Not long after creation was finished there was a great war in Heaven. We know it was after the completion of creation because when God finished creation he declared in Genesis 1:31 “it is very good.” We know Satan in his present state, is not good! The aftermath we see in Genesis is when the Serpent tempted Eve. The knowledge of this war is spread throughout the Bible.
Revelation 12:7 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels,”
This war in Heaven was between the Angels. Angels are created beings, but they are not made in the image of God. Mankind is the only creation made in the image of God. (Side note, we do not become Angels when we die! We are better than the Angels.) We find in Jude where Michael the archangel, leader of the angels for God, had to appeal to the Lord Jesus to oppose Satan.
Jude 1:9 “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”
I can only imagine how the Trinity must have felt when Lucifer, allowed pride to dictate his actions. In Isaiah 14:12-14 we see his fall and his desires. He wanted to usurp himself above God. He thought he knew better. He even had a following of one-third of the angels in Heaven. Therefore, we know from the beginning that the devil was very persuasive.
Isaiah 14:12-14 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”
Revelation 12:4 gives us an imagery of Satan’s desires. His desire is still to kill and destroy. In I Peter 5:8, his desire and designs are to devour us. He is cunning and vigilant. He does not let up or go away, but he cannot overcome us if we are surrendered to Jesus. Our Advocate, our Protector, our Savior, is always on our side fighting our battles for us. Because I John 4:4 teaches us, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.”
Revelation 12:4 “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.”
I Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
No longer was Satan allowed to be in the presence of God. He was cast out of Heaven. He now roams the earth with his demons until the final judgment when He will be bound and cast into Hell forever.
Revelation 12:8-10 “And prevailed not; neither was their place found anymore 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.”
The angels that fell with Satan that day, we now call demons. Satan is not omnipresent, so he can only be in one place at a time, but he has demons to do his work for him. When we are tempted it is not by God but always by one of these fallen angels.
We know we are in a battle here on this earth. Satan, or the devil, is the “prince of the air,” (John 14:30), and the prince of the world, (John 16:11). He is roaming the earth, free to tempt and seeks to destroy us. He is also called the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4), (Ephesians 6:12). He is also referred to as “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,” Ephesians 2:2. We are also told he was a very beautiful angel in Ezekiel chapter 28. God made him the most beautiful of created creatures, but his outward beauty and knowledge became his downfall. He was cast out of Heaven and now roams the earth “seeking whom he may devour.” He is deceitful and entices the world with his beauty and cunning behavior. He shows us what we want to see, instead of what is real. He never shows the person who is taking his first drink the life of a drunkard. We seem to take great value in the outward beauty, and the seemingly fun rewarding way of life. We allow ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of what really matters, forgetting what is real.
Reality is the knowledge that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) He is ready to take us as his own if we will submit to his authority and leadership. He fought the battle for us on the cross. A battle that was won in Heaven and earth that day. Jesus even declared from the cross “IT IS FINISHED.” We have a General that will go before us and not only show us how to maneuver in this battle but will fight it for us. It is therefore up to us to determine which Army we will join. In the world’s eyes, we may never be looked upon as successful, but when we enlist in the Lord’s Army we have become part of something bigger and better than this world will ever know!
