“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on Him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great. And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Revelation 19:11-21).“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:1-10).

​These two passages of Scripture mark the utter and complete end of the activity of the dragon upon the face of the earth. In the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ we encounter a dramatic shift and transition in the activity of the dragon. In the second portion of this particular chapter we find war breaking out in heaven as the dragon and his angels fought against Michael and his angels. Undoubtedly this war broke out as the dragon and his angels furiously fought with great force to preserve their place and position in heaven. Neither the dragon nor his angels were willing to be cast forth out of heaven for they knew what such an act would mean—their activity and authority in heaven would be completely destroyed. When the great dragon along with his angels were cast forth out of heaven and cast into the earth there was a powerful sense of finality in that act, for neither the dragon nor his angels could or would every return. When the dragon and his angels were cast forth out of heaven and cast into the earth they were completely and utterly removed from heaven, thus losing both their place and position in heaven. I have already written that place and position directly determines and impacts activity and authority. The activity and authority of the dragon and his angels in heaven was directly linked and connected to their place and position within it. Such a reality is evident from the declaration from heaven that the accuser of our brethren had been cast down. Once the accuser of our brethren was down from heaven neither he nor his angels would be able to accuse the saints and brethren before the Lord day and night. It is my personal belief and conviction that when and once the accuser of our brethren was cast down out of heaven he lost his place and position to accuse the saints before the throne of God day and night. In fact, it’s interesting to note that once the dragon and his angels were cast forth out of heaven and cast into the earth their entire strategy and tactic seemed to change. The twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ presents us with a picture of the dragon and his angels engaging in war and conflict in heaven, yet being unable to prevail against Michael and his angels—a reality which immediately shifted the activity of the dragon and altered his course entirely.

​When the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ draws to a close it does so with the dragon waging war—not in heaven against Michael and his angels but in the earth against the offspring of the woman. The activity of the dragon shifted from accusing the brethren day and night before the throne of God to persecuting the woman who had brought forth and delivered the Child. The activity of the dragon shifted from engaging in war and conflict against the angelic host to engaging in war and conflict against the offspring of the woman. When the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ draws to a close we find the dragon not in heaven but on the earth, war not in heaven but upon the earth, conflict not between the angelic host and the dragon and his angels but between the dragon and both the woman and her offspring. It is my belief that the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus may not necessarily be a key to the entire book, but does nonetheless help provide and reveal a greater understanding into the activity that is mentioned and recorded within it. As the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation draws to a close we find the dragon setting out and seeking to make war against the offspring of the woman, and in the very next chapter we find the beast—the one to whom the dragon gave his great power, his authority and even his throne—making war with the saints of God. In the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ we find the dragon and his angels being cast forth out of heaven and being limited and relegated to the earth. With the dragon and his angels no longer having access to heaven their activity was now directly limited to the earth. The twelfth chapter does more than just mark a transition in the activity of the dragon and his angels, for it also serves as a prelude and precursor to the dragon’s final and ultimate defeat. With the dragon and his angels being cast forth out of heaven and cast into the earth heaven itself would now experience rest from his activity and his authority. The first and most notable mark and sign of the dragon’s defeat and destruction is his being cast forth out of heaven along with his angels. When the dragon is cast forth out of heaven and cast into the earth his ability to accuse the saints of God before His throne day and night. I am still utterly and completely amazed that with each successive casting forth of the dragon in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ his activity is directly and greatly impacted.

​WHEN THE DRAGON IS CAST FORTH HIS ACTIVITY AND AUTHORITY BEGINS TO DISSOLVE AND DISSIPATE! This is such an incredibly powerful truth to consider within our own lives for it brings us face to face with the reality that with each successive casting forth and casting out of the dragon and his influence within our lives his activity is directly impacted. When the dragon was cast forth out of heaven and cast into the earth he lost his place and position in heaven and therefore was prohibited from accusing the saints of God night and day. Unable to accuse the saints of God in heaven the dragon proceeded to make war with them directly upon the earth. ACCUSED IN HEAVEN & ENGAGED IN WARFARE UPON THE EARTH. There is not a doubt in my mind that when the dragon was cast down into the earth he was utterly and completely outraged at losing his place and position within it. No longer having his place or position in heaven the dragon began to see his activity and authority take a serious blow—something that utterly and completely enraged the dragon. In the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ we find the apostle John writing of the dragon’s making war with the offspring of the woman, and in the very next chapter we witness the beast—which was given the great power, authority and the throne of dragon—making war against the saints in the earth. If there is one thing we can learn from the activity of the dragon in the book of the Revelation of Jesus it’s that even though the dragon and his angels may be defeated, overthrown and cast down in one arena doesn’t mean they will roll over and give up. As has already been mentioned, when the dragon was unable to prevail in heaven against Michael and his angels he brought his warfare to the earth and engaged in warfare against the saints of God. When the dragon was unable to accuse the saints of God before throne of God any more he shifted his focus and activity upon the face of the earth. It may very well be said that the activity of the dragon upon the earth is vastly different than the activity of the dragon in heaven. Within the book of the Revelation of Jesus we see the end of the activity and authority of the dragon both in heaven and on the earth with the first phase of this being his activity ending in heaven. The dragon’s authority and activity would ultimately and inevitably end in the earth but before it did it ended in the earth.

​I have already alluded to and made mention of this once yet it bears repeating again a second time—just because the activity of the dragon and his forces is defeated, overthrown and cast down in one area doesn’t mean he won’t seek to reinsert and reestablish his activity in another area. The dragon and his angels were cast out of heaven and cast into the earth yet instead of being uninvolved and disengaged they proceeded to persecute the woman and make war with her offspring. Perhaps one of the most interesting concepts in all of Scripture is that the neither the dragon nor his angels are really engaged in conflict against Michael and his angels. It is true that the Scripture speaks of a conflict ensuing between the dragon and his angels and Michael and his angels, and even the dragon disputing with Michael over the location of Moses’ body, yet the dragon and his angels are really not at war with the angelic host in heaven. It is true that the angelic host of heaven is ministering flames of fire and servants of the Most High to aid in the conflict and battle we are engaged in, but the dragon and his angels aren’t engaged in conflict with them. The twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation begins with the dragon seeking to devour the Child which was to be delivered of the woman clothed with the sun who was standing on the moon and had a diadem of twelve stars upon her head. Unable to devour the Child who was delivered of the woman clothed with the sun the dragon sought to engage in war against Michael and his angels in heaven. I am still utterly amazed with the first two sections of the twelfth chapter for within them we not only find the dragon unable to devour the Child, but we also find the dragon unable to prevail in heaven. It is the dragon alone who sought to devour the Child who was to be delivered of the woman, yet when it came to war in heaven it was the dragon along with his angels who engaged in that conflict. I mentioned that the conflict which is recorded in the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation, and even the conflict recorded throughout all of Scripture itself is not a conflict characterized with the dragon being at odds and at war against Michael and his angels but against the Seed of the woman and the saints of God. The apostle Paul writes how we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against rulers of darkness, against spiritual wickedness in high places—words which suggest that the conflict which is present within the earth is between the physical realm and the unseen spiritual realm. Neither the dragon nor his angels are at war with the angelic host—although the angelic host does fight alongside us in the continual conflict we face.

​In the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation we find the dragon attempting war in heaven as he and his angels fought against Michael and his angels. The dragon and his angels were unable to prevail in heaven, and their place was no longer found in heaven among the heavenly host. THE DRAGON IS UNWILLING TO CONCEDE DEFEAT! This particular phrase is actually quite powerful to consider for one of the greatest truths we must understand is that the dragon has never and will never concede defeat. If there is one thing the book of the Revelation reveals it’s that the dragon will continue to wage war and deceive the nations until that day when his army is devoured by fire from heaven, and he is cast into the lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. Even after the dragon was bound by the angel who came down from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit and sealed for one thousand years, he still proceeded to go forth into the four corners of the earth to deceive the nations into marching with him in battle against the saints and servants of God who lived and reigned with Christ for one thousand years. Unable to devour the Child which was delivered of the woman the dragon proceeded to wage war in heaven against Michael and his angels. Unable to prevail in heaven and cast out into the earth the dragon sought to persecute the woman. Unable to sweep the woman away with the flood from his mouth the dragon sought to make war with her offspring. Are you beginning to notice the pattern that is found in this particular chapter? The dragon and his angels lost their place and position in heaven and as a result the dragon lost his place and position to accuse the saints of God. This didn’t mean that the dragon was finished and through with the saints of God, for in the very next chapter we read of the beast making war with the saints and being given authority to overcome them. [As a side note: Who are the saints which are mentioned in the thirteenth chapter? Are these those were left behind when the rapture took place and committed themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ during the tribulation? Or, are these saints the body of Christ—the Church of Jesus Christ—still present upon the earth? There has been a lot of discussion around pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation, yet I can’t help but find myself asking who these saints are. I can’t help but wonder if those who refuse to take the mark of the beast upon their hands or foreheads, and who refuse to worship the image of the beast aren’t the saints of God who like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego refused to fall down and worship the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up in the plain of Dura].

​SIN CAN VERY WELL BE LIKE AN UNRELENTING HYDRA WITHIN OUR LIVES! While I do not believe in Greek mythology there is a seven headed creature called Hydra, which is a single being with seven snake heads. According to Greek mythology the hydra was incredibly difficult to defeat because if you cut off one head another one would grow back in its place. In fact, killing Hydra was one of Hercules’ twelve labors, along with defeating Leo the lion and Draco the dragon. The reason I speak of sin as being an unrelenting hydra is because there are times when we cut off and destroy one head only to find another one grow back. It’s interesting to note that when recording the vision of the dragon which appeared in heaven the apostle John wrote how the dragon had seven heads and ten horns. Hydra is believed to have had seven heads—each of which were impossible to cut off and destroy alone. The mythology of Hydra seems to suggest that the only way to truly defeat the serpent creature was to effectively cut off all seven of its heads—either in rapid succession or in one single solid blow. The dragon which had seven heads and ten horns was defeated in heaven and cast down to the earth, yet that wasn’t the end of the dragon. Though the dragon’s position and place in heaven was forever lost when he was cast down—presumably by Michael and his angelic host—he sought to engage in a new conflict upon the earth. In other words, while heaven itself was finally purged and cleansed of the dragon’s presence, activity, authority and power earth itself would now experience it. It would be through the beast which itself would also have seven heads and ten horns that the dragon would seek to establish his great power, his authority and his throne upon the earth. I likened sin to the mythical serpent creature Hydra, for there are times when we strike and cut off one head of the monster only to discover another may very well grow back in its place. The dragon is recorded as having seven heads, which is actually quite interesting, for when you read of his being cast forth out of heaven and cast into the earth, his activity did not cease. No longer able to make war in heaven against Michael and his angels the dragon now seeks to make war upon the earth against the saints of the Most High God. In the twelfth chapter the dragon itself is seen to have seven heads and ten horns and making war with the offspring of the woman in the thirteenth chapter we see the beast emerging from the sea as also having seven heads and ten horns and making war with the saints. Perhaps the most important and powerful truth is that when speaking of sin within our lives we must target each and every head that is connected to it. The question that must be asked is how many heads does this creature have within your life—how many heads need to be cut off and destroyed?

Both the dragon and the beast are said to have seven heads which may very well speak to the incredible task and challenge it is to utterly destroy them. When you come to the nineteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus you find the beast which had seven heads—although it led a great and massive army against the Rider on the white horse—being captured, and together with the false prophet being cast into the lake of fire. In the very next chapter you find the dragon which also had seven heads marching against the beloved city where the saints of God lived and reigned with Christ. Fire comes down out of heaven and devours the army which marched against the saints and the Word, and the dragon was cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet were. The first beast with seven heads was defeated with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of God, while the dragon was defeated with fire which proceeded out of heaven. A BEAST DEFEATED WITH THE SWORD & A DRAGON DEFEATED WITH FIRE FROM HEAVEN! The beast with seven heads was defeated with the sword which proceeded forth from the mouth of the Rider on the white horse while the great dragon with seven heads was defeated with fire which came down from heaven from Almighty God. How do you deal with a seven headed beast from the sea? You deal with the seven headed beast from the sea with the Word of God which is spoken from your mouth. How do you deal with a seven headed dragon cast down from heaven? You deal with the seven headed dragon cast down from heaven through fire coming down from heaven. A SWORD WHICH SLAYS AND A FIRE WHICH DEVOURS! I am still utterly and completely convinced that there are those things in our lives which can only be destroyed by the sword which proceeds from the mouth of the Word, while there are other things in our lives which can only be destroyed by fire from heaven. In each case—the case of the seven headed beast from the sea and the seven headed dragon from heaven—the lake of fire was the ultimate and final demise and destruction, as both were cast into the lake of fire burning with sulfur and brimstone. In the end both the beast and the dragon would be cast into the lake of fire where they would be tormented day and night forever and ever—this after one was defeated by the sword coming out of the mouth of the Word and the other defeated by fire coming down from the Almighty in heaven. It’s necessary that we understand each of these final defeats, for both came as a result of the final attempt to engage in conflict against the saints of God, and against the Word of God.

In the nineteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ we find the beast marching against the Rider who sat upon the white horse—marching against the Word of God as it rode forth from heaven. This is incredibly important for if you want to understand the true nature of the conflict we face in the earth you must understand it as a conflict against the word of God and the saints of God. It was the word of God which brought everything that is into existence, and it was the word of God which the serpent sought to attack in the garden with Eve. Ever since that day in the garden the serpent has been seeking to attack and assault the word of God, as well as the saints of God. If you want to understand the conflict within your own life you must understand it as being against the Word of God—the eternal Word which became flesh and the written word of God which is found in Scripture. The twentieth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ brings us face to face with Satan’s final stand ever within the history of man upon the earth. The twelfth chapter brings us face to face with Satan’s final stand in heaven against Michael and his angels, while just eight chapters later we read of the Satan’s final stand in the earth against the saints of God who lived and reigned with Christ. I am convinced the ultimate reason Satan marched against the beloved city as recorded in the twentieth chapter is because within that city was everything he had sought to destroy for centuries. Within that city was each and every saint of God which followed the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the years. Within that city was each and every descendant of Abraham within the Jewish nation and race. Within that city was the very Son of God—the eternal Word of God who was KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. This final stand was the dragon’s attempt to destroy both the Heir and joint heirs—an attempt to destroy both the saints of God and the word of God. Oh that we would recognize and understand this for as sure as there is coming a day when Satan will make his final stand upon the earth and will be utterly and completely defeated, so too Satan may very well be making his last stand within your life only to find himself utterly and completely defeated. There came moment in eternity when Satan and his angels would be completely cast out and cut off from heaven—unable to return, unable to make war, and unable to accuse there any longer. There is coming a moment in time when Satan and his forces will be cast into the lake of fire—unable to deceive, unable to make war, unable to distort worship, unable to tempt with sin, and everything he has been doing for centuries. There is hope in the twelfth chapter that as surely as Satan could not prevail in heaven and was cast forth that he will not prevail in the earth and will be cast forth. There is hope in the twentieth chapter that Satan will stand utterly and completely defeated in the earth as fire will come down out of heaven completely devouring his forces. Find rest, find consolation, find hope, find peace, find confidence and assurance in this matter, for such is the reality that can be experienced within your life. Are you ready for the adversary with his many heads to be slain with the sword from the mouth of the Word of God and by the fire of God which came down from heaven? Let us this day find encouragement and confidence in the reality that while Satan might be mounting his last stand within your life he stands to be utterly and completely defeated.