WEBVTT 00:00:09.929 --> 00:00:16.489 As we continue our series in Revelation chapter 00:00:16.489 --> 00:00:21.350 12, if you recall, we introduced the topic and 00:00:21.350 --> 00:00:24.309 the subject two weeks ago, and we just talked 00:00:24.309 --> 00:00:27.829 about the content and the material of Revelation 00:00:27.829 --> 00:00:32.049 12, its flow and how it progresses and builds, 00:00:32.229 --> 00:00:34.850 and we talked about how it's apocalyptic literature. 00:00:35.789 --> 00:00:41.359 Last week... We considered this first great sign 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:45.939 that appeared in heaven. We learned about this 00:00:45.939 --> 00:00:52.159 woman who's on the brink of having a child. We 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:56.619 read in verses 1 through 2, a great sign appeared 00:00:56.619 --> 00:01:00.740 in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun and the 00:01:00.740 --> 00:01:03.539 moon under her feet, and on her head a crown 00:01:03.539 --> 00:01:07.359 of twelve stars. and she was with child, and 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:11.840 she cried out, being in labor and in pain, to 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:16.640 give birth. We recognize that this is the church 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:21.959 throughout the ages, that this is the redemptive 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:26.299 groanings of God's people leading up to the birth 00:01:26.299 --> 00:01:30.840 and the incarnation of God himself and taking 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:36.519 on flesh. We recognize... That this was the people 00:01:36.519 --> 00:01:40.540 of God longing for a Messiah and looking for 00:01:40.540 --> 00:01:44.060 the messianic hope which had been promised to 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:50.780 them. Today, we come to the second sign that 00:01:50.780 --> 00:01:55.439 appears in the sky, in the heaven. We read about 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:58.780 another sign which appears in heaven, a great 00:01:58.780 --> 00:02:05.459 red dragon. We'll consider today the enemy of 00:02:05.459 --> 00:02:10.000 the incarnation, the enemy of Christmas in a 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:14.280 very real sense, brothers and sisters, the enemy 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:16.400 of the Christian church, the enemy of Christ, 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:20.280 the enemy of the people of God, the enemy of 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:24.319 your soul. That's who we will consider today. 00:02:25.460 --> 00:02:31.080 If we think about the... nature of history, secular 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:34.659 and church history, and we think about the orientation 00:02:34.659 --> 00:02:38.620 of the world and society and cultures in the 00:02:38.620 --> 00:02:42.520 middle of all of that. We think about the Christian 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:47.419 church, the church of the living God. Time and 00:02:47.419 --> 00:02:51.240 time again, the culture, the world, and society 00:02:51.240 --> 00:02:57.199 have opposed the church. heightened in intensity 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:00.340 and degree, but then it goes down and it fluctuates 00:03:00.340 --> 00:03:02.860 and it goes up and it goes down. We think about 00:03:02.860 --> 00:03:06.319 the threats and the dangers that come against 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:10.099 the Christian church. We think about the false 00:03:10.099 --> 00:03:12.780 doctrine and the error that is so rampant in 00:03:12.780 --> 00:03:16.919 the world. We think about Islam in our day, a 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:20.180 real true threat to the church of Jesus Christ 00:03:20.180 --> 00:03:23.900 today in our world and in the future. Brothers 00:03:23.900 --> 00:03:27.129 and sisters, we think about... political governments. 00:03:27.490 --> 00:03:30.169 We think about kings and kingdoms all around 00:03:30.169 --> 00:03:32.810 the world and how they have come against the 00:03:32.810 --> 00:03:35.889 church and how they will throughout the rest 00:03:35.889 --> 00:03:40.990 of this age. We have a tendency to think about 00:03:40.990 --> 00:03:44.509 these groups or these aspects or these specific 00:03:44.509 --> 00:03:51.229 people and to focus on those individuals, recognizing 00:03:51.229 --> 00:03:58.639 and thinking that this is my real enemy. This 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:02.900 is where the malice and the hatred comes from. 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:08.539 This is why the church is opposed. But what we 00:04:08.539 --> 00:04:11.780 find is that there is something very, very fundamental 00:04:11.780 --> 00:04:15.699 to that opposition. There's something very, very 00:04:15.699 --> 00:04:18.319 foundational. There's something hidden and unseen 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:27.910 behind that opposition, There's a very real enemy 00:04:27.910 --> 00:04:33.829 behind that conflict. The devil. The enemy of 00:04:33.829 --> 00:04:39.250 Christ and his church. This is who we will consider 00:04:39.250 --> 00:04:43.550 today. We'll consider the great red dragon. We'll 00:04:43.550 --> 00:04:46.910 consider the dragon's disposition towards the 00:04:46.910 --> 00:04:50.769 woman and her child. And we will consider the 00:04:50.769 --> 00:04:57.800 dragon's failure. and God's victory in this text. 00:04:58.139 --> 00:05:04.279 So first, the great dragon. Notice in verse 3 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:10.399 that it says, Then another sign appeared. So 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:14.300 immediately, when we think about the great red 00:05:14.300 --> 00:05:19.339 dragon, we're not talking about a literal, physical 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:24.490 dragon. We're talking about a sign. or a symbol, 00:05:24.750 --> 00:05:30.310 something that represents something else. It's 00:05:30.310 --> 00:05:35.810 expressing meaning in a symbolic way. So we have 00:05:35.810 --> 00:05:40.230 to ask, who is this great red dragon? Well, we 00:05:40.230 --> 00:05:43.610 come to an understanding of that by looking at 00:05:43.610 --> 00:05:46.069 the description and looking at the rest of this 00:05:46.069 --> 00:05:51.550 text. How is the great red dragon described? 00:05:52.459 --> 00:05:56.060 How is he characterized in this text? Well, we 00:05:56.060 --> 00:06:00.620 read further in verse 3. Then another sign appeared 00:06:00.620 --> 00:06:05.699 in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon, having 00:06:05.699 --> 00:06:10.339 seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were 00:06:10.339 --> 00:06:15.800 seven diadems, or jewels, almost like crowns. 00:06:16.120 --> 00:06:21.540 And so, who is this dragon? What is he like? 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:26.720 Well, his seven heads and his ten horns and his 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:32.079 diadems stand for his authority, his power, his 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:34.879 influence in the world and among the kingdoms 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:39.600 and especially in governments and places of power. 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:44.699 We read in Revelation chapter 17 verses 9 through 00:06:44.699 --> 00:06:51.670 14 this. Here is the mind which... Here is the 00:06:51.670 --> 00:06:55.029 mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven 00:06:55.029 --> 00:06:58.410 mountains on which the woman sits. And they are 00:06:58.410 --> 00:07:04.829 seven kings. Five have fallen. One is. The other 00:07:04.829 --> 00:07:07.790 has not yet come. And when he comes, he must 00:07:07.790 --> 00:07:11.470 remain a little while. The beast, which was and 00:07:11.470 --> 00:07:15.230 is not, is himself also an eighth and is one 00:07:15.230 --> 00:07:18.879 of the seven. And he goes to destruction. The 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:21.860 ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have 00:07:21.860 --> 00:07:24.720 not yet received a kingdom, but they receive 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:28.639 authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 00:07:29.100 --> 00:07:33.779 These have one purpose, and they give their power 00:07:33.779 --> 00:07:39.519 and authority to the beast. Now, we know that 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:43.139 the beast, and we know that the monster out of 00:07:43.139 --> 00:07:45.500 the sea and the monster from the earth, the false 00:07:45.500 --> 00:07:55.600 prophet, the harlot, and the false teacher, and 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:58.879 the false prophet, and the harlot, and immorality, 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:07.379 or Babylon, and the king we find in Revelation 00:08:07.379 --> 00:08:12.699 12, that is the government that the devil works 00:08:12.699 --> 00:08:18.430 through. We find that the devil, gives them authority. 00:08:19.529 --> 00:08:26.470 The devil gives them power to operate and exert 00:08:26.470 --> 00:08:31.370 influence in the world and to function as he 00:08:31.370 --> 00:08:37.250 sees fit. They're his helpers in a very real 00:08:37.250 --> 00:08:43.889 sense. So this speaks of the devil, his authority 00:08:43.889 --> 00:08:47.690 and influence in the world. It speaks of his 00:08:47.690 --> 00:08:53.610 power to work in the midst of societies, cultures, 00:08:53.789 --> 00:08:58.970 and places around the world, in the earth, and 00:08:58.970 --> 00:09:03.409 the hearts and minds of unbelieving men. And 00:09:03.409 --> 00:09:08.250 this language of the dragon is rooted in Old 00:09:08.250 --> 00:09:12.210 Testament literature. So some would link this 00:09:12.210 --> 00:09:17.279 to mythology. would be associated with the first 00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:20.259 century and so forth. But I think it finds its 00:09:20.259 --> 00:09:24.919 roots, and it's alluding to Old Testament literature, 00:09:25.019 --> 00:09:28.460 and specifically Old Testament literature that 00:09:28.460 --> 00:09:32.860 has to do with the Leviathan, or the great dragon 00:09:32.860 --> 00:09:36.279 of the sea, the beast, the most powerful of sea 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:40.360 creatures that could never be stopped. We read 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:48.740 in Job chapter 41, Of this beast. Job 41. Verses 00:09:48.740 --> 00:09:53.220 1 through 5. We read this. How blessed is he. 00:09:53.419 --> 00:09:57.379 Who considers the helpless. I apologize that 00:09:57.379 --> 00:10:04.820 was song. Job 41. As I said. Job 41. Verses 1 00:10:04.820 --> 00:10:08.799 through 5. We read this. Can you draw out Leviathan. 00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:13.330 With a fishhook. Or press down his tongue with 00:10:13.330 --> 00:10:18.450 a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose? Or pierce 00:10:18.450 --> 00:10:22.750 his jaw with a hook? Will he make many supplications 00:10:22.750 --> 00:10:28.769 to you? Or will he speak to you soft words? Will 00:10:28.769 --> 00:10:32.090 he make a covenant with you? Will you take him 00:10:32.090 --> 00:10:35.190 for a servant forever? Will you play with him 00:10:35.190 --> 00:10:39.649 as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your 00:10:39.649 --> 00:10:44.690 maidens? It's a rhetorical question that automatically 00:10:44.690 --> 00:10:50.250 leads to the answer of no. Why? Because it's 00:10:50.250 --> 00:10:53.990 a powerful beast. It's a powerful monster that's 00:10:53.990 --> 00:10:58.470 uncontrollable. It's a powerful sea creature, 00:10:58.610 --> 00:11:02.509 an animal which is fierce, which is dangerous. 00:11:02.909 --> 00:11:14.039 We read in Psalm chapter 74. Similarly. specifically 00:11:14.039 --> 00:11:21.139 in verses 13 through 14. You divided the sea 00:11:21.139 --> 00:11:25.320 by your strength. You broke the heads of the 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:29.379 sea, monsters in the waters. You crushed the 00:11:29.379 --> 00:11:34.440 heads of the Leviathan, of Leviathan. You gave 00:11:34.440 --> 00:11:36.840 him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:41.399 In this text, brothers and sisters, the author 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:45.620 of the psalm, is taking this idea of the Leviathan 00:11:45.620 --> 00:11:49.639 and applying it to Egypt and applying it to those 00:11:49.639 --> 00:11:52.960 who are pursuing Israel into the wilderness and 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:55.500 God brought the water down upon their heads and 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:57.539 destroyed them and crushed them. They were the 00:11:57.539 --> 00:12:01.940 enemy of God's people. So here we find the author 00:12:01.940 --> 00:12:05.559 of this psalm, Asaph, applying this idea of the 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:08.360 Leviathan to the enemies of God's people which 00:12:08.360 --> 00:12:13.440 God himself destroyed and crushed. And brought 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:16.700 the Red Sea to bear down full in its weight. 00:12:17.019 --> 00:12:20.879 To remove them from their threat from the people 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:24.440 of God. So we find that this idea of this dragon, 00:12:24.580 --> 00:12:28.019 this Leviathan. Is associated with being an enemy 00:12:28.019 --> 00:12:33.799 of God's people. We read in Isaiah chapter 27 00:12:33.799 --> 00:12:41.429 verse 1. These words. In that day. The Lord will 00:12:41.429 --> 00:12:46.529 punish Leviathan, the fleeing serpent, with his 00:12:46.529 --> 00:12:50.789 fierce and great and mighty sword. Even Leviathan, 00:12:50.809 --> 00:12:54.870 the twisted serpent, and he will kill the dragon 00:12:54.870 --> 00:13:03.090 who lives in the sea. God will overcome and destroy 00:13:03.090 --> 00:13:06.870 the enemies of God's people. The most powerful, 00:13:07.190 --> 00:13:11.649 the strongest opposers, those who bring the greatest 00:13:11.649 --> 00:13:14.669 conflict against the church of Jesus Christ and 00:13:14.669 --> 00:13:16.929 do the most harm to his name and slander his 00:13:16.929 --> 00:13:21.730 name, God will deal with. And how does he refer 00:13:21.730 --> 00:13:24.929 to them in this text? The Leviathan, the fleeing 00:13:24.929 --> 00:13:31.730 serpent, the dragon who lives in the sea. I believe 00:13:31.730 --> 00:13:35.289 that this imagery is drawn from the Old Testament. 00:13:36.429 --> 00:13:39.929 The dragon, this great monster, this great enemy 00:13:39.929 --> 00:13:45.289 of God's people. So who is the great red dragon 00:13:45.289 --> 00:13:51.409 representing or symbolizing the devil? Satan, 00:13:51.509 --> 00:13:58.970 the great arch enemy of God's people. And John 00:13:58.970 --> 00:14:02.549 clarifies this for us in verse 9 when he says, 00:14:02.610 --> 00:14:05.700 The great dragon was thrown down. and the serpent 00:14:05.700 --> 00:14:11.120 of old who is called the devil and Satan. So 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.320 he's not talking about a literal dragon, brothers 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:16.419 and sisters. He's talking about the devil who 00:14:16.419 --> 00:14:19.759 hates God's people. He has opposed God's people 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:23.720 from the earliest days and will oppose God's 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:28.720 people throughout the gospel age. This is who 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:32.399 he speaks of. The Lord Jesus called the devil 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:37.419 the prince of... This world. And 1 John 5 .19. 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:40.779 Speaks of how he has authority. And he has deceived. 00:14:40.980 --> 00:14:45.000 This world. John goes on and says. Who deceives 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:48.399 the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth. 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:53.019 And his angels were thrown down. With him. It's 00:14:53.019 --> 00:14:55.519 popular. In our day and our age. Brothers and 00:14:55.519 --> 00:15:00.600 sisters. To not think about the devil. To not 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:04.960 think about Satan. And to either relativize him 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:10.519 away, to allegorize him away, or to just make 00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:14.179 him insignificant, almost as though he doesn't 00:15:14.179 --> 00:15:21.899 exist. We have a very real enemy. One that really, 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:25.899 genuinely opposes the soul of every true believer. 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:30.340 One that hates God and hates Christ's people. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:35.039 It would be foolish and ignorant of us, brothers 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:38.240 and sisters, to ignore this reality or to make 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:40.860 light of this truth that we have a real true 00:15:40.860 --> 00:15:44.840 enemy that is unseen that really strategizes 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:48.299 and schemes to oppose the church of Jesus Christ 00:15:48.299 --> 00:15:54.460 in this world. 2 Corinthians 2, 8 -11 speaks 00:15:54.460 --> 00:15:57.100 of how if we are ignorant of the devil's schemes, 00:15:57.340 --> 00:16:03.639 we will surely be taken advantage of. If we overlook 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:06.379 or ignore the fact that we don't have an enemy, 00:16:06.519 --> 00:16:09.820 do you think we will be taken advantage of by 00:16:09.820 --> 00:16:13.360 that enemy, brothers and sisters? Absolutely. 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:18.120 This church and every other faithful church has 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:23.879 a real opposer, the devil. And he will do anything 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:26.860 he can to get his foot in the door, to rip it 00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:29.919 apart, and to bring it and to shred it apart. 00:16:31.789 --> 00:16:36.529 To hurt it. Now this is who the great red dragon 00:16:36.529 --> 00:16:43.490 is. Satan, the serpent of old. But we also find 00:16:43.490 --> 00:16:47.149 in this text the dragon's disposition toward 00:16:47.149 --> 00:16:53.269 the woman and her child. Notice in this text 00:16:53.269 --> 00:16:57.570 we read this. And his tail swept away a third 00:16:57.570 --> 00:17:00.350 of the stars of heaven and threw them to the 00:17:00.350 --> 00:17:03.769 earth. And the dragon stood before the woman 00:17:03.769 --> 00:17:07.349 who was about to give birth, so that when she 00:17:07.349 --> 00:17:15.789 gave birth, he might devour her child. Now, last 00:17:15.789 --> 00:17:20.490 week we considered this image of the woman in 00:17:20.490 --> 00:17:25.470 the night sky. And how John wants us to be aware 00:17:25.470 --> 00:17:28.069 and to be conscious of the fact that she is literally 00:17:28.069 --> 00:17:33.140 on the brink. Of having a child. She cries out 00:17:33.140 --> 00:17:36.700 in travail. In pain. In birth pains. She's almost 00:17:36.700 --> 00:17:39.220 to give birth. She's almost to have a child. 00:17:39.380 --> 00:17:42.779 And on the other side of her. Another great sign 00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:46.539 appears. But it's not a good sign. It's this 00:17:46.539 --> 00:17:51.799 red dragon. And does he have. Good intentions. 00:17:52.299 --> 00:17:56.980 With regards to the woman in the sky. This woman. 00:17:57.099 --> 00:18:01.289 That's about to give birth. No. He has murderous, 00:18:01.289 --> 00:18:07.130 malicious intent. That is what John wants to 00:18:07.130 --> 00:18:10.109 communicate. What is the dragon doing in the 00:18:10.109 --> 00:18:13.910 symbol? He's standing, crouching, waiting for 00:18:13.910 --> 00:18:15.990 the woman to give birth. Why? So that he can 00:18:15.990 --> 00:18:21.569 kill the child. So that he can destroy the Messiah. 00:18:23.029 --> 00:18:28.250 So we find in this text, That John communicates 00:18:28.250 --> 00:18:31.089 to us in this language, in this symbolic language, 00:18:31.470 --> 00:18:37.170 Satan's malice towards the church and towards 00:18:37.170 --> 00:18:44.109 Christ. His murderous intent and hatred and actions 00:18:44.109 --> 00:18:48.190 against the people of God and the Messianic community. 00:18:49.369 --> 00:18:55.400 So what is the source of this malice? Why does 00:18:55.400 --> 00:19:01.680 the devil hate the church and hate Christ to 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:04.579 such a degree? Why does this conflict that John 00:19:04.579 --> 00:19:08.099 is speaking of exist in the first place? Why 00:19:08.099 --> 00:19:11.259 is the human race caught up in this conflict? 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:17.799 Why are we even involved in this cosmic quarrel 00:19:17.799 --> 00:19:25.069 between the devil and Christ? Why? Are we in 00:19:25.069 --> 00:19:29.109 the midst of it? Well, it goes back to the book 00:19:29.109 --> 00:19:32.730 of Genesis and even before, brothers and sisters. 00:19:33.250 --> 00:19:40.329 The Bible teaches that the devil sought out power. 00:19:41.569 --> 00:19:44.430 He was prideful and arrogant and he sought out 00:19:44.430 --> 00:19:50.650 authority for himself. And as a result, he persuaded 00:19:50.650 --> 00:19:54.650 a portion of the other angels. to follow him 00:19:54.650 --> 00:19:58.670 and to rebel against God. Listen to what the 00:19:58.670 --> 00:20:01.990 text says. And his tail swept away a third of 00:20:01.990 --> 00:20:05.470 the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. 00:20:05.569 --> 00:20:09.269 The other angelic figures and bodies, what took 00:20:09.269 --> 00:20:12.029 place? At least a third of them, a portion of 00:20:12.029 --> 00:20:16.950 them, followed the devil in his rebellious and 00:20:16.950 --> 00:20:22.079 unsubmissive. Actions toward the God of the universe 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:28.700 who made him. Likely the devil was one of a few 00:20:28.700 --> 00:20:35.599 archangels. He was glorious and powerful. An 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:41.740 angel of light. There were none like him. But 00:20:41.740 --> 00:20:46.319 he challenged the living God. We don't know all 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:49.119 the details. We can speculate certain things. 00:20:49.980 --> 00:20:55.740 But we know that the angel fell before men fell. 00:20:55.960 --> 00:21:01.160 The fall of the devil came before the fall of 00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:09.339 Adam. So the devil opposes God and his people. 00:21:09.400 --> 00:21:12.799 This is the backdrop. This is the context. And 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:16.650 this is the setting. Of Adam's fall, brothers 00:21:16.650 --> 00:21:20.829 and sisters, who is it that tempts the woman? 00:21:22.130 --> 00:21:26.009 Who is it that deceives the woman? Who is it 00:21:26.009 --> 00:21:30.150 that comes to the woman and invites her and persuades 00:21:30.150 --> 00:21:36.009 her to join him in his rebellion against the 00:21:36.009 --> 00:21:41.329 living God? It's the serpent of old. We think 00:21:41.329 --> 00:21:45.569 about the fall of man. And one of the things 00:21:45.569 --> 00:21:53.309 that's so terrible about Adam's failure to appropriately 00:21:53.309 --> 00:21:58.950 represent God's people and men and women throughout 00:21:58.950 --> 00:22:01.950 the ages as their federal head is that he chose 00:22:01.950 --> 00:22:10.569 to side with the devil. He chose to join in the 00:22:10.569 --> 00:22:15.190 demonic rebellion against the living God. He 00:22:15.190 --> 00:22:21.470 chose sin and unbelief and the demonic before 00:22:21.470 --> 00:22:26.849 he chose the holy, good character and law and 00:22:26.849 --> 00:22:32.109 promises of God himself. Adam willingly broke 00:22:32.109 --> 00:22:37.109 the covenant that God had made with him when 00:22:37.109 --> 00:22:39.269 the devil tempted Eve and Eve brought the fruit 00:22:39.269 --> 00:22:45.279 to him. He willingly transgressed God's Prohibition 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:49.720 in God's command. And he willingly locked arms 00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:58.400 with this dragon. As did every other sinner who 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:04.579 was found and represented in Adam. All those 00:23:04.579 --> 00:23:10.819 Adam represented chose to lock arms and to hold 00:23:10.819 --> 00:23:15.140 hands with the devil. himself and his rebellion. 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:22.579 Now quickly after the fall, quickly after that 00:23:22.579 --> 00:23:26.240 the sin came into the world, what takes place 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:31.500 in Genesis 3 .15? God himself mounts the pulpit 00:23:31.500 --> 00:23:36.259 and preaches the first gospel. God himself mounts 00:23:36.259 --> 00:23:39.680 the pulpit and proclaims the gospel and the coming 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:43.609 Messiah and the fact that the... the serpent 00:23:43.609 --> 00:23:47.190 would be crushed with a fatal blow. Now, here's 00:23:47.190 --> 00:23:49.789 what I want you to think about in that, who is 00:23:49.789 --> 00:23:53.410 God speaking to when he first proclaims the gospel? 00:23:54.630 --> 00:24:01.390 Who is he addressing? The devil. He's not speaking 00:24:01.390 --> 00:24:05.849 to Adam and Eve, they overhear it. He's speaking, 00:24:06.049 --> 00:24:08.849 he's communicating, he's addressing the devil 00:24:08.849 --> 00:24:11.130 himself. You know what God is doing in Genesis 00:24:11.130 --> 00:24:14.130 3 .15? He is declaring the destruction, the defeat, 00:24:14.269 --> 00:24:16.509 and the fact that he would be conquered by the 00:24:16.509 --> 00:24:20.849 Messiah himself. That the offspring of the woman 00:24:20.849 --> 00:24:23.430 would rise up one day and that he would crush 00:24:23.430 --> 00:24:27.829 his head, but the serpent would lay an unfatal 00:24:27.829 --> 00:24:33.569 blow on the heel of the Messiah. God was proclaiming 00:24:33.569 --> 00:24:38.109 the gospel to the devil, and he's declaring his... 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:44.019 His destruction, brothers and sisters. And ever 00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:50.180 since that point in time, ever since that moment, 00:24:50.299 --> 00:24:55.640 a great conflict has ensued all throughout the 00:24:55.640 --> 00:25:00.480 Old Covenant. All throughout the Old Testament, 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:05.049 we see this conflict playing itself out. The 00:25:05.049 --> 00:25:07.289 seed, the serpent, and the seed of the serpent, 00:25:07.349 --> 00:25:09.869 and the offspring of the woman, and the descendants 00:25:09.869 --> 00:25:12.829 of the woman who believe in the promise. There's 00:25:12.829 --> 00:25:15.910 this conflict and this divine quarrel that's 00:25:15.910 --> 00:25:18.029 taking place. There's this hostility. There's 00:25:18.029 --> 00:25:20.650 this enmity between these two where the devil 00:25:20.650 --> 00:25:24.109 is constantly seeking to swipe. The devil is 00:25:24.109 --> 00:25:27.349 constantly seeking to destroy and hurt and bring 00:25:27.349 --> 00:25:31.289 the cessation of that lineage to an end. Or to 00:25:31.289 --> 00:25:35.599 bring that lineage to cessation. To stop it. 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:38.220 We see it immediately after the garden, don't 00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:44.200 we? Cain and Abel. What about all the corruption 00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:47.420 in the world before the flood? What did that 00:25:47.420 --> 00:25:49.740 have the potential to do? What was the problem 00:25:49.740 --> 00:25:55.579 in her marriage? Corruption of the divine seed. 00:25:56.119 --> 00:26:01.720 What about if we go forward and we think about 00:26:01.720 --> 00:26:07.380 Ishmael? and Jacob. Or we think about Isaac and 00:26:07.380 --> 00:26:12.400 Ishmael. I apologize. The hostility, the enmity 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:15.839 between the two, the conflict. We think about 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:20.599 Jacob and Esau. We think about Rachel and Leah. 00:26:20.779 --> 00:26:23.480 There's all this conflict, brothers and sisters. 00:26:23.700 --> 00:26:29.359 And then we get to Egypt. And what takes place 00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:31.599 is the people of God are getting close to leave. 00:26:32.059 --> 00:26:36.299 Pharaoh seeks to destroy the offspring of the 00:26:36.299 --> 00:26:42.660 Jews. To kill off the lineage. And what do we 00:26:42.660 --> 00:26:46.019 find as we move throughout the Bible and the 00:26:46.019 --> 00:26:50.140 redemptive narrative? What happened with Saul 00:26:50.140 --> 00:26:53.900 and David? Do you remember how many times Saul 00:26:53.900 --> 00:26:57.039 drew his spear and tried to stick David with 00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:59.559 his spear to kill him? Where does the Messiah 00:26:59.559 --> 00:27:06.019 come forth from? David. Over and over and over. 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:09.039 What about the book of Esther, brothers and sisters? 00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:14.660 Haman wanted to completely bring about a full 00:27:14.660 --> 00:27:18.299 -blown genocide in the life of God's people so 00:27:18.299 --> 00:27:22.240 that the seed would be no more. What about Queen 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:27.380 Athaliah? In 2 Kings chapter 11, I believe. Do 00:27:27.380 --> 00:27:30.859 you remember what she did? She sought to destroy 00:27:30.859 --> 00:27:34.119 the royal lineage of David and just completely 00:27:34.119 --> 00:27:39.380 wipe it out. Over and over and over and over, 00:27:39.579 --> 00:27:46.619 we find the dragon trying to devour the woman's 00:27:46.619 --> 00:27:51.980 child, to destroy the Messiah, to consume the 00:27:51.980 --> 00:27:57.200 seed so that his defeat would not come about 00:27:57.200 --> 00:28:03.970 in... There was one final attempt at the close 00:28:03.970 --> 00:28:08.390 of the Old Testament and the start of the New 00:28:08.390 --> 00:28:12.730 Testament. That final attempt is found in Matthew 00:28:12.730 --> 00:28:18.130 chapter 2. I'd like us to turn there. We all 00:28:18.130 --> 00:28:22.009 know this story. If you remember, the Magi from 00:28:22.009 --> 00:28:26.230 the East recognized the arrival of a king, a 00:28:26.230 --> 00:28:31.150 great king. And they come and they seek out this 00:28:31.150 --> 00:28:35.089 king. They go to Herod. Herod goes, yes, yes, 00:28:35.089 --> 00:28:40.069 go search methodically and find him. And when 00:28:40.069 --> 00:28:44.490 he comes back, when you find him, make sure to 00:28:44.490 --> 00:28:46.789 let me know so that I can go and worship him 00:28:46.789 --> 00:28:49.690 too. It sounds like there's good pure motives 00:28:49.690 --> 00:28:52.009 there with Herod, don't you think, brothers and 00:28:52.009 --> 00:28:56.250 sisters? So the Magi go and they follow the star 00:28:56.250 --> 00:28:59.599 and they find the Messiah. but God intervenes. 00:28:59.640 --> 00:29:04.559 And then what takes place? Herod is enraged. 00:29:05.099 --> 00:29:09.680 He goes off the rails. And here's what we read. 00:29:10.339 --> 00:29:12.859 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked 00:29:12.859 --> 00:29:16.980 by the Magi, he became very enraged and he sent 00:29:16.980 --> 00:29:20.720 and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:24.579 and all its vicinity from two years old and under 00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:27.470 according to the time. which he had determined 00:29:27.470 --> 00:29:38.069 from the Magi. What's at work in Herod to influence 00:29:38.069 --> 00:29:42.430 and manipulate and bring about the slaughtering 00:29:42.430 --> 00:29:50.410 of these baby boys? Is it Herod wanting to stop 00:29:50.410 --> 00:29:53.230 another king? Or is there something behind the 00:29:53.230 --> 00:29:57.990 scenes, something unseen? Is there someone that 00:29:57.990 --> 00:30:05.029 is working to devour the woman's child? The devil 00:30:05.029 --> 00:30:11.490 makes one final attempt before Christ could accomplish 00:30:11.490 --> 00:30:16.329 his work to destroy the Messiah, the hope of 00:30:16.329 --> 00:30:19.869 the world. He tries this and fails throughout 00:30:19.869 --> 00:30:23.990 the life of Christ. Many, many times. We could 00:30:23.990 --> 00:30:27.630 think about the wilderness, brothers and sisters. 00:30:28.450 --> 00:30:30.970 You remember where the devil comes to Jesus and 00:30:30.970 --> 00:30:33.690 he tempts him? And it's very similar to the garden. 00:30:34.710 --> 00:30:40.069 Where Adam and Eve are tempted. But in the wilderness, 00:30:40.210 --> 00:30:43.319 Jesus has... No food in his belly. He has no 00:30:43.319 --> 00:30:46.119 help. He doesn't have a companion. He's not eaten 00:30:46.119 --> 00:30:49.099 for a long time. He's fasting. He's weak. He's 00:30:49.099 --> 00:30:51.900 by himself. He's not in a lush green garden that 00:30:51.900 --> 00:30:54.559 has all the food and all the provision and all 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:57.059 the nourishment that exists. He's in a barren 00:30:57.059 --> 00:30:59.660 wilderness with nothing to aid him on a starving 00:30:59.660 --> 00:31:02.240 stomach and he's weak as you can get out. And 00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:04.240 what happens when the devil comes to him, brothers 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:08.819 and sisters? He conquers the devil. He overcomes 00:31:08.819 --> 00:31:11.680 the devil. He does not succumb to the temptation. 00:31:12.019 --> 00:31:16.539 He overcomes the trial. The devil fails. What 00:31:16.539 --> 00:31:19.000 happens when the devil works through Peter, the 00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:21.660 disciple of Jesus Christ, to try and keep him 00:31:21.660 --> 00:31:25.160 from the cross? Christ rebukes him to his face. 00:31:25.779 --> 00:31:29.259 And what happens later on in his ministry, brothers 00:31:29.259 --> 00:31:32.880 and sisters, when he enters into Judas and he 00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:38.740 betrays the Son of God? The very thing that he 00:31:38.740 --> 00:31:42.279 wants to happen, the death of Christ, brings 00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:48.339 about the redemption and the victory which God 00:31:48.339 --> 00:31:55.779 had promised in the garden. Time and time again. 00:31:56.599 --> 00:32:01.559 The devil tries to consume the offspring or the 00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:07.460 child of the woman that Revelation 12 Speaks 00:32:07.460 --> 00:32:10.119 of. But this is important for us to understand. 00:32:10.400 --> 00:32:16.940 Time and time again. Perpetually. Repeatedly. 00:32:16.940 --> 00:32:22.519 Over and over. The devil fails. To accomplish. 00:32:22.700 --> 00:32:32.380 His work. He never succeeds. In thwarting. The 00:32:32.380 --> 00:32:36.460 promised lineage. And the promised Messiah. Not. 00:32:36.730 --> 00:32:44.250 a single time. Behind the nativity, behind the 00:32:44.250 --> 00:32:47.950 incarnation and the birth of Christ, brothers 00:32:47.950 --> 00:32:52.710 and sisters, we find this great conflict taking 00:32:52.710 --> 00:32:57.650 place. It ought to remind us that there is an 00:32:57.650 --> 00:33:02.150 enemy. That there are forces at work beyond that 00:33:02.150 --> 00:33:05.930 which the naked eye can see. That can only be 00:33:05.930 --> 00:33:08.690 seen and understood by faith in what the word 00:33:08.690 --> 00:33:14.309 of God says. But we have to keep a balanced perspective 00:33:14.309 --> 00:33:21.029 of this as well. The nativity and Christmas and 00:33:21.029 --> 00:33:23.809 this holiday season where we remember the birth 00:33:23.809 --> 00:33:28.869 of Christ. We also have to remember the dragon's 00:33:28.869 --> 00:33:33.670 failure and God's success in all of redemption. 00:33:34.990 --> 00:33:42.609 Because we read in verse 5, And she gave birth 00:33:42.609 --> 00:33:47.650 to a son, a male child who was to rule all the 00:33:47.650 --> 00:33:51.250 nations with a rod of iron. And her child was 00:33:51.250 --> 00:33:55.509 caught up to God and to his throne. He never 00:33:55.509 --> 00:33:59.150 devoured the woman's child in the figurative 00:33:59.150 --> 00:34:04.549 words of Revelation 12, did he? He never succeeded. 00:34:04.609 --> 00:34:07.430 The woman gave birth, and the child accomplished 00:34:07.430 --> 00:34:09.849 his purposes, and he's caught up away from the 00:34:09.849 --> 00:34:13.949 devil to the throne of God. He succeeds, and 00:34:13.949 --> 00:34:18.090 he accomplishes that which he's set out to accomplish. 00:34:20.269 --> 00:34:25.170 Christ is never successfully opposed by the devil. 00:34:26.349 --> 00:34:31.130 He accomplishes the gospel. The devil could not 00:34:31.130 --> 00:34:36.300 stop his birth. The devil could not stop his 00:34:36.300 --> 00:34:41.039 holy life unto the law. The devil could not stop 00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:44.239 his atoning death on the cross. The devil could 00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:47.239 not stop his powerful and mighty resurrection. 00:34:47.400 --> 00:34:50.420 The devil could not stop his ascension to the 00:34:50.420 --> 00:34:53.460 throne of God, brothers and sisters. Could he? 00:34:54.679 --> 00:34:58.239 The devil failed at every corner in Christ and 00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:00.539 God in his sovereignty to bring about the redemption 00:35:00.539 --> 00:35:04.440 of mankind. Succeeds and is victorious at every 00:35:04.440 --> 00:35:08.320 single corner, at every stage in the redemptive 00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:13.400 story and throughout redemptive history. Christmas 00:35:13.400 --> 00:35:17.119 is not just about the conflict behind the scenes. 00:35:17.219 --> 00:35:19.780 Christmas is a reminder, brothers and sisters, 00:35:19.920 --> 00:35:25.960 of Christ the victor. Christ the conqueror. Christ 00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:29.420 the mighty king. You see, brothers and sisters, 00:35:29.519 --> 00:35:34.360 the nativity teaches us. That it's not just the 00:35:34.360 --> 00:35:38.179 devil opposing Christ. The nativity and the incarnation, 00:35:38.679 --> 00:35:41.099 the life, death, the resurrection and the work 00:35:41.099 --> 00:35:44.159 of Christ reminds us, brothers and sisters, that 00:35:44.159 --> 00:35:48.300 God has successfully made war on the works of 00:35:48.300 --> 00:35:55.400 the devil. That he sent his son to be born of 00:35:55.400 --> 00:35:59.329 a woman. That he sent his son. to live a holy 00:35:59.329 --> 00:36:01.670 and a righteous life, to obtain righteousness, 00:36:01.869 --> 00:36:07.030 that He sent His Son to die on the cross for 00:36:07.030 --> 00:36:09.690 the sins of God's people, to appease and satisfy 00:36:09.690 --> 00:36:13.889 the wrath of God for sinners, to raise from the 00:36:13.889 --> 00:36:18.690 dead, and to return to His throne. This was an 00:36:18.690 --> 00:36:25.170 act of war. This was a squashing of the rebellion, 00:36:25.449 --> 00:36:29.599 and it was successful. Perfectly and completely. 00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:37.239 In the gospel. Christ is defeating the devil. 00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:44.760 He is establishing his king. And his rule. And 00:36:44.760 --> 00:36:49.420 he is claiming that which is his. The captives. 00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:56.460 The devil has taken. He is taking back. Those. 00:36:57.000 --> 00:37:00.480 that the devil stole from God, in a sense, in 00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:08.340 Genesis chapter 3. It's a divine act of war against 00:37:08.340 --> 00:37:12.820 the devil and his works. This is why we read 00:37:12.820 --> 00:37:20.719 in 1 John chapter 3, verse 8, the Son of God 00:37:20.719 --> 00:37:25.440 appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works 00:37:25.440 --> 00:37:31.179 of... The devil. That was his purpose. For coming. 00:37:32.119 --> 00:37:36.340 We read in the book of Hebrews. Chapter 2. Therefore 00:37:36.340 --> 00:37:38.719 since the children share in flesh and blood. 00:37:38.960 --> 00:37:42.480 He himself. Speaking of Christ. Likewise also 00:37:42.480 --> 00:37:46.599 partook of the same. That through death. He might 00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:49.179 render powerless him. Who had the power of death. 00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:53.579 That is the devil. And might free those. Who 00:37:53.579 --> 00:37:56.260 through fear of death. Were subject to slavery 00:37:56.260 --> 00:38:02.179 all their lives. That's why we read. In the book 00:38:02.179 --> 00:38:15.420 of Colossians. Chapter 2. Verses 13 through 14. 00:38:15.639 --> 00:38:19.880 These words. When you are dead in your transgressions. 00:38:20.380 --> 00:38:24.139 And the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made 00:38:24.139 --> 00:38:26.900 you alive together with him, having forgiven 00:38:26.900 --> 00:38:31.059 us all our transgressions. Having canceled out 00:38:31.059 --> 00:38:33.659 the certificate of debt consisting of decrees 00:38:33.659 --> 00:38:37.699 against us, which was hostile to us, and he has 00:38:37.699 --> 00:38:39.860 taken it out of the way, having nailed it to 00:38:39.860 --> 00:38:43.340 the cross. When he had disarmed the rulers and 00:38:43.340 --> 00:38:47.480 authorities, he made a public display of them, 00:38:47.619 --> 00:38:53.119 having triumphed over them through him. through 00:38:53.119 --> 00:38:59.980 Christ on the cross. Brothers and sisters, as 00:38:59.980 --> 00:39:02.699 we near this time of the year and we enjoy this 00:39:02.699 --> 00:39:06.880 time of the year, let us not forget what Christmas 00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:12.940 is all about. It's about conflict, but it's about 00:39:12.940 --> 00:39:18.940 conquering in Christ and what he has accomplished 00:39:18.940 --> 00:39:25.760 and brought about. The wonderful reality of all 00:39:25.760 --> 00:39:28.980 of this, brothers and sisters, is that by the 00:39:28.980 --> 00:39:31.679 grace of God, according to the mercy of God, 00:39:31.880 --> 00:39:39.519 those in Christ are the recipients and the benefactors 00:39:39.519 --> 00:39:44.079 of this glorious redemption which God has accomplished 00:39:44.079 --> 00:39:48.539 that he triumphs over the devil in. That's us 00:39:48.539 --> 00:39:53.469 as sinners who don't deserve any of it. As those 00:39:53.469 --> 00:39:57.010 who sided with the devil, we ought to have the 00:39:57.010 --> 00:40:01.269 devil's fate. But brothers and sisters, even 00:40:01.269 --> 00:40:05.389 though we have sinned against God, he in his 00:40:05.389 --> 00:40:08.989 mercy and his grace saves sinners through the 00:40:08.989 --> 00:40:11.710 work of the gospel. Through the life, death, 00:40:11.829 --> 00:40:15.829 resurrection of Christ, he gives men new hearts. 00:40:16.690 --> 00:40:19.789 He makes them new and he changes them. He grants 00:40:19.789 --> 00:40:22.639 them faith and repentance. He renews them. He 00:40:22.639 --> 00:40:25.079 sanctifies them. He transforms them. And brothers 00:40:25.079 --> 00:40:27.659 and sisters, He brings them to glory. And He 00:40:27.659 --> 00:40:30.159 will give them the new heavens and the new earth. 00:40:30.300 --> 00:40:33.539 All because He's merciful and gracious. And Christ 00:40:33.539 --> 00:40:37.119 came to conquer the devil. We are the recipients 00:40:37.119 --> 00:40:42.099 of that as those in Christ. All by the grace 00:40:42.099 --> 00:40:49.460 of God. We don't deserve an iota of it. The smallest 00:40:49.460 --> 00:40:53.150 amount. We've never earned any of it. Christ 00:40:53.150 --> 00:40:58.909 himself obtained every aspect, every piece, and 00:40:58.909 --> 00:41:03.849 every part. And not only that, not only are we 00:41:03.849 --> 00:41:07.230 removed from the kingdom of darkness, from the 00:41:07.230 --> 00:41:10.949 devil's grasp, from the devil's rule in our hearts 00:41:10.949 --> 00:41:14.510 and our minds, the devil's influence, but brothers 00:41:14.510 --> 00:41:16.710 and sisters, we've been made children of God. 00:41:18.090 --> 00:41:21.050 We've been adopted into the family of God. We've 00:41:21.050 --> 00:41:24.510 been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly 00:41:24.510 --> 00:41:31.130 places in Christ. He treats us as he treats Christ 00:41:31.130 --> 00:41:41.329 Jesus. But that's not true of all men. That's 00:41:41.329 --> 00:41:45.550 not true of all women. That's not true of all 00:41:45.550 --> 00:41:49.670 young people. Some remain under the power and 00:41:49.670 --> 00:41:54.349 the authority and the rule of the devil. Some 00:41:54.349 --> 00:41:59.230 remain in the kingdom of darkness. They never 00:41:59.230 --> 00:42:01.510 forsake their sin. They love their sin. And the 00:42:01.510 --> 00:42:05.409 devil actually uses that to keep them under his 00:42:05.409 --> 00:42:10.329 thumb. They've never known the goodness of God 00:42:10.329 --> 00:42:14.900 in salvation. They've never tasted of what it 00:42:14.900 --> 00:42:17.059 means to have the Spirit of God dwell within 00:42:17.059 --> 00:42:19.559 you and give you a never -ending hunger and thirst 00:42:19.559 --> 00:42:24.300 for righteousness and holiness, to know God more, 00:42:24.519 --> 00:42:27.920 know they live and they revel in their sin, whether 00:42:27.920 --> 00:42:32.460 it's blatant immorality or whether it's self 00:42:32.460 --> 00:42:37.400 -righteous pride. You are either in Christ and 00:42:37.400 --> 00:42:40.360 free of the devil, or you are under the rule 00:42:40.360 --> 00:42:44.750 and the authority of Satan himself. And the only 00:42:44.750 --> 00:42:47.409 way out from this and getting over to this is 00:42:47.409 --> 00:42:50.289 by trusting in Jesus Christ and turning from 00:42:50.289 --> 00:42:56.130 your sins. Seeing the reality that you are a 00:42:56.130 --> 00:43:00.730 desperate sinner and forsaking that sin and looking 00:43:00.730 --> 00:43:04.650 to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, trusting in 00:43:04.650 --> 00:43:11.289 Him for salvation, for eternal life. Those in 00:43:11.289 --> 00:43:15.539 Christ... Are actually made. Christian soldiers. 00:43:16.739 --> 00:43:22.840 In this battle. And they are given. One weapon. 00:43:23.820 --> 00:43:30.480 One weapon to fight with. The word of God. The 00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:33.360 word of God brothers and sisters. Is how we fight. 00:43:33.900 --> 00:43:38.420 In this battle. And it must be wielded. With 00:43:38.420 --> 00:43:43.559 much prayer. And intercession. as Paul teaches 00:43:43.559 --> 00:43:49.579 us. So, be encouraged as you think about the 00:43:49.579 --> 00:43:53.079 nativity, the cross, and Christmas. But brothers 00:43:53.079 --> 00:43:56.039 and sisters, let it also encourage you to wield 00:43:56.039 --> 00:44:01.639 the sword and to stand firm this part of the 00:44:01.639 --> 00:44:01.960 season.