our Savior forever.

He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood.

He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him.

He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood!

 

Let’s pray.

 

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