By the Blood of the Lamb / Revelation 12:7-12 / Guest Preacher Rev. Arron Gust / Monday September 29th 2025 / Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels / WASCANA Circuit @ Mount Olive Lutheran Church

Mount Olive Lutheran Church / Guest Preacher Rev. Arron Gust / Monday September 29th 2025: WASCANA Circuit Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels / Revelation 12:7-12 “Thrown Down for Good - By the Blood of the Lamb”

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

May the Words the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight O Lord. Grace, Peace, and Mercy to in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen.  

Dear Baptized, today, we celebrate and thank God for St. Michael and all angels. But I must warn you.., as fascinating as these creatures appear do not try to get a bead on them. You see, for the most part, they're quite bashful. And you'll risk irritating them with your attention for they are fellow creatures, servants of God…, together with us, and they tend to work undercover, subversively. "Not us, but to the Lord," …they would warn us. Beloveds, they are not to be worshipped, venerated, or prayed to, though the temptation to do so is great. St. John made the mistake twice in the Revelation..., of falling down to worship at the feet of an angel. And still, people make the same mistake today, focusing their energies on heaven's angels instead of the Lord of heaven. But, the angels don't roll that way. No, their faces are always turned toward God. And that's where they want our faces pointed too.

Friends, tonight I want to preach about a war that took place in heaven. St. John, in our reading from Revelation paints a picture of the battle:

Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. Satan, the ancient serpent, the deceiver of the whole world, is defeated and cast down. The heavenly host shouts a song of victory: “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God” (Rev. 12:10).

Beloveds, it is a vision of cosmic battle, but it is not only about heaven…, it’s about you. It’s about a battle fought for you. It’s about your salvation, your comfort, and your victory in Christ. And tonite I want to answer for you what it means for you that Satan has been thrown down? And to share with you what comfort this brings to US sinners who are justified in Christ?

Now, St. John gives us a glimpse behind the veil. The devil and his angels once had access before the throne of God. We hear in Job how Satan came before the Lord to accuse Job. And as late as 500 BC he is there accusing Joshua the new high priest after the Babylonian captivity. For you see, that is Satan’s business. A vocation of professional slanderer and accuser. Day and night he’d cry out, “This one has sinned, and he deserves death. This one belongs to me.” But in Revelation 12 we hear of war in heaven, and Satan is cast out. Martin Luther comments that this is the result of Christ’s death and resurrection:

“When Christ suffered and rose again, then the devil was cast out, and all his rights were taken from him. For he had accused us before God, but now he has no case” (American Edition - Luther’s Works 30:145).

Beloved, the victory belongs to Christ alone: By His cross, He disarmed the powers of darkness (Col. 2:15). By His blood, He silenced every accusation against you. The Church Father, St. Augustine, said:

“The devil is conquered not by the power of our strength but by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of faith” (City of God, Book 20).

This is the heart of Revelation 12. The devil is cast down not because Michael had sharper weapons, but because Christ had already won the victory on Calvary. And that means for you, dear Christian, that the accuser has lost his place in heaven. He has no standing in God’s courtroom. His voice of condemnation has been silenced. And yet, does he still accuse you? Oh, yes. … not in heaven, BUT here on earth. Here… he whispers in your conscience: “Look at your sins. Look at your failures. You call yourself a Christian? God couldn’t possibly forgive you again.”

Friends, the devil’s only power or vocation now…, is to drag you into despair…, to trap you in shame. Luther understood this well. He said

“When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: ‘I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God. Where He is, there I shall be also’” (American Edition - Luther’s Works 54:108).

That is the GOOD NEWS which flows from Satan’s being Casting Out. His accusations cannot stick. Christ has already answered every charge. His blood speaks louder than your sin. And what comfort this is! That though Satan remains on the prowl…, roaring like a lion, he is…, BUT, a defeated lion. He may hiss, but his teeth are pulled. He may accuse, but the Judge has already declared you righteous for Christ’s sake. This is the Word of Truth St. John hears from the heavenly voice that cried out:

“They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11).

Pay close attention to these Words: the saints do not conquer by their own power, their own holiness, or their own good works. They conquer by the blood of the Lamb. This is the language of justification. You are righteous before God not by works, not by feelings, but by the blood of Jesus shed for you. Which it is why it is not surprising to have The Apology of the Augsburg Confession teaching us that:

“The adversaries are indeed subtle in inventing these figments in order to diminish the honour of Christ’s merit and benefits, and to put trust in our works. But the Holy Scriptures, the holy Fathers, and the whole church testify that we are justified by faith, for Christ’s sake” (Book of Concord - Apology IV, 54).

This is our comfort: the devil has been thrown down. His accusations are answered in Christ. And the same Christ who died and rose for you now delivers that victory into your hands through His means of grace.

In Holy Baptism, you were marked with the sign of the cross. There Satan was renounced, his claim on you broken. You were transferred from his kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.

In Holy Absolution, the pastor speaks Christ’s word of forgiveness. There the accusations of the devil are silenced. His “day and night” whispers are met with the thunder of Christ’s declaration: “I forgive you all your sins.”

In the Holy Supper, you receive the very blood of the Lamb, the blood by which the saints conquer. Here ‘IS’ the blood that covers you, the blood that makes you righteous, the blood that Satan cannot argue with.

Beloveds, these are not small things. These are your weapons in the daily battle. Michael’s sword was mighty, but your weapons are even greater: Christ’s Word, His water, His body, and His blood. And so…, what of the dragon’s rage? St. John tells us that once the devil was thrown down, he was furious, because he knows his time is short (Rev. 12:12).

That is our reality, too. We live in the “short time.” The devil cannot win, but he thrashes about, seeking to drag others down with him. This explains why the Christian life is a battle. Why temptation never ceases. Why the church faces hostility. Friends, “Where Christ builds a church, Luther says, there the devil builds a chapel next door.” But take heart. Satan’s fury is the fury of one who has already lost. His time is short. His accusations are silenced. His doom is sure. For you, the baptized, the forgiven, the fed, the justified, the victory is already yours. You need not fear the devil’s lies, for you live in Christ’s truth. You need not fear his rage, for you live in Christ’s peace. And on this feast of St. Michael and All Angels, we remember that we are not alone in this battle. The Lord’s holy angels surround us. Hebrews says they are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). They guard you. They protect you. They fight for you. Remember the Morning and Evening Prayers you learn from the catechism, if not, I encourage you to look them up and pray them. For them, they teach us to pray to:

“Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.”

For this, too, is your comfort. Remember heaven is not indifferent to your struggles. The angels rejoice in your salvation, and they serve you for Christ’s sake. So what does it mean for you that Satan has been thrown down? It means the accuser has lost his case. His charges cannot stand. Christ has answered them all with His blood. It means you are justified, declared righteous, covered in Christ’s victory. It means that in Word and Sacrament you are given the very weapons of triumph…, Christ’s own forgiveness, life, and salvation. And it means you can live with confidence, not in yourself, but in Christ. When the devil whispers, “You are a sinner,” you can answer, “Yes, but I am a sinner for whom Christ died. The blood of the Lamb covers me. Be gone, Satan. You are thrown down.” And on the Last Day…, when the battle is fully over and the trumpet sounds, you will join the angels’ song in full voice singing: “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down.” In the name of Jesus. Amen.

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.