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. KJV — Revelation 12:9
When Satan was cast out of heaven, he purposed to continue waging war against God. Since he had already been defeated in heaven, he directed his attacks to God’s most precious creation. He approached Eve with the same deception he had used to decieve a third of the angels in heaven: casting doubt on the law of God.
Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? KJV — Genesis 3:1
Again, he brought the sentiment that through the law, God was being restrictive and wanted all the glory to Himself:
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. KJV — Genesis 3:4,5
The same deception that led to the fall of angels in heaven, led to the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden. And just as angels were cast out of heaven, so Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23,24).
But God would not leave man to perish. The broken law demanded death, and God gave His Son that man may not perish.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. KJV — John 3:16
Man would have a second chance. In order to enter the kingdom of heaven, man must once again be subject to its laws. So Paul writes,
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. KJV — Hebrews 10:16,17
Satan continues the struggle for souls by spreading the lie that God’s law need not be followed any more. On one side men are led to have a blatant disregard for God. He seeks to have men beleive that all is well without God. But we can never know true peace and happiness apart from God.
There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked. KJV — Isaiah 48:22
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. KJV — Psalm 119:165
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: KJV — Isaiah 48:18
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. KJV — Matthew 6:33
On the other side, Satan leads professed Christians to beleive that the law was done away with at the cross. As we will see in future studies, grace does not cancel obedience.
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. KJV — 1John 2:3,4
While the majiority of the world is deceived, God will always have a witness to stand for the truth. This small group becomes the special object of Satan’s hatred:
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. KJV — Revelation 12:17
The language in Revelation is symbolic so the woman here represents the church (Eph 5:23-33, 2 Cor 11:2). We can therefore see that God’s true church is identified as keeping the commandments of God, and having the testimony of Jesus Christ.
In the end there will be a people who withstand the devil’s deceptions and prove themselves loyal to the kingdom of Heaven. They will not deviate from God’s law. The first war ever fought was over the law of God. The last war on earth will be over the same. John writes of this victorious group:
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. KJV — Revelation 22:14
May you be a part of that winning number.
The War in Heaven