How Christ Defeated Satan (And You Will Too) (Ephesians 6:10-12)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:05.679 He may be seated. I hesitate because I have a lot of scripture to 2 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:15.310 read to you tonight. I'm very excited about and I want to begin in 3 00:00:16.390 --> 00:00:23.620 this passage of God's word that we have been considering in Ephesians, Ephesians, 4 00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:33.659 chapter six versus ten, ten through twelve tonight, and then we're going to 5 00:00:33.780 --> 00:00:42.450 put that in a broader context using some passages from revelation. So it's we've 6 00:00:42.530 --> 00:00:47.530 been going through the book of Ephesians. We've been learning from the Lord who 7 00:00:47.570 --> 00:00:52.079 we are in him, how we belong together, what it means that the 8 00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:58.439 Kingdom of God has come through his son. He's also given us recently, 9 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:03.600 in chapter five and the beginning of six, instructions on how we ought to 10 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:08.829 live as Christians in the world, not just with one another, but in 11 00:01:10.230 --> 00:01:15.269 the various stations and and callings he has called us into, and terms of 12 00:01:15.310 --> 00:01:21.019 our marriages, our parents and children, servants and masters are mentioned as well. 13 00:01:22.219 --> 00:01:25.340 And now, as we come to the close of Paul's Letter, the 14 00:01:25.420 --> 00:01:29.859 apostle, Paul's letter to the Ephesians, the church in Ephesus, he is 15 00:01:30.099 --> 00:01:34.969 giving us this exhortation to be strong and to stand firm. Let's hear that 16 00:01:34.049 --> 00:01:40.849 now, effusion six, verse ten. Finally, be strong in the Lord 17 00:01:40.890 --> 00:01:45.450 and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God 18 00:01:46.170 --> 00:01:49.680 that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For 19 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:55.920 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against 20 00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:00.709 the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual 21 00:02:00.870 --> 00:02:06.909 forces of evil in the heavenly places. One more, therefore, take up 22 00:02:06.909 --> 00:02:09.710 the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil 23 00:02:09.789 --> 00:02:16.539 day and, having done all to stand firm. In the following verses, 24 00:02:16.620 --> 00:02:24.020 Paul goes on to give a description of of this armor of God, as 25 00:02:24.060 --> 00:02:31.129 we considered last time. We began by thinking about this section. We began 26 00:02:31.289 --> 00:02:36.090 by thinking about what it was God was commanding us to do. Simply put, 27 00:02:36.729 --> 00:02:40.250 be strong, but not in our own strength, in his. And 28 00:02:40.409 --> 00:02:44.520 the reason for that, the why of that, is because we face a 29 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:51.479 great danger, Satan himself, the schemes of the devil. Paul says, 30 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:55.240 we don't wrestle, we don't fight and struggle against flesh and blood, but 31 00:02:55.360 --> 00:03:04.030 against something else, something bigger and something powerful, spiritual forces, cosmic powers, 32 00:03:05.550 --> 00:03:07.509 I want to open that up a little bit more to you tonight. 33 00:03:07.909 --> 00:03:15.699 I'm using some passages in revelation. Let's begin by looking at a chapter five, 34 00:03:15.740 --> 00:03:23.539 revelation chapter five. The question were answering here is, what does palm 35 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:30.490 mean when he says wrestling with struggling with cosmic powers? And perhaps will also 36 00:03:30.530 --> 00:03:35.650 learn along the way a little more about what it means to be strong in 37 00:03:35.770 --> 00:03:42.000 the Lord. We begin in revelation chapter five or six, where we learn 38 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:47.319 that the Lord is a lamb. Very interesting way to think about strength. 39 00:03:49.240 --> 00:03:53.800 Right. A bit counterintuitive if I were to say be strong in the lamb. 40 00:03:54.990 --> 00:03:58.270 I'm if you were not a Christian, if you had didn't have an 41 00:03:58.310 --> 00:04:03.189 understanding of how Jesus is, sacrifice brought about strength, as we just saying 42 00:04:03.389 --> 00:04:10.539 that he he died so that he might reign, this image of a lamb 43 00:04:10.580 --> 00:04:14.460 might be confusing. But, as we considered this morning in our class, 44 00:04:14.979 --> 00:04:21.220 it's through suffering that victory comes. So revelation six, here is our Lord 45 00:04:21.660 --> 00:04:26.250 and between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I 46 00:04:26.370 --> 00:04:32.689 saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain, with seven horns and 47 00:04:32.810 --> 00:04:36.250 with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all 48 00:04:36.290 --> 00:04:41.759 the earth. Just notice. There are a number of things to notice here, 49 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:45.079 but one to notice is that the lamb, who looks like he was 50 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:50.680 slain, is standing. Usually, slain lambs don't stand unless, of course, 51 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:55.709 they've risen from the dead, which is exactly what has happened with our 52 00:04:55.829 --> 00:05:02.029 Lord, the sacrificial lamb. He stands, he stands with strength and might. 53 00:05:02.069 --> 00:05:08.699 Verse Seven. And he went and took and he went and took the 54 00:05:08.779 --> 00:05:11.579 scroll from the right hand of him, who was seated on the throne. 55 00:05:11.620 --> 00:05:15.259 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty 56 00:05:15.300 --> 00:05:19.259 four elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp and Golden Bulls 57 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:25.810 full of Incense, incense which are the prayers of the saints, and they 58 00:05:25.889 --> 00:05:30.250 sang a new song, saying worthy are you to take the scroll and to 59 00:05:30.370 --> 00:05:34.569 open it seals, for you were slain and by your blood you ransom to 60 00:05:34.649 --> 00:05:40.160 the people of God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You 61 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:45.279 have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign 62 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:48.480 on the earth. It just keeps going from there, but I'll let you 63 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:53.870 read that at home. But do you see the strength with which he speaks, 64 00:05:54.230 --> 00:06:00.350 of the way in which of this heavenly court is calling out in praise 65 00:06:00.509 --> 00:06:04.579 to the lamb of God, because he rose from the dead, because he 66 00:06:04.779 --> 00:06:12.139 ransomed his people and he is established a kingdom through the suffering of the lamb, 67 00:06:12.300 --> 00:06:19.569 a kingdom of strength has been established. So this tells us about the 68 00:06:19.649 --> 00:06:25.649 lamb. This is the one in whose strength we stand. We stand in 69 00:06:26.050 --> 00:06:33.160 his standing, we stand in him. But though the lamb has risen from 70 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:40.000 the dead, though the sacrifice was effective for God's people and established the Kingdom 71 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:46.759 of God, the eternal and permanent kingdom of God, the Church finds herself 72 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:54.670 in a very, very difficult place. As John writes the apocalypse, the 73 00:06:54.829 --> 00:07:01.139 revelation to the churches, we read that they are struggling. In revelation to 74 00:07:01.779 --> 00:07:06.860 versus nine and ten, in his addressed to the church in Smyrna, John 75 00:07:06.980 --> 00:07:13.740 writes to these Christians. He says, I know your tribulation and your poverty, 76 00:07:14.620 --> 00:07:17.490 but you are rich and the slander of those who say that they are 77 00:07:17.689 --> 00:07:27.250 Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear 78 00:07:27.689 --> 00:07:32.879 what you are about to suffer behold, the devil is about to throw some 79 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:38.360 of you in prison that you may be tested and for ten days you will 80 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:44.430 have tribulation. Be Faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of 81 00:07:44.550 --> 00:07:47.430 life. He who has an ear let the let him hear what the spirit 82 00:07:47.509 --> 00:07:54.269 says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the 83 00:07:54.470 --> 00:08:01.139 second death. They're referencing the judgment to come. So you see what he 84 00:08:01.220 --> 00:08:07.019 says to these churches. He says you're about to face a tribulation. Some 85 00:08:07.220 --> 00:08:09.259 of you are going to be thrown in jail, in prison, you'll will 86 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:13.850 be put there. It is going to be hard, but do not fear. 87 00:08:16.290 --> 00:08:20.930 Do not fear. Why? One? Because you'll receive the crown of 88 00:08:22.009 --> 00:08:31.600 life. You won't die, even if you suffer unto death. Also be 89 00:08:31.879 --> 00:08:37.200 aware that the forces in which you are facing, Christians and SMYRNA and Christians 90 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:43.990 everywhere who face this persecution, understand that the persecution you are facing is not 91 00:08:43.429 --> 00:08:48.909 just those people who say they are Jews and are not. They are to 92 00:08:48.990 --> 00:08:54.830 be understood as a synagogue of Satan. Remember what Paul says. The things 93 00:08:54.870 --> 00:08:58.779 that you are fighting against are not flesh and blood, but spiritual, cosmic 94 00:08:58.899 --> 00:09:01.460 powers to the Christians and SMYRNE. He's saying the saying. John saying the 95 00:09:01.539 --> 00:09:05.740 same thing. He says what is behind the persecution that you are about to 96 00:09:05.899 --> 00:09:13.009 face and that you have already faced? He's Satan himself. Do not fear, 97 00:09:13.090 --> 00:09:16.090 verse ten, what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil 98 00:09:16.490 --> 00:09:22.889 is about to throw some of you in prison, but don't fear. Why 99 00:09:22.929 --> 00:09:26.600 should we not fear? We should not fear because of what Paul says and 100 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:30.799 a Fusian. Six, we stand in his strength. We should not fear 101 00:09:30.919 --> 00:09:33.840 because of what John writes here in revelation. The lamb, who is slain, 102 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:45.629 is standing and his kingdom is standing and powerful. Now one of the 103 00:09:45.789 --> 00:09:54.419 reasons that the the heavenly court, is so happy in Effesians are, I'm 104 00:09:54.419 --> 00:10:00.340 sorry, in revelation five, is that no one was able to open the 105 00:10:00.379 --> 00:10:05.220 scroll until the lamb. The lamb is able to open the scroll. The 106 00:10:05.259 --> 00:10:11.809 lamb will reveal, will pull back the curtain so that we can't understand what 107 00:10:11.009 --> 00:10:16.730 is going on in our lives. What it is, what the persecution wet 108 00:10:16.809 --> 00:10:20.759 face and may face is what those tribulations and trial, what it is when 109 00:10:20.919 --> 00:10:26.000 Paul says these cosmic powers of this present darkness, what all of that is 110 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:31.919 is revealed to us as the lamb, who is was worthy opens of a 111 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:43.029 scroll. What we find is that these Christians and SMYRNA and in the other 112 00:10:43.149 --> 00:10:50.779 churches and throughout the world and even to today, will find success and will 113 00:10:50.860 --> 00:10:54.700 find victory because of because of the lamb and because of who he is. 114 00:10:56.899 --> 00:11:05.809 So now we turn to revelation chapter twelve, and here we have another picture 115 00:11:05.889 --> 00:11:09.929 of that, a picture of Satan, of the powers that we face, 116 00:11:11.210 --> 00:11:16.730 of the of the tribulations we face. It's a way of of God helping 117 00:11:16.769 --> 00:11:24.480 us to understand what's going on in my life. It is extremely practical what 118 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:33.309 we have here now. It's put in very profound terms, but he helps 119 00:11:33.350 --> 00:11:43.990 us to understand what's your revelation twelve and a great sign appeared in heaven, 120 00:11:43.070 --> 00:11:48.539 a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on 121 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:54.019 her head and crown ahead of cry sorry, and on her head a crown 122 00:11:54.419 --> 00:12:01.889 of twelve stars, and this woman represents God's people. She was pregnant and 123 00:12:03.250 --> 00:12:07.769 was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another 124 00:12:07.809 --> 00:12:13.169 sign appeared in heaven. Behold a great red dragon with seven heads and ten 125 00:12:13.370 --> 00:12:22.200 horns and on his heads seven diadems. This represents the serpent from of old, 126 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:26.919 from Genesis. This dragon is connected to him, he is Satan himself 127 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:33.389 and he is powerful, he is crowned. He has with these seven diadems. 128 00:12:33.590 --> 00:12:37.470 First, for his tail, swept down a third of the stars of 129 00:12:37.549 --> 00:12:41.470 Heaven and cast them to the earth. And the Dragon stood before the woman 130 00:12:41.470 --> 00:12:43.269 who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child, 131 00:12:43.580 --> 00:12:50.820 he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who 132 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:56.059 is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child 133 00:12:56.259 --> 00:13:01.370 was caught up to God and to His throne, and the woman fled into 134 00:13:01.409 --> 00:13:05.250 the Wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God which she is to 135 00:13:05.330 --> 00:13:11.169 be nourished for one thousand, two hundred and sixty days. What is symbolized 136 00:13:11.250 --> 00:13:16.960 here is that the Church of God I'm gives birth, as will God promised 137 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.720 to this promised seed. This child was born, this one who is going 138 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:24.480 to rule the nations with a rod of iron, the son of David, 139 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:28.509 the son of Abraham, this one who would establish a kingdom. But there 140 00:13:28.710 --> 00:13:33.470 is the dragon wanting to devour him, and we saw this in the Lord's 141 00:13:33.549 --> 00:13:39.629 birth right. The powers and the governments and the authorities of this world, 142 00:13:39.110 --> 00:13:46.940 driven behind them by a satanic power, tried to destroy the Christ. You 143 00:13:46.019 --> 00:13:52.220 remember what Herod did, how we deceived the wise men, how he how 144 00:13:52.299 --> 00:13:58.529 he tried to kill all the baby boys, how Joseph had to take his 145 00:13:58.769 --> 00:14:05.210 wife and is his son to flee to Egypt. But Jesus didn't just escape. 146 00:14:05.250 --> 00:14:11.120 Then, eventually, skipping to the end, he was caught up to 147 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:16.440 the throne of God. Jesus didn't for his life. Wasn't just preserve for 148 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:22.440 a mere moment. Is preserved for all eternity because of who he is. 149 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:26.750 Jesus, sitting at the right hand of a throne of God, is safe 150 00:14:28.070 --> 00:14:35.070 and secure and powerful. But what of the woman? The woman flees into 151 00:14:35.110 --> 00:14:41.460 the Wilderness, but she's going to be okay. Why? Because God is 152 00:14:41.500 --> 00:14:46.820 prepared a place for her. She is going to be nursed for him by 153 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:58.450 him for a time. Continuing on, the scene comes into will all just 154 00:14:58.570 --> 00:15:03.409 reread for seven now a war. Now, war arose in heaven, Michael 155 00:15:03.450 --> 00:15:07.480 and his angels fighting against the Dragon, and the dragon and his angel and 156 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.840 his angels fought back, but he was defeated and there was no longer any 157 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:16.519 place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that 158 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:22.029 ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole 159 00:15:22.070 --> 00:15:28.350 world. He was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down 160 00:15:28.470 --> 00:15:33.710 with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying now the salvation 161 00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:37.100 and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the Authority of his Christ 162 00:15:37.220 --> 00:15:43.139 have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who 163 00:15:43.179 --> 00:15:48.820 accuses them day and night before our God, and they have conquered him by 164 00:15:48.019 --> 00:15:54.049 the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they 165 00:15:54.169 --> 00:15:58.929 loved not their lives, even unto death. Therefore Rejoice, Oh heavens, 166 00:15:58.970 --> 00:16:02.970 and you who dwell in them. But woe to you, oh earth, 167 00:16:03.090 --> 00:16:06.799 and see, for the devil has come down to you in his great wrath 168 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:14.799 because he knows that his time is short. And when the devils are same 169 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:18.559 difference. And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to Earth, 170 00:16:18.909 --> 00:16:22.710 he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child, but 171 00:16:22.830 --> 00:16:26.070 the woman was given to the two wings of a Great Eagle so that she 172 00:16:26.149 --> 00:16:30.389 might fly from the serpent into the Wilderness to the place where she is to 173 00:16:30.429 --> 00:16:36.659 be nourished for a time and times and half a time. The serpent poured 174 00:16:36.779 --> 00:16:40.740 water like a river out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away 175 00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:44.740 with the flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman and 176 00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:48.690 the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from 177 00:16:48.690 --> 00:16:52.409 his mouth and the Dragon. Then, the dragon became furious with the woman 178 00:16:52.649 --> 00:16:56.049 and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, on those 179 00:16:56.090 --> 00:17:00.490 who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And 180 00:17:00.610 --> 00:17:04.519 he stood on the sand of the sea. In the second section, in 181 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:07.720 seven through the end of the chapter, we have this what we call a 182 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:14.400 recapitulation, a sort of revisiting of a scene that we saw, parts of 183 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:19.190 scenes that we saw in the first few verses when Satan swept his tail and 184 00:17:19.269 --> 00:17:23.470 a third were cast from heaven. From these pictures come up again, the 185 00:17:23.630 --> 00:17:30.259 woman being chased by the Serpent Dragon Satan out into the Wilderness and then being 186 00:17:30.380 --> 00:17:33.140 protected there for a time, time, times and half a times. All 187 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:38.660 of these things are repeated here. The difference is is that we have what 188 00:17:38.819 --> 00:17:45.289 many scholars believe is a kind of court room scene where you have a Satan, 189 00:17:45.369 --> 00:17:52.890 the great accuser. I'm battling in this legal argument against Michael and his 190 00:17:52.250 --> 00:17:57.170 angels, and the good news is that the great accuser, the great liar, 191 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:04.759 is cast down. He is is one commentator put debarred. He loses 192 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:10.240 his standing before the throne of God. You see the love it. There's 193 00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:15.390 a time when Satan can stand in the Throne Room of God and point at 194 00:18:15.430 --> 00:18:19.710 you and say this one is worthless, this one is vile, this one 195 00:18:19.829 --> 00:18:27.579 is despicable and accuse. But once the blood of Christ comes and covers you 196 00:18:29.180 --> 00:18:34.500 and washes your sin away, everything he says is a lie. It's malpractice 197 00:18:34.619 --> 00:18:40.299 right. He is telling things that are not true. He has no basis 198 00:18:40.380 --> 00:18:47.529 for his accusations anymore because the sins have been paid for. But notice what 199 00:18:47.650 --> 00:18:53.009 happens in the middle of all of this scene. We realize what or what 200 00:18:55.170 --> 00:19:03.359 what we are told and I hope realize, is that there is victory for 201 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:11.710 us in the fall of the devil, in the strength of Christs, and 202 00:19:11.869 --> 00:19:15.109 this is key. Listen again to verses ten and eleven, and I heard 203 00:19:15.109 --> 00:19:21.430 a loud voice in heaven saying now the salvation and the power and the Kingdom 204 00:19:21.549 --> 00:19:27.579 of our God and the Authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser 205 00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:33.740 of our brothers has been thrown down. Who accuses them day and night before 206 00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:40.529 our God? How did this happen? How is it that we can know, 207 00:19:40.849 --> 00:19:44.650 as Paul says, that we can stand in the strength of the Lord 208 00:19:44.690 --> 00:19:51.490 and beat the schemes of the devil? How? Because, verse eleven, 209 00:19:52.130 --> 00:19:59.200 they have conquered past tense, conquered him by the blood of the lamb and 210 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:10.069 by the word of their testimony. Satan, as we see, is terrifying. 211 00:20:11.349 --> 00:20:15.750 Write this Great Dragon with many heads crowned with thorns, and we will 212 00:20:15.789 --> 00:20:18.109 have we won't read them tonight, but there are other pictures of him and 213 00:20:18.470 --> 00:20:23.220 descriptions of him and his power. The Saints and SMYRNA, saints in other 214 00:20:23.339 --> 00:20:30.539 places around the world, then and now, are scared because they're told you 215 00:20:30.619 --> 00:20:38.490 will go to prison and less you believe in the beast. Unless you submit 216 00:20:38.769 --> 00:20:45.490 to the Dragon Deny the Christ, you will die. They say, you 217 00:20:45.569 --> 00:20:48.250 will not be able to buy, you will not be able to live. 218 00:20:48.369 --> 00:20:52.880 We will hurt you, we will hurt your families. How do you stay 219 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:59.640 strong in that? How do you say strong in that? You stay strong 220 00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:07.029 by remembering that, though this one roars and prows allowed like a dragon and 221 00:21:07.309 --> 00:21:17.910 a lion, you need not fearing, because he's already been conquered by the 222 00:21:18.069 --> 00:21:25.900 blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. An amazing thing 223 00:21:26.059 --> 00:21:30.619 to think about, the strength of the things that we say have this power 224 00:21:30.900 --> 00:21:37.329 and effect on Satan. The time is still difficult. He knows his time 225 00:21:37.569 --> 00:21:42.170 is short. Verse Twelve says, and so he battles and he bites and 226 00:21:42.410 --> 00:21:48.920 he claws and he persecutes any harms us. Sometimes he we are even put 227 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:56.799 to death, but the church is never extinguished. Another picture in revelation the 228 00:21:56.799 --> 00:22:00.880 church is pictured. His too, faithful witnesses that are put to death and 229 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:06.109 then come to life again to witness and to testify to the strength and power 230 00:22:06.589 --> 00:22:11.910 of God. The reason we are strong is because Christ is a faithful witness. 231 00:22:11.029 --> 00:22:17.779 Revelation three says. The reason we are strong is because he always speaks 232 00:22:17.859 --> 00:22:22.500 the truth, even when our accuser speaks lies. The reason we are strong 233 00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:27.380 is because Christ already has the victory. He is the lamb who is slain, 234 00:22:27.460 --> 00:22:37.609 who is standing at the throne of God. This testimony, then, 235 00:22:37.690 --> 00:22:45.559 that we speak of is a testimony to his power. When we suffer in 236 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:49.039 his name, when we even die for the sake of his name, as 237 00:22:49.079 --> 00:22:56.839 we persevere, even unto death, for the sake of Christ, we are 238 00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:02.470 not atoning for our sins. We're not offering ourselves as a sacrifice. We're 239 00:23:02.549 --> 00:23:07.230 doing what? What does the word say? We are testifying to the atonement, 240 00:23:07.470 --> 00:23:11.150 we are witnessing to the atonement. We are standing not in our strength, 241 00:23:11.549 --> 00:23:18.180 in our righteousness, but in his that's why our witness is powerful, 242 00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:22.779 that's why our fighting is powerful, that's why our strength is powerful, because 243 00:23:22.819 --> 00:23:33.809 because we stand in him, life is very hard sometimes, and it might 244 00:23:33.970 --> 00:23:40.809 get much harder. The Lord says don't be surprised by these things, when 245 00:23:41.130 --> 00:23:45.920 fiery trials come upon you. Don't be surprised and don't fear them. Don't 246 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:48.759 wonder and go to sleep at night going I don't know, I don't know, 247 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:52.920 I don't know, I don't know. Say I know, I know, 248 00:23:52.200 --> 00:23:56.910 I know, I know, I know him, I know his strength. 249 00:23:59.470 --> 00:24:03.950 What all this is teaching us? In revelation, Paul's exhortation to us 250 00:24:03.990 --> 00:24:07.150 in Ephesians is that, first of all, we have a very difficult enemy, 251 00:24:08.990 --> 00:24:15.460 the Great Dragon Satan himself. We also learn that suffering is required. 252 00:24:17.339 --> 00:24:22.539 We are in a battle. You will not escape it. But if you 253 00:24:22.740 --> 00:24:26.210 stand in the strength of the Lord, if you stand in the strength of 254 00:24:26.329 --> 00:24:32.009 his might, because of the blood that was shed for you, you're suffering 255 00:24:32.130 --> 00:24:37.569 will become a testimony and a witness to that Gospel and will go to put 256 00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:42.680 down the work of Satan even more because, as we testify, as the 257 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:51.160 blood of Christians is shed, what happens? More people believe the work of 258 00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:56.309 say Ytan is defeated, all the more the gospel goes forth and the proof 259 00:24:56.509 --> 00:25:04.069 of God's work in us is made evident. You will not face the second 260 00:25:04.069 --> 00:25:11.380 death. So, beloved, stand strong, be firm. Your Lord is 261 00:25:11.579 --> 00:25:18.579 good. He's already won the battle and he will he will come again to 262 00:25:18.779 --> 00:25:26.609 bring this time and times and half a time to an end. This one 263 00:25:26.730 --> 00:25:30.049 thousand, two hundred and sixty days, that's all just a little time. 264 00:25:32.130 --> 00:25:41.279 He will bring it to an end. Revelation nineteen, well, VER's eleven. 265 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:44.920 Then I saw I heavenn opened and behold a white horse the one sitting 266 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:48.480 on the Horse is called faithful and true. That's the opposite of liar, 267 00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:52.710 by the way, faithful and true. And in his righteousness he judges and 268 00:25:52.869 --> 00:25:56.750 makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his 269 00:25:56.950 --> 00:26:03.109 head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows 270 00:26:03.230 --> 00:26:07.220 but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the 271 00:26:07.339 --> 00:26:15.019 name by which he is called is the word of God. And the armies 272 00:26:15.140 --> 00:26:18.970 of Heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, who were were 273 00:26:19.049 --> 00:26:23.970 following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which 274 00:26:25.089 --> 00:26:29.849 to strike down the nations, and he will rule them. With a rod 275 00:26:29.930 --> 00:26:33.920 of iron, he will tread the winepress of the fury, of the wrath 276 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:37.759 of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh has a name 277 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:45.640 written, King of kings and Lord of Lords. Then I saw an angel 278 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:48.990 standing in the Sun and with a loud voice, he called to the birds 279 00:26:48.069 --> 00:26:55.470 that fly directly overhead come gather for the great supper of God, to eat 280 00:26:55.589 --> 00:27:00.390 the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, 281 00:27:00.940 --> 00:27:04.220 the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, 282 00:27:04.420 --> 00:27:08.980 both free and slave, both great, small and great, and I 283 00:27:10.140 --> 00:27:14.259 saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make 284 00:27:14.380 --> 00:27:18.650 war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And 285 00:27:18.809 --> 00:27:22.369 the beast was captured and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, 286 00:27:22.410 --> 00:27:26.369 had done many signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark 287 00:27:26.410 --> 00:27:30.799 of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive 288 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:34.400 into the lake of fire that Burns with sulfur, and the rest were slain 289 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:38.799 by the sword that come came from the mouth of him who was sitting on 290 00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:45.230 the Horse, and all the birds were gorged on their flesh. You don't 291 00:27:45.269 --> 00:27:51.670 need to be scared about kings and mighty men. God knows how to vindicate 292 00:27:51.750 --> 00:27:56.509 himself, how to Take Care of his saints, and that care for the 293 00:27:56.630 --> 00:28:02.859 woman in the Wilderness is described then, at the beginning of revelation twenty, 294 00:28:03.259 --> 00:28:07.859 and then I'll finish with these words from beginning at verse seven. And when 295 00:28:07.940 --> 00:28:12.490 the thousand years are ended, that time, time and half times and half 296 00:28:12.529 --> 00:28:17.210 a time, Satan will be released from his prison and he will come out 297 00:28:17.289 --> 00:28:21.130 to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog 298 00:28:21.210 --> 00:28:25.650 and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand 299 00:28:25.769 --> 00:28:29.279 of the sea, and they marched up over the broad plane of the earth 300 00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:34.160 and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came 301 00:28:34.279 --> 00:28:41.950 down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was 302 00:28:42.109 --> 00:28:47.869 thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and false prophet 303 00:28:47.950 --> 00:28:56.180 were, and they will be tormented day and night forevermore. Then I saw 304 00:28:56.420 --> 00:29:00.259 a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence, 305 00:29:00.299 --> 00:29:06.460 earth and sky fled away and no place was found for them, and 306 00:29:06.619 --> 00:29:10.289 I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and 307 00:29:10.369 --> 00:29:12.650 the books were opened. Then another book was open, which is the book 308 00:29:12.690 --> 00:29:17.450 of life, and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, 309 00:29:17.490 --> 00:29:19.890 according to what they had done, and the sea gave up its dead 310 00:29:21.009 --> 00:29:23.359 who were in debt in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who 311 00:29:23.400 --> 00:29:26.200 were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according 312 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:30.000 to what they had done. Then death and hades were thrown into the lake 313 00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:36.200 of fire and this is the second death, or this is the second death 314 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:40.309 the lake of fire, and if anyone's name was not found written in the 315 00:29:40.390 --> 00:29:45.269 book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. But to 316 00:29:45.390 --> 00:29:52.589 those who remain strong, to those who keep the testimony of our God and 317 00:29:52.750 --> 00:29:57.259 say and point to him, he is my king, take my life. 318 00:29:57.740 --> 00:30:06.740 I live for him. He gives to us the kingdom, the eternal Kingdom 319 00:30:06.740 --> 00:30:08.609 of God, as he goes on to describe the new heavens and the new 320 00:30:08.690 --> 00:30:14.809 earth, eternal a Jerusalem, as he talks about in revelation seven. Every 321 00:30:14.890 --> 00:30:18.730 tear will be wiped from our eyes. We will know pain and suffering no 322 00:30:18.970 --> 00:30:26.519 more. We will live by the light of the lamb of God. No 323 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:32.680 son, no need live by the light of his glory. This is your 324 00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:41.109 king to fight. Be Strong, be courageous. Let's pray