“God’s Angels – Our Allies in the Great War”
(Revelation 12:7-12 – St. Michael and all Angels – September 29, 2024)
Revelation 12:7-12 – 7And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9So 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. 10Then 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. 11And 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. 12Therefore 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.”
Dear Redeemed by the grace of God in Jesus Christ:
World War I was called “The Great War” at the time, because it involved an unprecedented number of nations. What began as a war between two nations in 1914 grew into a global war between the Allies forces and the Central Powers. When the “Great War” ended in 1918, many hoped it would be “the war to end all wars.”
The book of Revelation pictures a much larger war involving all nations and people through history. It is the Great War between Satan’s kingdom and Christ’s Kingdom. It is a spiritual war with eternal destinies at stake depending on which side one is on. This war to end all wars is not fought with man-made weapons; it is won by Christ’s finished work of saving sinners. Through faith in Him who died for our sins and rose again, we share in His victory and eternal life. As we fight the good fight of faith this side of heaven, we are not alone. On this Festival of St. Michael and all Angels, our text reminds us: “God’s Angels Are Our Allies in the Great War.”
It begins: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon” (vs. 7). Before our text in verses 3-4, we hear of that dragon, pictured having seven heads and wearing seven crowns. It said: “His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.” This pictures Satan, whom God originally created to be a good angel, and even a great angel. But in his pride, Satan wanted to be crowned with even greater glory. He rebelled against God, and he also drew many angels into his rebellion. Therefore they were cast out of heaven. 2 Peter 2:4 says: “God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.”
At the same time, there are a great number of angels who have remained good. Revelation 5:11-12 describes God’s holy angels around His throne, worshiping Him: “and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Psalm 103:20 says: “Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” Of these powerful beings Hebrews 1:14 says: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Yes, they are sent to serve and protect us! These mighty messengers, ever obedient to God’s command, are sent as our allies.
This is good to know, for Satan is fiercely at war with us. Before our text, the dragon is pictured going after a woman wearing a crown of 12 stars – the number of the 12 patriarchs in the Old Testament and the 12 apostles in the New Testament. So the woman represents God’s faithful people through history, the Church of all believers. As she is pictured being pregnant and in birth pains, the dragon stood before her, waiting to devour her child. But verse 5 says: “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.”
This pictures the coming of Christ from His birth to His ascension. In Old Testament times, believers waited as with birth pangs for Him who would be born the seed of the woman, come to crush Satan’s head and redeem His people. All through history, as God’s people awaited that promised Messiah, Satan and his forces opposed God’s purpose in salvation history – trying to overthrow Israel, trying to destroy the royal family line of David, trying to cut off the coming of the Messiah Himself. But again and again, God sent His mighty angels to fight in the Great War. They served and protected His people, surrounding a prophet like Daniel in the lion’s den, destroying Israel’s powerful enemies on many occasions, and so on.
Then at last as Isaiah foretold, the Virgin conceived and bore a Son who is called Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14). At Jesus’ birth, God sent His angels to announce the good news of the Savior born for all people. He had come to redeem a world of sinners, fallen to the temptation of the Serpent. When Jesus fought Satan’s temptations in the wilderness, angels were sent to comfort Him. When Jesus prayed at Gethsemane, about to drink the bitter cup for our salvation, angels were sent to comfort Him. Though Jesus could have called on more than twelve legions of angels, they obediently watched as their Lord was arrested, judged, and crucified. To win our forgiveness and reconcile us to God, the Son of God went to the cross. He shed His divine blood that paid for all our sins. Then, having crushed Satan’s head and conquered death for us, Jesus rose. Again God sent His angels with the joyful announcement: “He is risen!” Later as Jesus ascended to His Father and His heavenly throne, the angels were there to assure His followers: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
Here, in the context of the Christ Child having been born to win our salvation, and having risen and ascended to heaven, our text now describes a war that broke out in heaven as “Michael and his angels fought with the dragon” (vs. 7). Scripture calls Michael an archangel (Jude 1:9), like a general commanding the holy angels. His counterpart is Satan, who commands his evil spirits.
As Michael and the heavenly hosts are sent to battle, they cannot but win in the power of the risen and reigning Christ. It goes on to say: “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” (vs. 7-9). Since Christ has crushed Satan’s head and ascended to His heavenly throne, Satan’s power is struck down. As Jesus had said in John 12:31: “Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” Jesus has disarmed Satan and his legions, triumphing over them in His cross (Colossians 2:13-15).
The evil foe still would seek to storm heaven with his proud claims, trying to bring us down with himself in defeat. Truly he lives up to his name – “Devil” (Accuser) and “Satan” (Adversary). Ever since he first deceived as the “serpent of old” in the Garden of Eden, he continues to tempt the children of Adam and Eve into sin. Then as the Accuser and Adversary, he presumes to come before the judgment seat of God, demanding justice against us! Under God’s holy Law, he claims that our souls must be judged and condemned to hell along with him.
Satan may keep as careful a record of our sins as he wants, to charge against us. Yet in God’s court, he has no hearing; the Accuser has lost his case against us. Our text tells why: “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” (vs. 10-11). On the cross the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, has paid the full price of justice; He has received the punishment for our sins. By the blood of His Son, God forgives all our sins. Therefore in Christ, the Accuser is overcome and silenced, and we are set free.
When Jesus died and rose again for our justification, Satan and the hosts of hell knew they had lost the Great War. God sent His archangel Michael and all the heavenly hosts to cast Satan down, and they did so in the power of Christ’s victory for us.
In our text, a loud voice is heard in heaven: “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come” (vs. 10). Since Satan is defeated, he cannot stop the procession of Christ’s Kingdom. Jesus said: “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus is the rock-solid foundation of His Church. He continues to gather people into His Kingdom by His rock-solid truth, His Gospel of salvation for sinners.
It says: “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!” (vs. 12). As the angels watch the triumphant procession of Christ’s Kingdom, seeing the power of His Gospel saving sinners for eternal life, they rejoice. As Jesus said in Luke 15:10: “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The angels rejoiced over each one of us when we were redeemed from Satan’s kingdom, when we were graciously brought by baptism and faith into the Kingdom of Christ.
Meanwhile, as Satan waits in chains of darkness for judgment, he does not rest. It says: “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” (vs. 12). He still tempts and deceives; he threatens believers with persecution and even death. So 1 Peter 5:8-9 exhorts us: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.”
As we join God’s people through the ages, fighting the good fight of faith, resisting Satan, it says: “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” (vs. 11). Some have given testimony to the saving Gospel of Christ as martyrs. Yet even in death, they overcame Satan by faith in their living Savior; for they were “carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22) where they see their Savior face to face in Glory.
So also, Jesus keeps us in the faith by His Gospel, overcoming Satan by His blood. He gives us an important part in the great mission of bringing His Gospel to sinners, that they may be saved in His Kingdom. Whatever trial and tribulation we pass through, we have God’s promises in Psalm 91:11: “He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” As part of working all things for our good, our ascended Savior and King sends His angels to serve and protect us in unseen ways. Even in death, He will give His angels charge to bear us safely home to His heavenly Kingdom.
Therefore, we thank God for His gift of angels as our allies in the Great War. He sends His angels to fight against Satan’s forces; they win for us in the power of Christ’s victory; and they rejoice with us in the triumphant procession of His Kingdom. Today, we join all God’s saints and angels, worshiping Him who is our Creator and Redeemer in that heavenly song: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.