“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 … So the great dragon was cast out … he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).
We are in a war between two eternal powers: Satan’s principalities and powers, and God’s only Son, Jesus. This war started eons ago in heaven with the archangel Michael and an army of angels fighting against Lucifer and the rebellious angels who had aligned themselves with him.
Satan lost the battle and was cast down to earth with the other insubordinate angels (who comprised a third of all the angels of heaven) and he began waging war against God’s people. He appointed demon-possessed people to be prophets, teachers, even rulers of nations, and he sent them forth to spread his unholy “gospel.” But the devil had a problem. He couldn’t win converts through his teachings or persuade anyone of his gospel because it didn’t produce life or provide peace, joy or power over enslaving sin. So he had to resort to warfare.
The war Satan wages has always been against God’s people, those who believe and preach Jesus Christ as Lord. But our Lord is never caught off guard. He knows the end from the beginning and he knew Satan’s flood against the church had to be thwarted before it consumed them.
The Lord proclaims: “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings … You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet” (Malachi 4:2-3). When hell seems to have won, heaven will cry, “Help is on the way. Don’t fear! The gates of hell will not prevail against God’s people.”
What a day it will be when evil men realize that the very name they tried to wipe out completely now stands before them as their Judge. Our Lord’s divinity will be undeniable and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
Jesus asked the twelve disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter answered, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29). May our answer be the same as Peter’s — and may that be our confession before the whole world, now and forever. Jesus has won the war!