[Originally preached 5 October, 2003]
Revelation 12.17
By nature we make plans. We make plans about our work, our celebrations, our free time. Part of making plans includes having certain expectations. We plan a picnic in the summertime with the expectation of weather warm enough to be outside. We plan a celebration expecting certain invited guests to attend. Having the right expectations is important. Having a picnic in the middle of a blizzard makes no sense, nor does having a celebration with no one there. Having right expectations is important not only when it comes to the little things of life. They are important when it comes to the larger issues also. As you develop plans for your lives you need to include what the Scriptures tells us about what to expect. You need realistic expectations.
Our text informs us of one very important expectation that we should have as we move through this life. If you miss this one then the plans that you make for your life will be unrealistic and life will become strangely frustrating. As you look at your life and think about what you’d like to see and what you should be able to expect, remember that you are in the middle of a war. You have an enemy. This enemy hates you with a passion and craves to see your eternal demise.
Last time we looked at the John’s vision of our ancient foe, the devil. We saw how this dragon attempted to destroy the Church. He failed. He tried to do it in one fell swoop and did not succeed. Now, should we expect that he has given up, that this key goal of his is no longer important to him? No! Satan is furious at the Church. And so, for the rest of the time that he has, he is focused on the goal of destroying as many of the offspring of the Church, as many of the seed of the woman, as he can. He knows that ‘his time is short’. He knows that he is going to the lake of fire. And so, he wants as much company there as he can get. So, Satan is after you. He is waging a war against you so that he can snare you and destroy you. This is a major expectation that you must have. How can you make a plan for your life without it?
Starting in chapter thirteen John is going to show us some special agents that Satan uses to attack the Church. Before we get to that I thought that it would be good to take a look at some of the methods that Satan uses in his war against us. My hope is that you will be armed for the conflict so that you can come through the war safely.
Let’s start with this. What is it that our enemy wants to get you to do? The titles used in our text to identify us help here. How does John label us? ‘…those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.’ Now, John could have referred to us as disciples or Christians or believers. But he didn’t. He used this language. And it makes sense. How were the seven churches attacked? [Remember, this is a letter written first of all to them.] Some were attacked so that they wouldn’t obey the commands of God. What was the sin of the church at Ephesus? This was the church that had abandoned love. But what had Jesus said in the upper room? ‘A new commandment I give to you. Love one another.’ What about some at the church at Pergamum? Their problem was false teaching. They were tolerating a departure from what God says in His Word. Obedience to the commands was under attack. Other churches were compromising their testimony to Jesus, their witness to Jesus and His Gospel. There was the church of Laodicea which was lukewarm. They had become like the surrounding society. And what can that mean but that they were downplaying how Jesus challenges the world and calls it to repentance. Then there were those in the church of Pergamum who were trying to maintain a faithful witness.
I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. Revelation 2:13
Bearing a faithful testimony to Jesus was hard. So, John encourages them by explaining what is going on. It’s not just that they had difficult neighbors. Satan was attacking. And he wanted them to give up their witness to Jesus as Lord over all things.
Do you see how Satan was at work in those churches of Asia Minor? He was trying to get them to compromise their diligence to the commands of God, to compromise their faithful witness to Jesus before a hostile world. If he could succeed then he would have a measure of victory in his war. The Church of Christ wouldn’t be destroyed but some who were a part of it would be. Woe to any who do not include in their plans the expectation of Satan’s warfare against the people of God.
Let’s move on. How does Satan do this? What methods does he use to snare the people of God? The Scriptures tell us. Consider a couple of examples. First, there’s Job. How did Satan attack? You know the story. We read about how Job lost all his wealth, his children and then his health. But then what happened? Then we read the counsel of his wife. ‘Curse God and die.’ And, as if that weren’t enough, his three ‘friends’ arrive supposedly to console him. But actually they attack him. All of this is included in Satan’s methodology. What is he doing? What is the focus of his attack on Job? Satan is trying to break Job. Job is almost overwhelmed by the emotional pressure of what has happened. Then add what the wife and friends say. Satan’s hope is not just that Job will reject his friends’ theology but that he will also reject his friends’ God. Satan wants him to adopt the attitude behind the comments of his wife. ‘Well, God, if this is how you treat your friends, those who work at following you faithfully, then good riddance. Who needs a God like you?’ This is a strategy that Satan has used often. And sadly, many times it has worked, though not with Job.
Let’s look at another way Satan goes about his work. We’re reading through the history of Joseph lately during worship. You’ll remember how Joseph was separated from home, suffered the cruelty of his brothers injustice and the afflictions of slavery. How long did Joseph have to deal with this? He struggled with this for thirteen years. A long time. And I think that the low point of it all must have been when he met up with the royal cupbearer. You remember how he interpreted his dream and how he predicted that the cupbearer would be restored to his position. Do you remember Joseph’s request? ‘When you get back to serving in Pharaoh’s court, remember me to the king and get me out of this dungeon.’ [See Genesis 40.14.] What would you be thinking if it were you watching the cupbearer leaving the prison on his way back to the court of the Pharaoh? ‘Surely he’ll remember me. Surely, he’ll bring my situation before the king and soon I’ll be out of this place.’ Imagine Joseph’s excitement. But that’s not what happened. Joseph was forgotten. Oh, the discouragement that he must have felt as day after day, nothing happened. No one came to release him. How sad it must have been as Joseph slowly accepted the fact that the cupbearer just forgot about him. Imagine how the sense of hopelessness must have overwhelmed. Now, he was sure that he was stuck in that hell-hole for the rest of his life. Do you see Satan’s method in this? It’s discouragement. How easy it would have been for Joseph to give up not just hope but even faith itself.
Then there’s Jesus’ three temptations at the beginning of His ministry. The first was about getting bread to eat. After forty days of fasting a man begins to starve. Jesus was hungry and needed to eat. Then there was jumping off the Temple and letting the angels catch Him. What a great way to gather a crowd. Who wouldn’t believe that He was the Messiah then? And then, there was getting the authority to rule the nations. And that was part of God’s plan anyway. Three results, all of which were good. But the means to each was evil. Of course, Satan emphasized how good the results were and hid how evil the means were. Fortunately, Jesus saw through his scam.
Here are just three ways Satan attacks the saints. He tries to break us emotionally. He tries to discourage us. He tries to fool us with good results brought about by evil means. In each, though, the result is the same. A failure to keep the commands of God and a failure to hold to a faithful testimony to Jesus. You need to be aware of your enemy. He hates you and is after you all the time. He wants you to join him in the lake of fire. And don’t minimize the threat. He has succeeded in the past. Remember Judas.
I hope that the fact of satanic warfare is clear to you. In different ways Satan is trying to get you to turn from faithful obedience and witness. The fact of this warfare must be one of your expectations for this life. Failing to understand this is the height of foolishness and it may cost you your soul. So, let me ask you. What do you expect of this life? Do you expect to be attacked by Satan? While Jesus knew that it was Satan who was after Him, neither Job nor Joseph did. All they could see was life happening. But we know that behind the evil of this world is our ancient foe. Are you ready for the battles? Are you watching for his attacks? Are they part of your expectations? I hope they are. If they are then you understand that life isn’t going to be smooth. No, it’s going to be a running battle. If you do understand this then you’ll also understand that you need help. There is no way that you can stand alone against the devil. He is patient, subtle, powerful and very angry. What is your help? Your help is always tied to the Gospel. It’s always a matter of looking to Jesus as your faithful Savior.
It’s appropriate that we are celebrating the Lord's Supper today. The Supper is the Gospel presented to your eyes. Looking at the Supper in faith is seeing the Gospel being applied to your soul. Consider some of the aspects of the Supper. The Supper is a meal and meals in the Bible were times of fellowship. This is a meal where we fellowship with Jesus. That’s one reason why it’s also called Communion. When the Supper is laid out before you it is an added assurance that Jesus is here to bless His people. And what is happening in the Supper? Food is offered. How is this a picture of the Gospel? Just as the food of the Supper nourishes your body, Jesus nourishes your soul. A malnourished body is prone to sickness because it cannot fight off disease. A malnourished soul is prone to falling for the schemes of Satan because it cannot fight off his attacks. Jesus strengthens souls by means of the Supper. In the Bible wine is a symbol of joy. In the Supper we are enabled to rejoice in God and in the assurance of His sovereign love for us. We are give reason to look optimistically to the future even though this life is hard and filled with afflictions and discouragements. In the Supper we are also pointed back to the cross where Jesus defeated Satan by His broken body and shed blood. Yes, our enemy furiously attacks us but his power has been blunted. By the grace of Jesus we can withstand him. The Supper also points us forward. One day this wearying warfare will be over. All of the saints of God will gather around the banquet table of the Lamb with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. By the Supper our hope for heaven is renewed. In our war with Satan we need the Gospel because the Gospel brings us to Jesus. All who receive the Lord's Supper in faith receive more of what the Gospel is all about because all who receive the Lord's Supper with faith receive more of Jesus.
Let me close with some questions for you to meditate upon.
- Are you expecting the attacks of Satan or are you expecting life to go fairly smoothly because of your hard work and good planning?
- Examine your own heart. Are you working at keeping the commandments of God and holding to a faithful witness to Jesus? Or are there signs of compromise? Could those signs be an indication that you are being fooled by the evil one?
- Are you pursuing more of Christ? Along with a faithful celebration of the Lord's Supper are you working at being faithful in the other spiritual disciplines, such as daily Bible reading and especially daily prayer?
We have a powerful enemy. And he is really angry at you. He wants to destroy you. He intends to attack you for the rest of your life. Are you ready for that? Is this part of the expectations that you have?
Revelation 12.17
By nature we make plans. We make plans about our work, our celebrations, our free time. Part of making plans includes having certain expectations. We plan a picnic in the summertime with the expectation of weather warm enough to be outside. We plan a celebration expecting certain invited guests to attend. Having the right expectations is important. Having a picnic in the middle of a blizzard makes no sense, nor does having a celebration with no one there. Having right expectations is important not only when it comes to the little things of life. They are important when it comes to the larger issues also. As you develop plans for your lives you need to include what the Scriptures tells us about what to expect. You need realistic expectations.
Our text informs us of one very important expectation that we should have as we move through this life. If you miss this one then the plans that you make for your life will be unrealistic and life will become strangely frustrating. As you look at your life and think about what you’d like to see and what you should be able to expect, remember that you are in the middle of a war. You have an enemy. This enemy hates you with a passion and craves to see your eternal demise.
Last time we looked at the John’s vision of our ancient foe, the devil. We saw how this dragon attempted to destroy the Church. He failed. He tried to do it in one fell swoop and did not succeed. Now, should we expect that he has given up, that this key goal of his is no longer important to him? No! Satan is furious at the Church. And so, for the rest of the time that he has, he is focused on the goal of destroying as many of the offspring of the Church, as many of the seed of the woman, as he can. He knows that ‘his time is short’. He knows that he is going to the lake of fire. And so, he wants as much company there as he can get. So, Satan is after you. He is waging a war against you so that he can snare you and destroy you. This is a major expectation that you must have. How can you make a plan for your life without it?
Starting in chapter thirteen John is going to show us some special agents that Satan uses to attack the Church. Before we get to that I thought that it would be good to take a look at some of the methods that Satan uses in his war against us. My hope is that you will be armed for the conflict so that you can come through the war safely.
Let’s start with this. What is it that our enemy wants to get you to do? The titles used in our text to identify us help here. How does John label us? ‘…those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.’ Now, John could have referred to us as disciples or Christians or believers. But he didn’t. He used this language. And it makes sense. How were the seven churches attacked? [Remember, this is a letter written first of all to them.] Some were attacked so that they wouldn’t obey the commands of God. What was the sin of the church at Ephesus? This was the church that had abandoned love. But what had Jesus said in the upper room? ‘A new commandment I give to you. Love one another.’ What about some at the church at Pergamum? Their problem was false teaching. They were tolerating a departure from what God says in His Word. Obedience to the commands was under attack. Other churches were compromising their testimony to Jesus, their witness to Jesus and His Gospel. There was the church of Laodicea which was lukewarm. They had become like the surrounding society. And what can that mean but that they were downplaying how Jesus challenges the world and calls it to repentance. Then there were those in the church of Pergamum who were trying to maintain a faithful witness.
I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. Revelation 2:13
Bearing a faithful testimony to Jesus was hard. So, John encourages them by explaining what is going on. It’s not just that they had difficult neighbors. Satan was attacking. And he wanted them to give up their witness to Jesus as Lord over all things.
Do you see how Satan was at work in those churches of Asia Minor? He was trying to get them to compromise their diligence to the commands of God, to compromise their faithful witness to Jesus before a hostile world. If he could succeed then he would have a measure of victory in his war. The Church of Christ wouldn’t be destroyed but some who were a part of it would be. Woe to any who do not include in their plans the expectation of Satan’s warfare against the people of God.
Let’s move on. How does Satan do this? What methods does he use to snare the people of God? The Scriptures tell us. Consider a couple of examples. First, there’s Job. How did Satan attack? You know the story. We read about how Job lost all his wealth, his children and then his health. But then what happened? Then we read the counsel of his wife. ‘Curse God and die.’ And, as if that weren’t enough, his three ‘friends’ arrive supposedly to console him. But actually they attack him. All of this is included in Satan’s methodology. What is he doing? What is the focus of his attack on Job? Satan is trying to break Job. Job is almost overwhelmed by the emotional pressure of what has happened. Then add what the wife and friends say. Satan’s hope is not just that Job will reject his friends’ theology but that he will also reject his friends’ God. Satan wants him to adopt the attitude behind the comments of his wife. ‘Well, God, if this is how you treat your friends, those who work at following you faithfully, then good riddance. Who needs a God like you?’ This is a strategy that Satan has used often. And sadly, many times it has worked, though not with Job.
Let’s look at another way Satan goes about his work. We’re reading through the history of Joseph lately during worship. You’ll remember how Joseph was separated from home, suffered the cruelty of his brothers injustice and the afflictions of slavery. How long did Joseph have to deal with this? He struggled with this for thirteen years. A long time. And I think that the low point of it all must have been when he met up with the royal cupbearer. You remember how he interpreted his dream and how he predicted that the cupbearer would be restored to his position. Do you remember Joseph’s request? ‘When you get back to serving in Pharaoh’s court, remember me to the king and get me out of this dungeon.’ [See Genesis 40.14.] What would you be thinking if it were you watching the cupbearer leaving the prison on his way back to the court of the Pharaoh? ‘Surely he’ll remember me. Surely, he’ll bring my situation before the king and soon I’ll be out of this place.’ Imagine Joseph’s excitement. But that’s not what happened. Joseph was forgotten. Oh, the discouragement that he must have felt as day after day, nothing happened. No one came to release him. How sad it must have been as Joseph slowly accepted the fact that the cupbearer just forgot about him. Imagine how the sense of hopelessness must have overwhelmed. Now, he was sure that he was stuck in that hell-hole for the rest of his life. Do you see Satan’s method in this? It’s discouragement. How easy it would have been for Joseph to give up not just hope but even faith itself.
Then there’s Jesus’ three temptations at the beginning of His ministry. The first was about getting bread to eat. After forty days of fasting a man begins to starve. Jesus was hungry and needed to eat. Then there was jumping off the Temple and letting the angels catch Him. What a great way to gather a crowd. Who wouldn’t believe that He was the Messiah then? And then, there was getting the authority to rule the nations. And that was part of God’s plan anyway. Three results, all of which were good. But the means to each was evil. Of course, Satan emphasized how good the results were and hid how evil the means were. Fortunately, Jesus saw through his scam.
Here are just three ways Satan attacks the saints. He tries to break us emotionally. He tries to discourage us. He tries to fool us with good results brought about by evil means. In each, though, the result is the same. A failure to keep the commands of God and a failure to hold to a faithful testimony to Jesus. You need to be aware of your enemy. He hates you and is after you all the time. He wants you to join him in the lake of fire. And don’t minimize the threat. He has succeeded in the past. Remember Judas.
I hope that the fact of satanic warfare is clear to you. In different ways Satan is trying to get you to turn from faithful obedience and witness. The fact of this warfare must be one of your expectations for this life. Failing to understand this is the height of foolishness and it may cost you your soul. So, let me ask you. What do you expect of this life? Do you expect to be attacked by Satan? While Jesus knew that it was Satan who was after Him, neither Job nor Joseph did. All they could see was life happening. But we know that behind the evil of this world is our ancient foe. Are you ready for the battles? Are you watching for his attacks? Are they part of your expectations? I hope they are. If they are then you understand that life isn’t going to be smooth. No, it’s going to be a running battle. If you do understand this then you’ll also understand that you need help. There is no way that you can stand alone against the devil. He is patient, subtle, powerful and very angry. What is your help? Your help is always tied to the Gospel. It’s always a matter of looking to Jesus as your faithful Savior.
It’s appropriate that we are celebrating the Lord's Supper today. The Supper is the Gospel presented to your eyes. Looking at the Supper in faith is seeing the Gospel being applied to your soul. Consider some of the aspects of the Supper. The Supper is a meal and meals in the Bible were times of fellowship. This is a meal where we fellowship with Jesus. That’s one reason why it’s also called Communion. When the Supper is laid out before you it is an added assurance that Jesus is here to bless His people. And what is happening in the Supper? Food is offered. How is this a picture of the Gospel? Just as the food of the Supper nourishes your body, Jesus nourishes your soul. A malnourished body is prone to sickness because it cannot fight off disease. A malnourished soul is prone to falling for the schemes of Satan because it cannot fight off his attacks. Jesus strengthens souls by means of the Supper. In the Bible wine is a symbol of joy. In the Supper we are enabled to rejoice in God and in the assurance of His sovereign love for us. We are give reason to look optimistically to the future even though this life is hard and filled with afflictions and discouragements. In the Supper we are also pointed back to the cross where Jesus defeated Satan by His broken body and shed blood. Yes, our enemy furiously attacks us but his power has been blunted. By the grace of Jesus we can withstand him. The Supper also points us forward. One day this wearying warfare will be over. All of the saints of God will gather around the banquet table of the Lamb with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. By the Supper our hope for heaven is renewed. In our war with Satan we need the Gospel because the Gospel brings us to Jesus. All who receive the Lord's Supper in faith receive more of what the Gospel is all about because all who receive the Lord's Supper with faith receive more of Jesus.
Let me close with some questions for you to meditate upon.
- Are you expecting the attacks of Satan or are you expecting life to go fairly smoothly because of your hard work and good planning?
- Examine your own heart. Are you working at keeping the commandments of God and holding to a faithful witness to Jesus? Or are there signs of compromise? Could those signs be an indication that you are being fooled by the evil one?
- Are you pursuing more of Christ? Along with a faithful celebration of the Lord's Supper are you working at being faithful in the other spiritual disciplines, such as daily Bible reading and especially daily prayer?
We have a powerful enemy. And he is really angry at you. He wants to destroy you. He intends to attack you for the rest of your life. Are you ready for that? Is this part of the expectations that you have?
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