The Decisive Demotion Text: Revelation 12:7-17
Introduction: The Unveiling of the Real War
The book of Revelation is given to us not to satisfy our idle curiosity about the future, but to arm us for the present. It pulls back the curtain of history so we can see the spiritual realities that drive the events we read about in our news feeds. And in this twelfth chapter, we are shown the central conflict of all time. It is not fundamentally a conflict between political parties, or economic systems, or national interests. The central conflict is a war between the dragon and the seed of the woman. It is the long war that began in the Garden and will not end until the last day.
Our passage today gives us a heavenly perspective on this war. It shows us a decisive battle, a casting down, and the subsequent fury of a defeated but not yet disarmed foe. Many have misunderstood this passage, imagining some kind of prehistoric angelic brawl in the misty eons before Genesis 1. But the context makes it clear that this is not about the distant past. This war in heaven is the direct result of the ascension of the male child, Jesus Christ, who was caught up to God and His throne in the preceding verses. The victory of Christ on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, and His ascension to the right hand of the Father fundamentally altered the spiritual landscape. This is the D-Day of cosmic history. The beachhead has been established, the decisive victory has been won, and all that remains is the mopping-up operation, which is the history of the Church.
What John shows us here is the legal and spiritual reality behind our evangelism, our discipleship, our cultural engagement, and our suffering. He is showing us why the world rages against the Church, and he is showing us the only way we can possibly win. This is not a scene to be decoded with newspaper headlines, but a reality to be lived in by faith.
The Text
And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witness, and they did not love their life even to death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. So the dragon was enraged with the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the witness of Jesus.
(Revelation 12:7-17 LSB)
The Heavenly Eviction (vv. 7-9)
The scene opens with the declaration of a heavenly war.
"And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven." (Revelation 12:7-8)
This is not a war of equals. Michael, the archangel, whose name means "Who is like God?", leads the heavenly host. He is a creature, a servant of the Most High, yet he is more than a match for the dragon. The battle is decisive. The dragon and his angels "were not strong enough." Their defeat is total, resulting in a complete eviction. "There was no longer a place found for them in heaven."
But what does this mean? Before Christ's ascension, Satan had a peculiar kind of access to the heavenly court. We see this in the book of Job, where Satan comes before God to act as a prosecuting attorney against Job. He is "the accuser of our brothers" (v. 10). This was his official, legal standing. He had the right to stand before God and point to the sins of God's people, demanding their condemnation based on the demands of the law. But the finished work of Christ changed everything. When Jesus ascended, He entered the heavenly court not as a defendant, but as our advocate, our high priest, presenting His own blood as the full payment for our sins. His perfect righteousness silenced every accusation. The legal basis for Satan's presence in heaven was obliterated. The accuser was disbarred. This is the war, and this is the victory. It is a legal victory won by Christ that is then enforced by Michael and his angels.
Verse 9 identifies the loser of this war with unmistakable clarity.
"And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." (Revelation 12:9)
John piles on the names so there can be no confusion. He is the "great dragon," a picture of monstrous, destructive power. He is the "serpent of old," taking us right back to the garden and identifying him as the original enemy who brought sin and death into the world. He is the "devil," which means slanderer, and "Satan," which means adversary. And his primary tactic is deception; he "deceives the whole world." This is the enemy. And his new address is "the earth." His access to the heavenly court is cut off, so now he concentrates his efforts on the earthly realm.
The Ground of Our Victory (vv. 10-12)
The result of this heavenly eviction is a loud proclamation of triumph.
"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, 'Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.'" (Revelation 12:10)
The casting down of Satan from his role as accuser is the inauguration of Christ's kingdom in its full power. The authority of Christ is now fully established. Notice the reason for the celebration: "for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down." This is the heart of the gospel. Our enemy's legal power to condemn us has been broken. He can still lie to us, tempt us, and rage against us, but he can no longer successfully prosecute us before the throne of God. Why? Because our Advocate has already won the case.
Verse 11 then tells us how this victory in heaven is applied and experienced by the saints on earth. This is a crucial verse for every Christian. It is our battle plan.
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witness, and they did not love their life even to death." (Revelation 12:11)
There are three weapons in our arsenal. First, and foundational to all, is "the blood of the Lamb." This is the objective ground of our victory. We do not overcome Satan by our own righteousness or our own strength. We overcome him by pointing to the cross. When he accuses us of sin, we do not deny it. We agree with the charge and plead the blood. We say, "Yes, I am a sinner, but Christ died for sinners. My sin is great, but His blood is greater. The case has been settled." Second, we overcome "because of the word of their witness." This is the subjective application of that victory. We believe the gospel in our hearts, and we confess it with our mouths. We testify to the truth of what Christ has done. A silent Christian is a defeated Christian. Our witness is our warfare. Third, we overcome because "they did not love their life even to death." This is the spirit of martyrdom. It does not mean we all must die a martyr's death, but it means we must all have a martyr's heart. We must hold our lives so loosely that the devil has no leverage over us. The man who fears death will do anything to preserve his life, and so he can be blackmailed into compromise and apostasy. The man who has already died with Christ fears nothing the dragon can do to him. He is free to be faithful.
This victory in heaven has a twofold result. For heaven, it is joy. For the earth, it is woe.
"For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time." (Revelation 12:12)
The devil is a defeated foe, but a defeated foe is a dangerous foe. He has been cast down, and he is furious. He knows his time is short. This "short time" is the entire period between Christ's ascension and His return. In the grand scheme of things, it is a very short time. And so, his rage is concentrated on the earth. This explains the intense spiritual conflict that marks the history of the Church. We live in the "woe zone." But we must remember that his wrath is the impotent rage of a loser. He is on a chain, and Christ holds the chain.
The Dragon's Earthly Campaign (vv. 13-17)
Having been thrown down to the earth, the dragon immediately launches a new offensive.
"And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child." (Revelation 12:13)
Who is this woman? In the context of Revelation 12, she is the covenant community, the people of God. In the Old Testament, she is faithful Israel, from whom the Messiah came. In the New Testament, she is the Church. The dragon cannot touch the ascended Christ, so he turns his fury on Christ's body, the Church. This is the story of the last two thousand years: the relentless persecution of the people of God by the satanic powers that animate the unbelieving world.
"But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent." (Revelation 12:14)
But God provides for His people. The "two wings of the great eagle" is language drawn directly from the Exodus, where God says He bore Israel on eagles' wings (Ex. 19:4). It is a symbol of God's swift and powerful deliverance. He takes the Church to a place of safety in the "wilderness," where she is nourished. This does not mean a geographical location, but rather a state of divine protection in the midst of a hostile world. And this protection lasts for "a time and times and half a time." This is symbolic language, representing the entire gospel age, the "short time" of the devil's rage. It is a limited, defined period of trial, after which comes the final victory.
The serpent tries another tactic.
"And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth." (Revelation 12:15-16)
This flood from the serpent's mouth is a torrent of lies, heresies, slanders, and persecutions. It is the constant stream of anti-Christian propaganda designed to overwhelm and sweep away the Church. But God, in His providence, provides unexpected help. "The earth helped the woman." This refers to God's common grace. He can use natural events, political shifts, or even the self-interest of ungodly men to thwart the plans of the devil and preserve His people. The earth is God's creation, and it will serve His purposes, even to the point of swallowing the devil's lies.
Frustrated but not finished, the dragon redirects his attack.
"So the dragon was enraged with the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the witness of Jesus." (Revelation 12:17)
If he cannot destroy the Church as a whole, he will go after individual Christians. Who are they? They are identified by two marks: they "keep the commandments of God" and they "have the witness of Jesus." This is the definition of a true Christian. We are people of the Book and people of the Blood. We are committed to obedience to God's law, and we are committed to proclaiming the testimony of His Son. And this makes us the target of the dragon's rage. If you are not experiencing any spiritual conflict in your life, you should be concerned. It may be that you are not a threat to the enemy's kingdom.
Conclusion: Fight From Victory
This chapter reveals the true nature of our struggle. We are at war. But the central, decisive battle has already been won. Satan has been legally disarmed and evicted from the courts of heaven by the ascended Christ. He is a defeated foe, lashing out in his death throes.
Therefore, we do not fight for victory; we fight from victory. Our task is to stand our ground and enforce the victory that Christ has already secured. How? By pleading the blood of the Lamb against every accusation. By boldly proclaiming the word of our testimony, no matter the cost. And by cultivating a cheerful disregard for our own lives in this world, knowing that to live is Christ and to die is gain.
The dragon is real. His wrath is great. The flood of his lies is powerful. But the blood of the Lamb is infinitely more powerful. The kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come. Let us therefore live as those who know the outcome of the war is not in doubt. Let us rejoice, and get about the business of making war on the rest of his lies.