Do You Know Your Enemy?

Do You Know Your Enemy?

SCRIPTURE

Revelation 12

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

Satan Thrown Down to Earth

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 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 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 on the sand of the sea.


OBSERVATIONS

Who is our Enemy?

Why is our Enemy after us?

How do we overcome our Enemy?


When we study God’s Word, it should lead us to both rejoicing and repenting. 

  • What stands out to you from the text?
  • What questions or comments do you have about it?
  • In what ways did you find yourself encouraged and/or rejoicing when you heard the message?
  • In what ways were you challenged to repent or change when you heard the message?
  • How did the teacher connect this passage to Christ? What other connections do you see between this message and the redemptive work of Christ?

CONCLUSION

  • What is one thing that you want to remember from this sermon?  
  • Why is that important to you?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Fast Facts on Revelation

  • Tradition tells us that Revelation was written ~96 AD by the Apostle John while he was in exile on the island of Patmos. He would have been in his 80’s.
  • Domitian was the Roman Emperor at this time (81-96 AD). He ordered all citizens and subjects to worship him as “Lord and God.” He called himself “Everlasting King” and required citizens and subjects to visit his temple, throw a pinch of incense on the fire of the altar, and say: “Caesar Kurios.”
  • “Revelation” is a translation of the Greek word ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis). It means to reveal, unveil, or disclose.
  • Revelation is not meant to be a riddle; it’s meant to reveal Jesus Christ. (But we should humbly admit that we may not accurately understand all that Revelation reveals.)
  • Revelation was written by a pastor (John) to churches in Asia Minor in AD 96. Revelation is not meant to be an enigma; it’s meant to be an encouragement to churches to persevere in their faithfulness to Christ.
  • Revelation has 404 verses, with 285 Old Testament citations and as many as 550 OT allusions.
  • Revelation is written in a genre that uses people, animals, events, natural phenomena, numbers, colors, etc. symbolically to reveal reality to its readers. 

Recommended Resources

  • Discipleship on the Edge by Darrell Johnson
  • Christ-Centered Exposition by Daniel Akin
  • Blessed by Nancy Guthrie
  • The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary) by G.K. Beale