November 10, 2014
DRAGON SLAYER -- DEFEATED!
Revelation 12:7–17
Cindy Johns
Central Truth
The enemy may try to destroy you over and over, but those who follow Jesus are not alone. Be open to the possibilities; they may look different than you expect.
Key Verse | Revelation 12:17
Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 12:17)
Revelation 12:7–17
Satan Thrown Down to Earth
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And 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 1 12:10 Or brothers and sisters has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood 2 12:17 Some manuscripts And I stood, connecting the sentence with 13:1 on the sand of the sea.
Dive Deeper | Revelation 12:7–17
When I was a young girl, I dreamed of my family, chased my husband for many years (since I was 15), and could not wait to start our family after we were married. When our children were little, I served them in many ways: feeding them, clothing them, and cleaning many messes along the way. As they grew, their needs changed, and I guided them in their decision making. Later, with their growing independence, they faced decisions on their own. Which path would they choose?
I can identify with Michael and his angel brigade trying, over and over again, to beat Satan and his followers. At different times, each of my children has endured battles against this same enemy. Oh, it may look different, but the root of the challenge is the same -- will they follow the Lord's way or man's way? Man's way may seem enticing at the time, but in the end it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).
Watching my kids wrestle with life's decisions is hard. If you are like me and suffer from enabling, you want to rescue them . . . to share your wisdom and experiences to eliminate the heartache that you fear will follow their choices. I know many of you are smiling along with me; you have been there, right? But when we get out of the way of what God's doing, great rewards are gained.
Addiction is part of my family. Many times I seek to understand why this is true. Watching your children make life-threatening decisions is hard. Standing by and letting them make those decisions is even harder. In the end, I rest knowing my children know the Lord, trust He is good, and know He loves us. I have to stay out of His way, pray, trust, obey His commandments, and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you know this God who promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6)? If not, stop and pray right now, asking Him to be your Lord, accepting His sacrifice for all sin -- past, present, and future -- in dying on the cross for you and me, and knowing that one day He will return for us all!
2. It is much easier to trust the Lord when things are going well. The real question is how are you doing trusting the Lord during difficult times (Proverbs 3:5-6)? Specifically, how are you doing trusting the Lord through difficult times with your loved ones?
3. If you are a follower of Christ, how are you doing in holding to the hope we profess? Hebrews 10:23-24 tells us: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works."