Although Satan is no longer able to live in heaven, he is currently able to visit heaven. During these visits, he accuses God's people of every sin they commit and demands that God pour out His wrath upon His own people. The good news is that Satan will not be able to visit heaven indefinitely. The day will come when he is cast permanently.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN is cast down, which ACCUSED THEM BEFORE OUR GOD DAY AND NIGHT. AND THEY OVERCAME HIM BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, AND BY THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY; AND THEY LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO THE DEATH. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Rev 12:7-12
Good news! Rev 12 gives us critical information that can be used in our warfare against Satan. The word 'they' in verse 11 refers to believers in Christ. We fight together with the holy angels of God to cast Satan out of heaven and we hold the balance of power. There are four critical pieces of info that will help us.
How Satan Attacks
Satan comes in like a prosecuting attorney. He is called the accuser of the brothers and sisters. Satan seeks to use God's law as a weapon to oppress His people. This doesn't mean that Satan cares about God's law. Satan hates God's law and loves lawlessness. He only cares about how he can use God's law to gain an advantage and cares ONLY about the parts that he can use. Satan is a master on how to use the law to promote lawlessness. Satan is the Father of corrupt prosecutors. Satan will accuse you of lust or hate or whatever sin has overtaken you and ask God to execute judgment against you and act as your adversary. There are several passages that say plainly that God sometimes, even in the New Testament will deliver chastisement to His people.
And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Heb 12:5-11
“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
“Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1Co 10:1-12
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 1Co 11:26-32
But Satan is defeated...
By the Blood of the Lamb.
It is the blood of Jesus that destroys Satan's power and works of Satan. We read in Col 2:11-15 how Christ overcame Satan at the cross.
“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Col 2:11-15
The phrase handwriting of ordinances that was against us is another of referring to criminal charges. Christ dismissed all charges against us by means of His blood This passage could just as easily read 'And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;dismissing any and all CRIMINAL CHARGES and CIVIL SUITS that have been filed against us and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; ' The blood of Christ Jesus took away all of Satan's accusations as well as the sin nature and sins.
Principalities and powers is referring to Satan and his kingdom (see Eph 6:10-18). Satan has been defeated by the blood of Jesus Christ. Christ through the shedding of His blood on the cross takes away Satan's position and right to prosecute
By the Word of Their Testimony .
Our testimony is the means by which the blood of Jesus is applied in the ministry of destroying Satan's kingdom on earth and Satan's access to the Throne of Heaven. Our testimony is our confession of the blood of Jesus. This confession has great power both legally and spiritually. The text below shows us, that in addition to it's legal value in God's court, that confession of the blood is an act of faith that unleashes God's power.
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom 10:6-10
This text says that with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. The confession becomes the salvation. God uses our confession of his Word to apply His Word to our lives. In the war against Satan we are to confess what the blood of Jesus has done and does. Our confession should be done both individually and in groups and should include the following
The blood of Jesus takes away Satan's accusations
The blood of Jesus takes away sinful desires (be specific to your case)
The blood of Jesus has destroyed Satan's authority.
The blood of Jesus destroys Satan's power
The blood of Jesus destroys the sin nature
The blood of Jesus draws me near to God
The blood of Jesus has redeemed me from the world system
The blood of Jesus takes away Satan's access to God.
Repeated confession of the power of the blood meditation of Scriptures concerning the power of the blood, and singing and listening to songs about the blood unleashes the power of the blood. My personal favorite is the song by Carman This Blood.
They Loved not their lives unto death .
We must be prepared to fight to the death. God does not want willy nilly warfare. Overkill on non-essential tasks and shrinking back from essentials will not win this war.
Spiritual war is the same way. We must be focused on doing those things that will put an end to Satan's assault.
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