Whose Voice Will You Hear?

Revelation 12:7-9

⁷Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, ⁸but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ⁹And 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. ¹⁰And 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.

As Christ Ascends into Heaven, there is no room for two voices representing God’s people before the Throne. Up until this point Satan has been allowed to speak to the Father about the people. He has been allowed to accuse them of their sins. In the Old Testament we have a few examples of Satan openly standing in the court of heaven and speaking accusations against God’s people. Most famous of these stories is probably of Job and his struggle with the terrible tortures Satan visits upon him. This story begins with Satan making a “casual” appearance in God’s court. A very similar event takes place immediately in Job 2.

Job 1:6-12

⁶Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ⁸And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” ⁹Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? ¹⁰Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” ¹²And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Also in the book of Zechariah we find a priest standing before God and Satan is present to bring accusation.

Zechariah 3:1

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

Clearly, Satan was allowed to speak in God’s court, and he felt free to bring charges of sinfulness against God’s people. And here’s the kicker – he wasn’t wrong. They were indeed sinners. But with the arrival of the triumphant Christ back into the Heavenly Courtroom, there is no longer any place for Satan to stand. Now Christ represents the people and they are washed in His blood. The time for accusation is gone – forever.

“As a result of Christ’s victory on the cross and his public vindication over the dragon at his ascension and exaltation, there was no longer any room in heaven for the accuser. The dragon had to be thrown out of heaven, for Christ’s vicarious atonement and justification of the saints made Satan’s accusations false—lies—and an offense against God’s gracious justice in Christ. Once Christ was elevated and enthroned, the slanderer was held in contempt of God’s court and “was thrown out” (12:9), never again to appear before God’s heavenly presence.”

Brighton, L. A. ©1999. Revelation (p. 335). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House.

This is a moment of monumental importance for us. God is not hearing about your sins in heaven! Please let me repeat that. God is not hearing about your sins in heaven. Satan is banished and Jesus is the only one there, speaking about you to His Father. He is presenting you as His holy bride and you are completely righteous because of His blood. But we still have a problem and it will be with us until Jesus returns. Satan has not been banished from the earth and he feels quite free to accuse you of your sin to your face. He wants you to remember every offense. He wants you to twist in the wind over every sin. He wants you to dwell on your guilt because it will eat you alive.

A review of Satan’s past can be helpful for us as we ponder his impact on our lives. The prophet Ezekiel writes to the King of Tyre about his apostacy and in so doing, tells us the story of Satan’s existence from his inception to his demise. Knowing this story helps us realize that he has been and forever will be under the control and power of God Himself. We are not left to Satan’s power or devices.

Ezekiel 28:12b-19

^12b“You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

¹³You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.

¹⁴You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.

¹⁵You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.

¹⁶In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

¹⁷Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.

¹⁸By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you.

¹⁹All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end

and shall be no more forever.”

Satan will come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever. Yes, he has the power to assail us while we walk this earth, but he is a liar. Whatever he says to you or about you is born out of falsehood. Now – whose voice do you want to hear, Jesus’ or Satan’s? Whose voice are you going to believe, Jesus’ or Satan’s? We already know who God believes. I say we side with God and let Satan’s taunts and jeers fall on deaf ears. Claim the victory of Jesus in your life and leave Satan’s accusations behind.