PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
It does not make sense why.
But Satan, in a loving, peaceful environment, rebelled against the government of God and drew a third of the heavenly host to his side.
His aim here on earth is the same.
His intent is to draw us to his side in this great battle against our Creator.
Knowing this, we need to move with great caution.
Our march orders for the present day come from the three angels’ message of Revelation chapter 14.
Their message makes up the core of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Their messages are the present truth for our time.
Thus, we are studying the messages surrounding these three angels as it relates to the gospel and present truth, truth as it relates to our day.
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Seeking God’s Guidance
Father, let us not rebel against your government of love.
Give us the power to resist the suggestions of Satan and his forces of evil. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
The ringleader of the rebellion convinced a third of the heavenly beings to turn away from their Father and from His Son and unite with him.
Of course, they were expelled from heaven, but the battle between God and Satan with his army of evil angels did not end.
The war between good and evil continues on our planet. So when Jesus came to this world to live among us humans, Revelation 12:4, 5 tells us that from the start, Satan tried to destroy Him.
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. (Revelation 12:4-5)
Satan’s repeated attempt to destroy Jesus failed.
For instance, when Jesus was born, an angel warned Joseph and Mary about Satan’s attempt to kill Jesus through King Herod’s evil plot.
So, Joseph and Mary escaped and fled to Egypt. God wins, Satan losses.
Then many years later, Jesus encountered Satan face-to-face in the wilderness.
There in the wilderness, Jesus endured Satan’s most difficult temptations.
Satan had hoped to get Jesus to sin. However, Jesus responded to Satan’s temptations with the words, “it is written.”
Jesus protected Himself from the temptations of Satan by quoting Bible scriptures relevant to the temptation Satan presented.
Jesus won the battle in the wilderness!
But, did this end Satan’s attacks against Jesus?
No, Satan influences evil men to crucify Jesus on the cross. But his attempt backfired! Jesus’ death on the cross was his ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
It showed just how much Jesus loves us. His death on the cross delivered us from the penalty of sin.
For our sins, we were all condemned to eternal death.
But in His resurrection, as our living High Priest, He delivers us from the power of sin and saves us from death which is the penalty for sin.
Jesus won the battle on the cross!
As expressed in Romans 6:23.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
In studying Revelation 12, we see that Revelation 12:4–6 speaks of a dragon, a woman, a male child, and a rod of iron.
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. (Revelation 12:4-6)
To better understand Revelation 12, we need to know the meaning of these symbols.
Revelation 12: 9 tells us that the Dagon symbolizes Satan, also called the Serpent and the Devil.
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. (Revelation 12:9)
Ephesians 5:25–27, 32 lets us know that the woman symbolizes God’s church.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)
Ephesians 5:32 says:
32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:32)
Finally, in Psalm 2:7–9, we find that the rod symbolizes rulership.
7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” (Psalms 2:7-9)
Furthermore, a rod of iron symbolizes unbreakable all-powerful rulership.
So, Revelation 12:4–6 paints a picture to show us that Jesus is an all-powerful king.
He is King of Kings, and He is Lord of Lords.
The point is that Jesus, the King of Kings, won the war against Satan while He lived on earth.
Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted, but he did not sin. He came off as a conqueror.
Therefore, the devil is defeated! Christ was victorious over him in His life, His death, and His resurrection!
Jesus won the war against Satan when He woke up from the dead.
Since Jesus won, this lets us know that we can win, too!
But, though Jesus has defeated Satan, and for sure Satan is a loser, the cosmic war between God and Satan is not over yet.
This is where our faith comes in. We accept by faith what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Therefore, our debt for sin is canceled, and our sins are forgiven.
So, we stand before God perfect as if we have never sinned. Paul explains this Bible truth in these words found in Philippians 3:9 when he says:
“found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Philippians 3:9).
You see, when you are forgiven; you are no longer guilty. Jesus conquered and overcame forever the worst that sin and evil could do to Him. He made a full assault on the evil and overcame it.
We are, therefore, as Paul describes in Philippians 3:9
9 … found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (Philippians 3:9) (Split)
Thus, when we accept Jesus by faith, we are found righteous. His victory is our victory.
This assurance should therefore banish the worries and fears that Satan often whispers in our ears, suggesting that we are not good enough.
Find out why we should not be distressed over his evil accusations in Day 4: Accepting Jesus’ Victory.
Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church
7902 Wheatly Street
Houston, TX 77088
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