And 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, 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. Then 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. And 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. Therefore 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.” And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ – Revelation 12: 7 – 12, 17.
And war broke out in heaven…” This singular statement has eternally altered the course of time and humanity from when it happened till date. This event marked the beginning of wars and woes on earth. Every battle on earth is traceable to this war. The rise and fall of kingdoms on earth is a spillover effect of this war. There is no independent conflict on earth; every conflict is tied to this war that broke out in heaven. This war was started by a quest for power and a drive for dominance which was initiated by Satan, formerly an Archangel who served around the throne of God (Ezekiel 28: 12 – 19). His beauty and wisdom aroused pride in him and he decided to rebel against the government of his Master, the Almighty God (Isaiah 14: 12 – 17). With him were some angels who also rebelled against the authority of God, leading to the war that broke out in heaven. The war was fought between the Archangel, Michael (and his angels) and the old dragon – Satan (and his angels). At the end, the Devil and his angels were cast down by Michael and his angels and there was no place for them any more in heaven.
The battleground…
The defeat and fall of Satan led to the drawing of the battle line between his rebellious kingdom and the kingdom of God. Though Satan was evicted from heaven, the war is still on, this time with the Saints of the Most High:
“The dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” – Revelation 12:17.
Although, the war was started in heaven, it continues in the hearts of men and that is the greatest battleground today. There is a keen contest over the throne of every man’s heart, which is the epicenter of this war. Satan’s anger is highly vented on humanity especially the followers of Christ because of this great loss. He knows he has no hope of recovery or repentance; therefore, he is bent on destroying humanity. He seizes every single opportunity to bring this battle to our doorsteps knowing fully well that his time is very short. We see this war in every sphere of human endeavor; no part is spared. He employs and uses several strategies to execute this war. His arsenals are launched through the media industry (music, movies, advertisements and entertainment) in form of pornography, violence, drug addiction and so forth. He also stretches his influence to politics through bribery, corruption, killings and maiming. Today, we also see his manifestations in things once termed abominable such as same sex marriage; legalization of abortion; transgender-ism and human trafficking. The list is endless such that even the church is not spared. This is indeed war! His agents are being deployed every now and then to every place where humans are found because he seeks vengeance against the Most High through His creatures. Satan seeks to fully establish his kingdom here on earth since he has eternally lost his place in heaven, and he is not playing about it. The earlier we know this as believers, the better for us. At his fall, he mobilized and led an army of fallen angels constituting his rebellious kingdom, known today as ‘The kingdom of darkness’. The kingdom of darkness, no doubt is at war with the kingdom of Light.
Although, the war was started in heaven, it continues in the hearts of men and that is the greatest battleground today. There is a keen contest over the throne of every man’s heart, which is the epicenter of this war.
Our Hope…
In all of these, God is not indifferent, but has made adequate provision for the Saints to engage, confront and withstand the adversary and enforce their victory. This He did by sending His only begotten Son Jesus, to die and redeem man from the power of the Devil. His death and resurrection provides for us an advantage over the enemy:
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” And also, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith” – 1 John 4:4; 5:4.
Jesus got the victory for us, that is why “…in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). He was manifested to take away our sins and destroy the works of the Devil (1 John 3:8) and He ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25).
Our Role…
There is the need to understand that if we do not ride on the victory of Christ, then we will become the victims in this war. There is no safe zone as long as this war between the Kingdom of Light and that of darkness is concerned. Everyone is an active participant in this battle whether consciously or unconsciously. The enemy will not spare you for your ignorance, in fact you’ll become the greatest casualty if you feign ignorance. The Devil has a detailed plan against your life and is working tirelessly to execute it moment by moment as revealed by Apostle Peter:
“Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking for whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” – 1 Peter 5: 8 – 9.
There is the need to understand that if we do not ride on the victory of Christ, then we will become the victims in this war. There is no safe zone as long as this war between the Kingdom of Light and that of darkness is concerned. Everyone is an active participant in this battle whether consciously or unconsciously. The enemy will not spare you for your ignorance, in fact you’ll become the greatest casualty if you feign ignorance.
We must understand that Satan is never a friend but an eternal adversary of God and man. We must also remember that we’ve been given the mandate to take charge of the earth by bringing the culture of God’s Kingdom to bear on it (Luke 19: 13). We also have a crucial task of recovering every lost ground (media, education, politics, religion, economy, etc.) where Satan has registered his presence, back to the King of kings because we are His foot soldiers and His agents in this war. We are to hold the fort for our King here till He returns, and this will require focus and a sound knowledge of the provisions made available to us by His ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
God has done His part by giving us His Son to restore us back to our place. It is therefore left for us to play our roles correctly in order to stay victorious in this war.
What then is our role?
- Be watchful, sober and vigilant at all times – 1 Peter 5 : 8 – 9
- Put on the whole armour of God – Ephesians 6 : 10 – 18
- Be diligent in studying and meditating on the Word of God – 2 Tim 2:15; Josh.1:8
- Maintain a fervent and consistent life of prayer and communion with God – 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18 : 1; Matthew 26 : 41
- Stay committed to a local Church with sound biblical doctrine – Hebrews 10 : 25
- Do the work of the Ministry – Colossians 4 : 17
Finally….
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Now thanks be unto God which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world – Romans 8:31, 37; 2 Corinthians 2:14; John 16:33.
Maranatha!
World Changers Magazine 