Micah 4-5 Revelation 12

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: ‘The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come. The accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accused them day and night before our God, has been thrown down. And our brothers and sisters defeated him by the blood of the Lamb’s death and by the message they preached. They did not love their lives so much that they were afraid of death.’” (Revelation 12:10-11 NCV)

The battle raged in heaven and ultimately, God won. The one who accused God’s children was defeated and thrown down to the earth. He was defeated by the work of Jesus Christ, by the blood of the Lamb, and by the message of good news that God’s people proclaimed. God’s people didn’t shrink from any battles, but instead, were willing to fight the evil they faced, even if it meant death. They recognized that their relationship with God was so important and that sharing the good news of Jesus was so important that it was worth dying for.

Many people will read this chapter and seek to interpret the times mentioned, or discuss the dragon, or the woman mentioned. I’m not that smart, frankly. What I do see in this passage is a declaration of victory for God’s people. The battle described wasn’t easy. Michael and the archangels duked it out with the dragon, who I believe to be Satan, and threw him down to earth. Satan didn’t give up and battled it out with God’s people, only to lose that battle also because God’s people had a secret weapon: the blood of the lamb and the good news of the gospel. God’s people didn’t shrink from the battle ahead even under the threat of death. They were so compelled by the love of God as shown in the gospel that they would rather die than leave the battlefield. And then I think of Christians today. And then I think about my own actions. Christians back in the first and second centuries faced death to spread the gospel. Christians in China and Pakistan and many other countries face imprisonment or even death to proclaim the gospel and I – I don’t always like being inconvenienced to share Jesus with people around me. Maybe I need to look more deeply into my faith.

Lord, so many have given so much to proclaim the gospel. Give me the courage and strength to be willing to share the gospel. Let it be said of me that I did not love my life so much that I was afraid of death. Thank You for Your promise of eternal life.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.