Defeat of the Dragon [Part 2]

Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. You are safe, and he's given you wings, and he's given you the blood of the Lamb, and the word of your testimony, and love for God that's greater than anything else.

That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series, The Revelation, as presented at Reynolda Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It's a CD album or a digital download, your choice of the body you've always wanted, audio messages on what heaven is like. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries. As you listen to today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at PastorAlan.org. That's PastorAlan.org, or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program. But now, let's get started with today's teaching.

Here is Alan Wright. He came to die in your place. He came to fulfill the prophecy that the Lord had given to the serpent. When he told the serpent, you'll strike at his heel, but he'll crush your head.

And this very thing that the devil had lived in fear of for all of the centuries and centuries, trying to discern who it was. And it came to this moment in time in which Jesus is arrested. He's betrayed.

He's arrested. He's given a bogus trial and he's taken to a Roman cross and he's nailed there. And as he bleeds and suffocates, it has every appearance that the dragon has won, that the serpent has struck. And in a very real sense, the serpent did strike. It was like the fangs of evil had gone into the heel of the savior of the world and injected a poison. That poison you could think of was it being reckoned by God as if the son had become your sin and mine. This goes far to explain what the Bible means when it says he who knew no sin became our sin, that we might become his righteousness.

It's like the whole poison of curse came into Jesus so that we would no longer take it. And all of hell's rejoicing and demons are feasting on the moment of the son of God who is suffocating on a cross and crying out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And yet in those moments, the miracle of salvation is taking place. And we are told elsewhere in scripture that there was a scene in the heavenlies in which God through the cross was making a public spectacle of demons. Because in the moment that it looked like hell had won instead, what was happening was the great cosmic victory of God in Jesus Christ was taking place.

Because in the very willingness of Christ to so love you and so love this world that he took sin into himself and he died to death in our place. Because of the vastness of that love in the mystery of God's gospel plan, anyone who trusts in Christ is utterly forgiven and justice has taken place. So the accuser, that's Satan's name, who is like a prosecutor in the heavenly courtroom, who is always accusing night and day before the people of God.

We see scenes like in Job where Satan is there as if it's a heavenly courtroom and he's bringing his accusations. And essentially he's saying, he's essentially saying as a prosecutor, God, you have to keep your word. And you said those that disobey will be killed.

Those that the wages of sin is death. You've said there must be punishment. And he brings before the throne of God, the judge, he brings before it a case after case. That's what he does.

That's what he was saying. And then Christ comes and takes the penalty so that it would be unjust for two people to pay for the same crime. So that if you're in Christ, all of a sudden you're declared not guilty. The case is thrown out and there's no more standing for the devil to even be there. Who could bring a charge against God's elect? Paul said. Who could possibly condemn us when Christ has died for us and reigns for us and intercedes for us?

I'm convinced we're more than conquerors through Christ because you see, something shifted in the whole cosmic structure of things. And the prosecutor had no place in the courtroom and he's thrown out. The case is thrown out. It's over. It's done. And that's where we are.

That's where we are now. Verse 12. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them. But woe, O earth and sea, for the devil's come down to you in great wrath because he knows his time short. This is explained so much.

Essentially, he hears this voice. Rejoice, rejoice in heaven. Rejoice.

Every Christian have joy over and over again. Don't let the devil ever steal your joy. But also be aware. That's what the woe means here. Be forewarned.

Do not be ignorant of this. This dragon, when he lost in the courtroom of heaven, in his anger has come and is exerting great wrath on the earth. And when this dragon verse 13 saw he'd been thrown down, he pursued the woman. Who's that? The people of God who'd given birth.

So be aware of it. Verse 14. But the woman, this is, this is a magnificent image that he's seeing. But the woman, the people of God was given two wings, the two wings of a great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness. Can you imagine John? He's having this vision.

One image after the other, it comes. A dragon, a big tail, a third of the stars come out, a woman crying out in travail, but she's got a crown on her head and a great battle between angels in the heaven. But he realizes that the angels of God are stronger. And Michael is leading the angelic army and it wins.

And that then there's something that happens and shifts in the cosmic courtroom. And, and then he sees this dragon coming to start pursuing the woman and the woman all of a sudden as if has wings and begins to soar like an eagle. That she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness to the place where she is to be nourished for a time and times and half a time, which is another apocalyptic way of saying three and a half years. It is an image from Exodus, from the story of how God took people out of slavery by the Passover and then took and nourished them through the wilderness. Exodus 19 four, you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, the Lord said, and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself.

We've had another Exodus. We've had a greater liberation, the true liberation of God through Jesus Christ. And, and it is as though as you wait upon the Lord and hope upon him, you mount up with wings as eagles. We are the ones who can take shelter and healing under his wings, because it is the ultimate expression of the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies of that gold plated mercy seat where cherubim wings are over it. And there the blood of the Passover lamb was sprinkled.

And there on the day of atonement, it was that the people were covered in their sin. We are safe because we have come under the wings of God. We, we rise up and are carried out into a place that God has prepared here in this earth.

We are, we are in the world, we are in the world, but not of the world. And he has for us true manna, the manna, which is Jesus Christ, the bread of life that comes to us and nourishes us. That's Alan Wright, and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. If you think heaven is a misty place where you float around on clouds and pluck angelic harps, you're in for the surprise of your life. Our special product this month is all about the hope of heaven.

It's our gift to you when you support this month. Alan's CD album invites you to discover the body you've always wanted, a spiritual resurrected body. Be assured that God isn't going to scrap you or the world. He'll make all things new. Overcome the gnawing anxiety about the end of your life. You can have peace now. Pastor Alan Wright's hope-filled messages will lead you into more than a joyous revelation of heaven. According to the scriptures, they'll lead you into a bounding hope. So please help us stay on the radio in your area by making a generous gift today, and we'll be happy to send you the body you've always wanted.

The CD album that is. When you make your gift to Alan Wright Ministries today, we'll send you Pastor Alan's messages in an attractive CD album or through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your thanks for your partnership. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org.

Today's teaching now continues. Here once again is Alan Wright. And you've been given the Holy Spirit, so don't worry about the ploys of the devil, child of God. There's grace for you. Revelation 12 15. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured forth from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman. This is explaining why there's a spiritual battle today.

This is explaining what we face. The dragon became furious with the woman, that's the people of God, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. So in hatred of God, the serpent pursues the people of God and pouring out in this image like a flood out of his mouth to try to consume the people of God. In Revelation, whatever comes out of the mouth symbolizes words that are spoken. Remember earlier on we saw the image of Jesus and it was a sword, a double-edged sharp sword that came out of his mouth, reminding us that the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. But what's seen here is a flood which symbolizes devastation, and what's coming out of the dragon's mouth is a river of lies.

It is the primary weapon of hell towards the people of God, towards anyone. And it makes you think of all the different floods of deception that have tried to come upon humanity over the many centuries, ever since Christianity, all of the isms that arose early on, Gnosticism and Pelagianism and Arianism and anything that could come against the uniqueness of the deity of Jesus Christ and the promises of the gospel, and how there rose up such religious heresies and legalism, various waves over time that competed with the gospel, and then how, in more recent times, religious liberalism that has disputed the reliability of God's word, and how we live in a day of moral relativism in which there is a lie that says there's no real right or wrong, just do your own thing and live your own truth, and lie after lie that comes to us individually. Just understand, this is the nature of the spiritual battle, is that the devil wants to lie. What does he want? He wants to lie. He wants to spew forth a flood of lies towards you, and the more that we believe the lies, the more lies will keep coming towards us and build one upon another like a house of deceptive thoughts that becomes a stronghold. Lies that want to tell you to question whether you're a child of God. Lies that want to tell you whether your life really matters. Lies that want to tell you that you cannot overcome past sin. Lies that want to make you question whether life is worth living.

Lies that make you want to start judging rather than loving others so that you would destroy your relationships. I'm saying this, it's not pretty to talk about, but there's an enemy and he is pure evil and pure hatred, and all he wants to do is ruin your life and ruin the world because he hates God, and therefore he hates the people who love God, and that's the battle that you're in, and it's a battle for the fault life primarily. A flood of lies. This revelation comes to say to the people of God, do not despair. Look again here at verse 16, but the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Again, echoing Exodus because after God opened up the Red Sea and then swallowed up Pharaoh's army, remember that, they came to the other side of the Red Sea and they began to sing a celebration song, I will sing unto the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously, the horse and rider thrown into the sea.

And then it comes to this verse 15, verse 12 of Exodus 15, you stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them. This is the image of the better Passover of the work of God in Jesus Christ that has swallowed up the lies of the enemy. Truth swallows deception and light swallows darkness so that it is gone. If you notice that as soon as a truth comes and the lie is exposed, the lie loses all of its power. Do not be afraid, child of God. Though there is a dragon whose tail has been swinging wildly throughout the cosmos and has hurt many as an expression of pure evil, you are like this woman in travail, crowned and there is though a fury against the people of God, you are safe and he's given you wings and he's given you the blood of the lamb and the word of your testimony and love for God that's greater than anything else.

It is like saying that God brought to the people of God in the first century what he is bringing to us too and that is to show us vividly where we stand and where the devil stands because then it gives us confidence. I was thinking about how years ago, 2003, I read some interviews of Iraqi national athletes who were beginning to speak out because Saddam Hussein had been overthrown and yet he was not captured. And I remember citizens talking in Iraq because they wanted to begin to proclaim their freedom, they wanted to be able to talk about the atrocities they'd suffered, they wanted to be able to speak the truth, but they were also afraid because though their tyrant had been overthrown, he had not yet been captured.

Saddam Hussein was a tyrant, he oppressed Iraq for over 30 years, he had over 20 palaces, he had meals prepared as if it were for him in every palace every day because he was so fearful of somebody finding out which palace he was in just to keep up the guise of being there. He ordered in lobster flown in and other delicacies, he had a taste for Portuguese wine though in public he pretended not to drink in order to look like a faithful Muslim. In 1988, he brought together several hundred Baathist leaders and forced one of them to confess that he'd been part of a scheme to overtake the government and they dragged a man out and killed him. And Hussein came to the podium and for a good show he began to cry and he began listing out a list, calling out names of people accused of treason.

Every now and then he would stop and light up his cigar. And then they assembled an ad hoc firing squad that shot 21 of those men. The authoritative biographer of Hussein has estimated that that number grew into 500 during that particularly dark, purging spectacle. And this is the way he carried out his leadership. One time he just rained down poisonous gas on 5,000 of his own citizen in a northern Kurdish village because he called them disloyal. He brought his sons up in violence and witness to torture and horror. No wonder that one day Uday, the eldest son, beat Saddam's food taster to death in front of scores of party goers.

It was that kind of family. In 2003, the military had been weakened and his own military was lying to him about their strength. And in March of that year, the U.S. engaged in huge missile strikes and in April, they invaded Baghdad. And April 9th was the last public sighting of Saddam. But he started hiding in 30 different places around. And nobody knew where he was, but he keeps sending out messages by messengers and he would terrorize still. So the people knew that their tyrant was overthrown, but he had not been captured, tried, or executed. And so they don't know how confident they could be in their freedom. And the more that you know that the one who's terrorized you has actually been overthrown, the more you can quit worrying about it, the more you can exercise your freedom. In December of that year, 2003, U.S. military found Saddam in a hole, a six-foot hole underneath a house not far from his hometown.

The Iraqi government tried him and executed him. We live in an in-between time, beloved. We live in a time in which our tyrant, the oppressor, the accuser that accused us, has been thrown out of the courtroom in heaven, has been thrown down along with all of the demons, has been effectively defeated, and yet hides in the every kind of place to try to deceive still, and to wage war still, and to terrorize still. And what God wants us to know, and this is the purpose of Revelation, is that Christ's victory is sure, and that you who are in Christ can count on that victory, and that anyone that wants to have that assurance simply accept Christ and his saving work. Because what happens is that you, though persecuted in this world, and though we may face some very difficult times, you have been given as it is wings from God, and nourishment in the desert, and sustaining grace no matter what it is that you go through. So in other words, be well nourished on the Word of God. And the blood of the Lamb is the reminder that it's Jesus' finished work, not yours that matters. And the word of your testimony is the affirmation with your own mouth of what God has done for you in Jesus Christ, and to love not your life even unto death is to say that there's no idol that comes into your life. Because when you love God more than anything, then there's no hold the devil can get on you. So there's your formula for the spiritual battle.

You have and are overcoming by the blood of the Lamb the word of your testimony, and by loving God more than anything else. Those first century Christians were there ready to receive a word. When it finally got opened up, the pastor did not say, we're going to have a symposium on end times theology. Instead, he said, apocalypsis, siesus Christus, the revelation of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud these prophecies, and blessed is the one who hears it. Because this is a vision of Jesus, and this is a vision of the victory that is yours in Him. That's what Revelation's about.

That's what Revelation 12 is about, and that is the gospel. Alan Wright, our good news message today from the series, The Revelation, its defeat of the dragon. Pastor Alan is back joining me in the studio, sharing his parting good news thought for the day in just a moment. If you think heaven is a misty place where you float around on clouds and pluck angelic harps, you're in for the surprise of your life. Our special product this month is all about the hope of heaven.

It's our gift to you when you support this month. Alan's CD album invites you to discover the body you've always wanted, a spiritual resurrected body. Be assured that God isn't going to scrap you or the world. He'll make all things new. Overcome the gnawing anxiety about the end of your life.

You can have peace now. Pastor Alan Wright's hope-filled messages will lead you into more than a joyous revelation of heaven, according to the scriptures. They'll lead you into a bounding hope. So please help us stay on the radio in your area by making a generous gift today, and we'll be happy to send you the body you've always wanted.

The CD album, that is. When you make your gift to Alan Wright Ministries today, we'll send you Pastor Alan's messages in an attractive CD album or through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, pastoralan.org. I really do think it's true, Pastor Alan.

You can go check the back of the book anytime that you're nervous about how this is going to turn out. I've heard the quote that the dragon is defeated, but his tail still swishes. So it's a defeated foe, and yet the fury of hell against God and the people of God is great. One day that will all end, and Jesus returns. For the time being, we're still in a spiritual battle, but it's not a battle that we're at risk of losing. Instead, what God wants us to know is that we can be assured of the defeat of Satan, and that we're already reigning with Christ. So that's a very powerful thing to take away. Always a list of love. It was Vance Havner, I think, who said, I'm glad to have a Bible that begins and ends with the devil out of business. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Allen Wright Ministries.