Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Revelation 12:7-12
Pastor: Pastor Berg

Sermon Date:  September 30, 2018

It was Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus was in the temple courts, teaching the people. Everyone was trying to get a piece of him—some with good intentions, others vile. With such a captive audience, Jesus took the opportunity to once again talk about his impending death, his sacrifice of himself for the sins of the whole world. As Jesus saw all that was about to happen to him, he was troubled. But rather than run from his impending death, Jesus embraced it. He prayed that his Father’s name would be glorified. Immediately, the Father spoke from heaven. Just like at his baptism and his transfiguration, the Father voiced his approval of Jesus’ work. All the people heard it. Some said it thundered. Others thought it was the voice of an angel. Jesus’ work was reaching its climax. Jesus was about to meet the Devil in a showdown and knowing all that would happen, Jesus said: “Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out.”

At the same time, another showdown was about to take place. Only, this showdown we would never have known about, history would never have recorded, if God had not pulled back the curtain and given us a peek. You see, this battle took place in the heavens, in the sky, in the spiritual realms. This frightening skirmish was beyond any military struggle ever waged in this world. An army of light and an army of darkness, each with a celestial general, clashed. John is stark in his description: “There was also a war in heaven.” As we review that battle, it gives us the opportunity to celebrate the ministry of St. Michael and all the angels. Today, we rejoice over these ministering servants and the service the angels provide both to God and to us. So, let’s Celebrate with Vigilant Joy!

Why would we celebrate this frightening battle in heaven? Let’s listen again to how John describes it. “There was also a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon. The dragon fought back along with his angels…” Before we get to far, we need to remember what we are looking at here. The book of Revelation is a vision seen by the Apostle John. It contains fantastic pictures  and symbols that can be hard to imagine and comprehend. And because it’s a vision, we need to remember that we can’t take everything literally. For example, in these first few verses the Devil is described as a dragon. He’s not really a dragon. He’s a fallen angel, but the image of the dragon was what John saw to describe the evil and destruction the Devil would attempt to bring on the world. So what do we have here in these first few verses? It’s obvious that there was a battle in heaven. The Greek word could be translated heaven, but it could also be translated as “the heavens” or “the sky.” Because of the translation, “heaven,” many people associate this event with the time before the fall into sin, when the Devil and his angels with him rebelled against God and were expelled from heaven. However, that doesn’t seem to fit the context here. This was a battle fought in the spiritual realm. It was a battle fought between Michael, the archangel, and the other angels with him and the Devil and the evil angels with him. Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” This was a battle for souls. Michael and his angels, under God’s command and direction, attacked the Devil and his angels in a spiritual battle for souls. What happened?

“The great dragon was thrown down—the ancient serpent, the one called the Devil and Satan, the one who leads the whole inhabited earth astray—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Again, the translation can be a little confusing, but the facts are the Devil and his angels lost. They lost the battle. They lost their place of influence in the spiritual realm. But when? When did all this happen if it didn’t happen before the fall into sin? Then next few verses give us a hint.

“I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. They conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives in the face of death. For this reason, rejoice, you heavens and those who dwell in them.” Salvation has now come! That’s the cry from heaven. That’s the truth proclaimed by the resurrection of Jesus! The promise of salvation was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after that serpent, the Devil, lead the whole world astray. But it was just a promise until Christ came and completed the plan. John watched the angelic skirmish and saw the Devil and his angels thrown down. What caused his downfall? What caused him to lose his ability to accuse people before the throne of God? “They conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony.” The blood of Jesus is what won the victory! Because Jesus shed his innocent blood on the cross, the washed away all of our sins. In another one of his letters, John encouraged Christians with that very truth:  “and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” Because of that blood, because the Son of God died to pay the wages of sin in the place of all men, the Devil an no longer accuse us before the judgment throne of God! By his suffering and death and resurrection, Jesus won the war! That’s why we are called on to rejoice. That’s why we celebrate the service of Michael and the other angels, whom Jesus allowed to fight with him in this battle. But make no mistake, it is Christ who won the victory! Just like he allows us to overcome the Devil by our testimony, the power, the credit for victory belong to Christ alone. This is the reason for great joy today!

However, there is a caution, a warning that Jesus gives to John and John passes on to us today. “For this reason, rejoice, you heavens and those who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea,  for the Devil has gone down to you. He is full of rage, because he knows that his time is short.” I was listening to the radio the other day and the host commented on the Devil. Considering it was sports talk radio, my ears perked up. This wasn’t what I was expecting to hear. He said according to a recent poll, about 60 percent of people believe in the Devil, that the Devil is real. And then here’s what really got me. He said, “Isn’t that number really high? Are there really that many people who believe the Devil is real?”

I believe this particular radio host represents a growing belief in our world. The Devil has become nothing more than a cartoon character, a fable from years gone by, something the church used to scare people into behaving. Think of how many different types of devil costumes are out there for the upcoming Halloween parties. Think of how flippantly people toy with the Devil’s power. Why else can we buy a Ouija Board at the local Wal-Mart? We live in a world were according to one poll, 40 percent of the population doesn’t believe the Devil exists. That’s frightening, especially considering what John tells us. “Woe to the earth and the sea,  for the Devil has gone down to you. He is full of rage, because he knows that his time is short.” Not only is the Devil real, he’s here with us. He’s banished from his influence in the spiritual realm, so he’s come here to wreak as much havoc as he can before he’s banished to hell forever.

That’s right, the Devil can still wreak havoc. Just because he’s lost some of his power doesn’t mean he’s powerless. And not only has he been defeated and humiliated, now he’s angry. He’s knows his time is short. He knows that very soon his influence will be lost forever. He knows very soon he’ll be cast into eternal suffering in hell. And so he’s bound and determined to take as many people with him as possible.

Do we realize this? Do we understand the significance of this? Too often, I fear we don’t take the dangers seriously. Too often we fall in line with the world’s way of thinking and believe the Devil isn’t someone to be concerned about. We think that we can toy with sin, that we can run right up to the line of sin without crossing over it. We think that we can stand up to temptation and so we seek it out rather than avoiding it. Too often we remove ourselves from our protection against the devil. Imagine you were living in a house on the plains of Africa. It’s a beautiful house. You have every luxury, every convenience that you have here. You have a beautiful yard where you can enjoy the beauty of God’s creation in perfect safety. Why are you safe on the plains of Africa? It’s the protective fence around your property. Imagine this fence was invisible. You can see all that’s around you. Imagine that on the other side of the fence was a pack of hungry lions, just looking for something to devour. Would you ever, in your right mind, stand on top of the fence and taunt the lions? Would you walk through the gate and see how far away from safety you could get before you rushed back inside? Would you try to touch one of the lions to see if you could do it without getting hurt? So why do we do it with a roaring lion called the Devil, whose singular goal is to devour us?

Thankfully, God is merciful and forgiving. Because of the blood of Jesus, he forgives us for those times when we welcome temptation and toy with sin. And even more, he protects us from the influence and power of the Devil with the service of his angels. David wrote in the Psalms: “Yes, he will give a command to his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” God’s angels not only serve in heaven, but also serve us here on earth. They protect us from harm and danger that many times we don’t even realized exists. But that protection doesn’t give us the right to test God, to see how far that protection stretches. No, instead of testing the limits, God calls us to be vigilant, constantly on the lookout, scanning the horizon for danger. God calls us to consistently make use of the protection and the weapons God places at our disposal. Jesus overcame the Devil by his blood. He gives us that very body and blood in his Supper. Jesus defeated the Devil by his Word when he was tempted. He says the testimony of believers also overcomes the Devil. Use the Word! Immerse yourself in its protective powers. Even though the War is won, the battle for souls continues.

It’s true that the book of Revelation can be hard to understand. There are tough passages and fantastic images to deal with. Yet, the story of Revelation is very simple. It’s two words: Jesus wins! That’s why we can celebrate the service of Michael and the angels with joy today. Jesus wins! But the battle isn’t over yet! Therefore, let our joy be vigilant! May we constantly be on the lookout! But, don’t be afraid, for God’s angels are protecting us, The Devil’s time is short, and true and lasting joys await us in heaven because Jesus wins! Amen.