3. The Satanic Insurrection Continues! Psalm 64:2-6

Text: “And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon; and the Dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in Heaven.  And the great Dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  And I heard a voice saying in Heaven, Now is come Salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  And they overcame him (Satan) by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

Revelation 12:7-11.

          “Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked: from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.”

Psalm 64:2.

Good morning, Christian Resistance soldier!  God the Holy Spirit has enlisted you in the army of the Living Lord Jesus Christ, the risen and only begotten Son of God, to grant you and I the utter privilege of serving as His Spiritual soldiers, in the great Spiritual Battle against the insurrection of Satan and legions of his fallen and cast out angels (demons), here on planet earth.  

Praise God, the Battle is hard and sore, but the Victory has already been won by the Lord Jesus Christ at a place called Calvary!  Hallelujah! All praise to the victorious Lamb!

“And I (John) saw Heaven opened, and behold (look, and fully understand) a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war…And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in Blood: and His Name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean…And He hath on His vesture (robe) written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”  (Revelation 19:11-16)  All glory to the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen.

Dictionary Definition: Insurrection –  (noun) a rising or revolt;…          Revolt – (verb transitive) to renounce allegiance; to rise in opposition; to turn or rise in disgust, loathing or repugnance…(noun) a rebellion; insurrection; secession; revulsion; to rebel… (The Chambers Dictionary, page 834 & 1412)

In this morning’s Bible text for the lesson, from Revelation chapter 12; the war that took place in Heaven is both recorded and the outcome described.  The Devil/ Satan/ Lucifer, and a third of Heaven’s angels all revolted against the Lord God Almighty, and the archangel Michael and the angels of the Lord prevailed against the insurrection - and Satan  and the rebellious angels were all cast out of Heaven as a consequence.  (See also, Isaiah chapter 14:9-20 for more information on the cause of Satan’s rebellion – PRIDE, lusting to be ‘…like the most High.’!)

Satan’s insurrection against the Lord God Almighty was definitively put down in Heaven, but it continues today here on planet earth as a Spiritual battle for the hearts, souls, and minds of mankind, God’s perfect Creation in Adam.

“…Woe to the inhibitors of the earth and of the sea!  For the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.  And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child…And the Dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed (a woman has no seed, this speaks of the immaculate conception of Christ by God the Holy Ghost), which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”  (Revelation 12:12-17) (Luke 1:30-35)

The Devil’s wrath against ‘the seed of the woman’ (Genesis 3:15), continues in his insurrection against the Lord God.  He is a defeated enemy through the Cross of Christ Jesus, but until the Lord sees fit to chain him up completely in the ‘bottomless pit’, or place him and his rebellious angels/demons in the Lake of fire forever – he is at large, testing and trying the Blood-bought saints of Jesus Christ.  The apostle Paul knew well of the Devil’s tormenting wiles.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood (mere human enemies), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against Spiritual wickedness in high places.”  (Ephesians 6:10-12)

Psalm 64:2. “Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked. The ‘wicked’ I define as all those who are seen to be ‘reprobate’, rejected by God for Salvation, and who are therefore, putty in the hands and will of Satan and his fallen angels/demons.  The Devil urges ‘the wicked’ on to hinder, oppose, and persecute true born again, Bible-believing Christians, and on they go to do his vile bidding, they have no strength of will with which to refuse the Devil’s inspirations.  They fulfil most of their wicked oppositions in secret, they defame, they spread lies, they secretly assassinate the moral character of Christ’s faithful servants, and seek to smear, libel, and slander them in order to ruin individual credibility for Christ’s witnesses.  The Spiritual insurrection continues for us today.  ‘Lord, hide us from all evil!’

Verse 2. “Hide me…from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.  Note, these reprobate enemies are not merely anti-Christian in their beliefs, live-styles, and behaviour!  No.  They are active ‘workers of iniquity’, they are militant in labouring to spoil Christian witness and testimonies; ruin Christian characters; and bring to nought anyone that seems to be prospering in the preaching of Christ Crucified for the sins of ‘His people’; or teaching sound Bible-doctrine that increases the God-given faith of true Christian believers!  They are pro-active!

Verse 3. “Who whet their tongue like a sword…shoot their arrows…even bitter words. Their actions are Biblically defined; clearly identified, these are the reprobate, enemies of God.

Verse 5. “They encourage themselves in an evil matter…commune of laying snares privily (secretly)…”  One finds it extremely difficult to contend against lies, rumours, gossip, etc. when it is done secretly by anti-Christian ‘workers of iniquity’. They hide their evil doings.

Verse 6. “They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search…the inward thought…and the heart is deep.  Such anti-Christian enemies are not folk who suddenly come across a piece of juicy gossip and begin to spread in about the Pastor, or the Sunday-School Teacher, or the deacons, etc.! No! These are black hearts that ‘search out’ faults; ‘…accomplish a diligent search…’ to find failures, weaknesses, in Christ’s servants, then ruthlessly broadcast to all who will listen what minor/major imperfections they find!

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”  (Jeremiah 17:9)

With all the information contained in God’s Word and this lesson concerning the continuance of Satanic insurrection today – should you and I, as God’s servants, not be found praying to Him for His protective covering, as we continue to be more militant in Christ’s service?

Thought: “He/she shall call upon Me, and I will answer him/her: I will be with him/her in trouble; I will deliver him/her, and honour him/her.”  (Psalm 91:15)  Victory is ours!