“AND THE DRAGON GAVE HIM HIS POWER, AND HIS SEAT, AND GREAT AUTHORITY” (Revelation 13:2). WRATH! WAR! WORSHIP! If you want to truly understand the activity of the adversary as is portrayed in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ you must understand it in light of these three words. When the great read dragon was cast out into the earth along with his angels, the apostle John records the declaration that the devil had come down to the earth and had great wrath because he knows he has but a short time. When the twelfth chapter draws to a close—after the dragon set out to persecute the woman, yet the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she might flight into the wilderness; and, after the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman to cause her to be swept away, only to discover the earth helped the woman by opening her mouth and swallowing the flood—we find the dragon going out to make war with the remnant of the seed of the woman. As the twelfth chapter draws to a close we find the dragon who had watched the woman be given the wings of a great eagle to fly into the wilderness, and had watched as the earth helped the woman by swallowing the flood meant to sweep her away go out to make war with those who kept the commandments of God, and who had the testimony of Jesus Christ. Thus far within the twelfth chapter alone we find both the wrath of the dragon and the war of the dragon—wrath at being cast forth out of heaven and into the earth and has but a short time, and war after watching his attempt to sweep the woman away with a flood be thwarted by the earth opening its mouth to help her. In the third and fourth verses of the thirteenth chapter we begin to see the worship of the dragon as the apostle John writes how all the world wondered after the beast and worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast. Moreover, the apostle John also records how the the inhabitants of the earth worshipped the beast as well, saying, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

When you come to the seventh verse of the same chapter you begin to notice both the war and the worship of the dragon being directly connected with each other as the apostle John witnesses something truly remarkable. “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindred, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:7-9). This reality is manifested in even greater force as the apostle John sees another beast coming up out of the earth who assisted and accompanied the first beast. “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth all the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and DECEIVETH them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:12-17). Through the beast coming up out of the sea and the beast coming up out of the earth we see the wrath, the war and the worship of the dragon being manifested in the earth. What is so incredibly interesting about the thirteenth chapter is that it reveals Satan’s activity upon being cast out into the earth. Within the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation we begin to see Satan’s activity in the earth begin to be manifested through his persecution of the woman, his attempt to sweep her away with a flood of water from his mouth, and his going out to make war with the remnant of her seed.

While in heaven—at least according to the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ—we find the activity of the dragon being manifested on three different fronts. When we first encounter the dragon we encounter him as standing before the woman clothed with the sun in an attempt to devour the Child which was to be delivered of her. The dragon is next seen as engaging in war in heaven against Michael and his angels, yet not only being able to prevail, but also discovering that their place was no longer found in heaven. When the great dragon and his angels were cast forth out of heaven and cast into the earth the apostle John hears a loud voice proclaiming from heaven that the accuser of our brethren has been cast down, which accused the saints before our God day and night. Thus within the first twelve verses we encounter Satan’s chief strategy—devouring the Child, inciting and engaging war with the heavenly host and accusing the brethren. DEVOURING THE CHILD! ATTACKING THE HOST! ACCUSING THE SAINTS! When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray in His famous Sermon on the Mount He included these words—“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN” (Matthew 6:10). When speaking directly to the apostle Peter upon His confession of Jesus being the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus declared unto him that “whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19). Just two chapters later in the very same gospel, Matthew records these words of Jesus—“Verily I say unto you, Whatosever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). This is worth considering when speaking of spiritual warfare and conflict for these passages—along with the words written by the apostle John in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ—bring us face to face with the fact that Satan’s activity is not only seen and manifested in heaven, but it is also seen and manifested on the earth.

In the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ we begin to encounter the presence of the dragon and his activity—both in heaven and upon the earth. When we first encounter the dragon we do not find his activity as being manifested in the earth, but within heaven itself. When speaking of the activity of the dragon in heaven it’s imperative that we understand his activity as taking place on three distinct fronts—devouring the Child, engaging the host in war, and accusing the saints. The activity of the dragon in heaven is first seen as an attempt to devour the Child which was to be delivered of the woman clothed with sun, with the moon under her feet and a diadem of twelve stars upon her head. Unable to devour the Child we then find the dragon and his angels fighting against Michael and the host of heaven in conflict and war—undoubtedly to make every attempt to secure their place and position in heaven. Once the dragon and his angels were cast forth out of heaven they were forever and eternally cut off from heaven and from the Most High. It is my belief that Satan’s last stand ever in recorded history will be his marching against the beloved city with a great force accompanying him and surrounding it. Within that city was something which He sought to destroy in heaven yet was unable to—the Child which was delivered of the woman to rule all nations with a rod of iron. Satan’s last stand surrounding the beloved city of God with both the saints and Son of God living and reigning within the city. The dragon who was unable to devour the Child in heaven will march against and surround the beloved city, for within that city is everything he abhors, disdains and is disgusted with. Within that city will the eternal Word of God, the saints of God, and all those from the house of Israel who have believed on His name. This final stand will be Satan’s final attempt to devour and destroy that which he sought to destroy for so many centuries upon the earth. In the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation we find the dragon seeking to devour the Child which was to be delivered of the woman. In the nineteenth chapter we find that Child riding forth from heaven on a white horse accompanied by the host of heaven who were clothed in white linen and rode on horses of their own. The beast which came up out of the sea sought to march against the Rider on the white horse and all those which accompanied Him in another attempt to devour that One who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.

The twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation is jam packed with visions and insight into the activity of Satan—both in heaven and upon the earth. While in heaven the dragon sought to devour the Child which was to be delivered of the woman, fought against Michael and his angels and engaged them in war in heaven, and finally, accused the brethren day and night before the Lord of hosts. While upon the earth, however, the activity of the dragon shifts and begins to take on a completely different appearance. When the dragon was cast out into the earth he sets out to deceive the nations, sets out to persecute the woman, and finally sets out to make war with the remnant of her seed. When seeking to understand the activity of Satan it is imperative that we recognize his activity upon the earth as well as his activity in heaven. One thing that is absolutely certain concerning his activity—both in heaven and upon the earth—is that he engages in warfare and battle. Whether it’s engaging Michael and his angels in battle in heaven or making war with remnant of the seed of the woman upon the earth the dragon is a being of war. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in heaven against the host or upon the earth against the saints—the dragon will always look for ways to incite conflict, incite strife, incite chaos, incite war, and incite great struggles. The warfare of the dragon wasn’t just manifested in heaven against the heavenly host but is manifested upon the earth against the saints of God. In fact, I would dare say that wherever the dragon is there is most certainly guaranteed to be war, conflict, strife, chaos and battles. Conversely, it might very well be said that wherever there is war, wherever there is conflict, wherever there is turmoil, wherever there is chaos, the dragon and his forces are guaranteed to be there. This is true upon the earth among the nations, and will especially be true in the Last Days as Jesus spoke of wars and rumors of war being present upon the earth. When the dragon was cast forth out of heaven and cast into the earth he didn’t leave his need or desire for war in heaven. Instead, he took that desire for conflict, for strife, for chaos, and for war and brought it to the earth.

Jesus included in His prayer the petition for the kingdom of God to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, can it very well be said that activity in heaven can directly dictate and impact activity in the earth? When the great dragon and his angels were cast forth out of heaven there came a loud voice proclaiming the salvation, strength, the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ had come. It was at that moment when the full reality and manifestation of the kingdom of God and the power of His Christ had come and was manifested—manifested in the absence of the dragon and his angels. I can’t help but see a direct connection between Jesus’ words what has been known as “the Lord’s Prayer” and what is recorded in the book of the Revelation. In other words, just as the great dragon was cast forth out of heaven, so too would there be the need for the dragon to be cast forth and removed from the earth. Just as the dragon and his angels fought against Michael and his angels, yet could not prevail, so too the dragon and his angels will make war against the saints of God, and yet should not prevail. I am convinced that as surely and as certainly as we pray the words—“thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven”—bring us face to face with the reality that we desperately need discernment into what is taking place in the heavens. One of the most profound realities within the book of the Revelation is that the apostle John didn’t simply witness what was taking place upon the earth, but also what was taking place in heaven. The apostle John didn’t just witness what was going to take place upon the earth in the days to come, but also witnessed events in heaven which were still to come. The great dragon and his angels fought Michael and his angels in heaven yet could not prevail and were thus cast forth into the earth, yet that doesn’t mean that he and his angels will prevail in the earth. The voice which spoke from heaven spoke of the accuser of our brethren being cast down, yet went on to speak of the saints overcoming by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and who did not love their lives unto the death. What we read in the twentieth chapter of the book of the Revelation is a powerful prophetic picture—not only of what was the original design and intent of the Lord Most High, but also of the overwhelming victory and triumph the saints have upon the earth. The saints of God could live and reign upon the earth for one thousand years for the beast and the false prophet had been captured and cast into the lake of fire, the armies of the beast had been slain with the sword, and the great dragon had been bound and sealed into the bottomless pit.

WAR IN HEAVEN & WAR IN THE EARTH! The book of the Revelation brings us face to face with the dragon’s war in heaven against Michael and his angels, as well as the war of the dragon upon the earth against the saints of God and against the woman. The book of the Revelation brings us face to face with the worship of God in heaven and the worship of the beast and the dragon upon the earth. When it comes to matters of war and worship the question you and I must ask ourselves is which side are were aligned with. Within the book of the Revelation we find the dragon inciting war in heaven against the angelic host and inciting war upon the earth against the saints—a reality that confirms the dragon’s activity upon the earth will be similar to his activity in heaven. Within the book of the Revelation we find the inhabitants of the earth worshipping the beast, as well as worshipping the image of the beast and even the dragon itself. The dragon is not content unless it is making war wherever it goes—whether it be in heaven or on the earth. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels in heaven and prevailed against them, yet when it comes the war of the dragon upon the earth—it is not the angelic host whom the dragon makes war against, but the saints of God. It’s worth noting that when the beast, the false prophet and their horde attempted to march against the Rider on the white horse and those who accompanied Him, the beast and the false prophet were captured and cast into the lake of fire, and all those with them were slain with the sword proceeding from the mouth of the eternal Word of God. When the dragon went out to the four corners of the earth to deceive the nations to joining him in one final showdown and conflict with the saints of God, the host of heaven, and even the Son of David Himself, fire came down from heaven and devoured all those who marched against the beloved city. Moreover, the great dragon was himself captured and cast into the lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet were.

It is important that we recognize that just as there was war in heaven there would be war in the earth. When the dragon and his angels saw they could not prevail against Michael and his angels in heaven, and when their place was no longer found in heaven, they were cast to the earth. When cast to the earth, however, their warfare would not cease but would be manifested in a completely different light. The war and wrath of the dragon would be directed upon a new target upon the earth—the nation of Israel and the Church of Jesus Christ. The conflict the nation of Israel has found herself in since her rebirth nearly seventy years ago is proof that the war of the dragon is most certainly alive and well upon the earth. The conflict the Church of Jesus Christ—the conflict the saints of God face on a continual basis is confirmation that the war and wrath of the dragon is alive and well upon the earth. Each and every assault, each and every battle, each and every struggle, each and every war you fight with and against the dragon and his angels is directly connected to the concept of worship and authority. If the book of the Revelation could be summarized into two distinct questions it would be as follows: WHICH THRONE WILL YOU SERVE BEFORE? WHO WILL YOU WORSHIP? The war which the dragon incited upon the earth agains the saints—and even against Israel—is a war against the authority of the Most High, as well as the worship of the Most High. Whose throne will you bow before and whose authority will you submit to? How you answer these questions are at the very forefront of spiritual warfare and conflict within your life. It’s worth point out that the beast which came up out of the sea, and the image of the beast which was formed upon the earth were but smoke and mirrors concealing who was truly being worshipped—the dragon. We must understand that each and every one of us worships something within our lives—regardless of how great or small that thing is. Furthermore, the thirteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation causes us to look beyond that which demands our worship upon the earth to the real power and being that is behind those objects. Oh that we would have eyes to see and spiritual discernment to see beyond the idols, the altars and the thrones of this world and would see the force that is present behind and beyond them. The inhabitants of the earth worshipped the image of the beast and the beast itself, yet the apostle John records how they were ultimately worshipping the dragon.

I have written much about Satan’s activity within our lives, and how I believe Satan is making his last stand within the lives of countless men and women. I have written how I believe Satan’s last stand is a last ditch effort to inflict and cause as much damage as he can because he knows he is ultimately defeated. What would begin as war in heaven would reach its climax upon the earth as Satan and his forces would march against the holy city to surround it and thus destroy all who were present in the midst of it. Beloved even the very conflict that surrounds the city of Jerusalem in these Last Days is confirmation of this final conflict and battle that will ensue as the dragon will march against the beloved city with all his forces and will surround it. When the dragon was cast out of heaven into the earth he was filled with great wrath because he knew he had a short time. Let us pay close attention to this, for the war of the dragon is directly connected to the wrath of the dragon, as he knows he has but a short time. I have written of Satan’s activity in the garden, in the days of Noah, in the life of Job, in the life of David, in the life of Joshua, in the life of Jesus, and in the lives of Peter, Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira. I have attempted to paint a picture of Satan’s activity throughout history in order that a people would understand his activity and how he operates. It is my prayer that as you read the final book of the New Testament you will come to understand the great conflict and war that exists upon the earth. If I could summarize Satan’s activity upon the earth in one single phrase it would be “The War and Wrath of the Dragon.” If I could summarize Satan’s activity upon the earth [as it was in heaven], it would be “War!” What is so incredibly powerful about the twentieth chapter of the book of the Revelation is that this war and wrath of the dragon will one day come to an end and will finally be destroyed and removed from the earth. It is my belief that the war and wrath of the dragon within your life and within my life can also come to an end. I am thoroughly convinced that we can live and reign with Christ upon the earth here and now, and yet still enjoy and experience the one thousand years as mentioned in Scripture. Beloved, we cannot afford to call Satan’s activity anything else than what it is—War! With that being said, we bear the responsibility and burden to fight the good fight of faith and to stand firm having put on the full armor of our God.