19. Don't Give the Dragon What He Wants
Main Text: Revelation 12
Big Idea: The dragon has already been defeated by the victorious Lamb, but he continues to wage war against God's people in an attempt to steal their allegiance. Therefore, we must remain faithful to Jesus.
1. The Dragon Could Not Stop the King's Reign
Revelation 12:1-6
John pulls back the curtain and reveals the cosmic reality behind the birth of Christ.
The Woman
The woman represents God's covenant people through whom the Messiah came.
Old Testament Background
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Genesis 37:9-11
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Genesis 12:1-3
The imagery of the:
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Sun
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Moon
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Twelve stars
Points back to Israel and God's covenant promises.
The Dragon
The dragon stands ready to devour the child the moment He is born.
Key Insight
The dragon's opposition to Christ begins from the moment Christ enters the world.
What John Leaves Out
John moves directly from:
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Christ's birth
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To Christ's enthronement
He omits:
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Jesus' ministry
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Miracles
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Disciples
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The cross
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Resurrection appearances
Why?
John's purpose is not biography.
John's purpose is victory.
Key Truth: Satan threw everything he had at Jesus and still could not stop Him from reaching the throne.
Remember This
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The dragon failed.
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The King reached the throne.
2. The Dragon Has Already Been Defeated
Revelation 12:7-12
Notice the progression:
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The Son is enthroned.
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Satan is cast down.
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Heaven rejoices.
The battle's outcome is already settled.
The Church's Position
The Church does not fight for victory.
The Church fights from victory.
Key Truth: The victory belongs to the Lamb.
The Third Woe
Revelation 12:12
Heaven rejoices.
Earth experiences hardship.
The same event produces two perspectives:
Heaven Sees
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Satan defeated
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Christ reigning
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Victory secured
Earth Experiences
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Opposition
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Suffering
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Spiritual conflict
Satan's Identity
John piles up the names:
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Dragon
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Ancient Serpent
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Devil
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Satan
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Accuser
Application
The real enemy is not:
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Other people
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Political opponents
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Difficult neighbors
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Difficult coworkers
The real enemy is Satan.
Satan's Primary Weapon
Revelation 12:10-11
John emphasizes accusation.
The enemy whispers:
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Failure
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Shame
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Condemnation
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Hopelessness
How Believers Overcome
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By the blood of the Lamb
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By the word of their testimony
Key Truth: The answer to accusation is confidence in Christ and faithfulness to Him.
3. The Defeated Dragon Turns His Fury on the Church
Revelation 12:13-17
The dragon cannot defeat Christ.
The dragon cannot reclaim heaven.
The dragon cannot overturn God's kingdom.
So the dragon wages war against God's people.
The Woman Protected
The woman is carried on eagle's wings.
Old Testament Background
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Exodus 19:4
God continues to protect and sustain His people.
The Wilderness
The woman is nourished in the wilderness for:
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1,260 days
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3½ years
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A time, times, and half a time
Apocalyptic Symbolism
Three-and-a-half is half of seven.
It represents a period that is:
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Real
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Difficult
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Limited
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Temporary
Key Truth: The dragon's fury is intense, but it is temporary.
The Flood
The dragon attempts to overwhelm God's people.
Throughout Scripture, flood imagery often represents:
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Chaos
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Deception
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False teaching
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Opposition
Yet God protects His people.
Key Truth: The dragon is powerful, but he is not sovereign.
4. The Battle for Allegiance
Revelation 12:17
The dragon wages war against those who:
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Keep God's commands
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Hold fast their testimony about Jesus
The target is faithful believers.
The Dragon's Goal
The dragon's goal is not primarily your pain.
The dragon's goal is your surrender.
Satan Uses Many Tools
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Pain
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Fear
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Persecution
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Discouragement
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Accusation
The ultimate goal is always the same:
To pull our allegiance away from Jesus.
God Turns Satan's Weapons Against Him
The cross is the ultimate example.
What appeared to be Satan's victory became his defeat.
The same pattern continues today.
Key Truth: What Satan intends to weaken faith, God can use to strengthen faith.
5. A Modern Temptation: Self-Reliance
In John's world people were pressured to worship Caesar.
In our world we are often pressured to worship ourselves.
Radical Individualism
Our culture teaches:
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Secure yourself
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Save yourself
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Fix yourself
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Control everything yourself
The dragon encourages self-reliance because it slowly shifts our trust away from Jesus.
Common Places We Seek Security
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Career
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Success
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Productivity
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Control
The Result
When everything depends on us:
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Exhaustion increases
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Anxiety increases
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Distraction increases
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Faithfulness decreases
Key Truth: The issue is not merely busyness. The issue is trust.
Reflection Question
Who do I believe is really holding my life together?
6. Heaven Sees What We Cannot See
Revelation 12:12
The wilderness may look like defeat from earth's perspective.
But Scripture tells a different story.
Wilderness Examples
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Israel was preserved in the wilderness.
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Elijah was sustained in the wilderness.
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Jesus was strengthened in the wilderness.
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The woman is protected in the wilderness.
Why This Matters
God's protection does not always mean escape from hardship.
Often God's protection means His presence within hardship.
Different Perspectives
Earth Sees
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The dragon's rage
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Suffering
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Opposition
Heaven Sees
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The dragon's defeat
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Christ's victory
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The certainty of God's kingdom
Key Truth: Heaven sees what we cannot see.
The Call
Don't give the dragon what he wants.
Remember:
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His power is limited.
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His time is short.
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His defeat is certain.
Therefore:
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When suffering comes, remain faithful.
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When accusations come, remain faithful.
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When anxiety rises, remain faithful.
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When success tempts you toward self-reliance, remain faithful.
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When busyness crowds out devotion, remain faithful.
The dragon's story ends in destruction.
The Lamb's story ends in victory.
Hold fast to Jesus.
Remain faithful.
The dragon's time is short.
The Lamb's reign is forever.
