Have you ever wondered why faithfulness and obedience in the Christian life can be so difficult? Why does prayer sometimes feel like a struggle? Why is temptation so persistent? Why can you know what is right and still find yourself fighting to obey?
The Bible gives us a sobering answer: we live in a broken world, and we are in a spiritual battle against a powerful enemy.
Paul writes: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12).
Revelation 12 pulls back the curtain and allows us to see this battle from heaven’s perspective. What John sees is strange: a pregnant woman, a great red dragon, and a child about to be born.
But the message of Revelation 12 is clear: spiritual warfare isn’t random. It is connected to God’s redemptive plan. And though our enemy is real and powerful, he has been defeated by our Savior.
The Battle Is Bigger Than You Think
In Revelation 12, John sees a woman preparing to give birth while a dragon waits to devour her child. The woman represents the covenant people of God—the people through whom the promised Messiah would come. The child is Jesus Christ. And Revelation 12:9 clearly identifies the dragon as Satan. The scene represents a battle that has been raging since the Garden of Eden.
God promised that the offspring of the woman would ultimately crush the serpent. From that moment, Satan has sought to destroy the promised Savior and derail God’s plan of redemption.
- When Cain killed Abel, the enemy was at work.
- When Pharaoh ordered Hebrew sons to be drowned in the Nile, the enemy was at work.
- When Saul’s murderous jealousy turned against David, the enemy was at work.
- When Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people, the enemy was at work.
- When Herod attempted to kill the newborn King of the Jews, the enemy was at work.
Throughout Scripture, there is a battle behind the battles. Satan has always opposed the work of God because Satan knows where God’s redemptive plan is moving.
Satan works hardest where God is most at work.
That should change how we understand some of the resistance we experience in following Jesus. Not every difficult circumstance is a direct attack from Satan. But Scripture is clear that there is a spiritual enemy who opposes God, deceives people, accuses believers, and seeks destruction.
We are at war.
We Fight From Victory, Not for Victory
The good news of Revelation 12 is that the outcome of this battle is not uncertain. Jesus has already accomplished the decisive victory. Revelation 12 describes Satan being thrown down and declares that salvation, power, and the kingdom of God have come. This victory is connected to the finished work of Jesus.
Paul describes the cross this way: “He erased the certificate of debt… and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him” (Colossians 2:14–15).
Satan’s great weapon is accusation. He points to our sin. Our failures. Our rebellion. Our guilt. And the terrifying reality is that the accusations are often true. We have sinned. We have failed. We are guilty. But the blood of Jesus has answered every accusation against those who belong to Christ.
Jesus paid the price. Jesus carried our guilt. Jesus defeated sin and death. Jesus rose from the grave.
Victory is not earned by our effort. Victory has been accomplished by Jesus.
We fight from victory, not for victory. Revelation 12 says God’s people conquer the enemy “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Our confidence is not in our spiritual strength. It is in the blood of Jesus. Our testimony is not that we saved ourselves. It is that Jesus saved us. And our lives are surrendered completely to Him.
When holding on to the things of this world becomes more important than honoring Jesus, we begin to feel defeated and make defeated decisions. But when Jesus is our greatest treasure, the enemy loses his leverage.
The Wilderness Is Hard, but It Is Not Hopeless
Revelation 12 also reminds us that God’s people still live in the wilderness while we wait for Jesus to return. The wilderness is a place of difficulty. It is a place of testing. It is a place where we recognize our weakness. But the wilderness is hard, not hopeless.
John describes the woman being carried on “the two wings of a great eagle.” The image echoes God’s words to Israel in Exodus 19:4: “I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” It also reminds us of Isaiah’s promise that those who trust in the Lord “will soar on wings like eagles.” God protects and provides for His people.
That does not mean Christians will avoid suffering. Revelation certainly does not teach that. It means the enemy cannot ultimately destroy those who belong to Jesus. We are kept by God while we wait for Christ’s return.
One of the Enemy’s Most Effective Strategies
So how do we live faithfully in the middle of spiritual warfare?
- We read God’s Word.
- We trust God.
- We obey God.
- And we pray.
One of the reasons many believers are spiritually weak is remarkably simple: we do not pray when the enemy attacks.
We try to fight spiritual battles with incapable weapons. We worry. We overthink. We work harder. We attempt to control people and circumstances. We carry burdens God never intended us to carry alone. Meanwhile, our prayer life slowly disappears. The enemy knows we are vulnerable when we do not pray.
Prayerlessness often begins a dangerous progression.
Prayerlessness leads to burden bearing. We become so busy or distracted that we neglect prayer. Anxiety grows, and we begin carrying the weight of circumstances ourselves.
Burden bearing leads to weariness. Constant worry drains us. We become emotionally and spiritually exhausted.
Weariness leads to weakness. Discouraged and depleted, we begin focusing increasingly on ourselves—our needs, our disappointments, and our failures. And weakness leaves us vulnerable. The weaker and more self-focused we become, the easier it is to drop our guard against the enemy.
Prayer Positions Us to Hear and Follow God
Prayer is not a religious task we check off a list. Prayer places us in a position where God can guide, strengthen, and shape us. Through prayer, we grow in discernment. We learn to recognize God’s truth and align our hearts with His will.
Through prayer, we develop self-awareness of sin. One of the hardest things for any of us to see clearly is our own sin. God does not expose sin so that we live condemned and doomed. He reveals it so we can confess it, repent of it, and walk in freedom.
Through prayer, we experience renewed strength and energy. Prayer reminds us that we were never meant to carry the weight of the world. We depend on the strength God provides.
- Our understanding of God’s Word is deeply connected to prayer.
- Our pursuit of holiness is deeply connected to prayer.
- Our fruitfulness and usefulness to God are deeply connected to prayer.
Prayer does not remove us from the spiritual battle. Prayer prepares us to stand in it.
Know What Kind of World You Live In
Revelation 12 reminds us that there is more happening around us than what we can see. There is a real enemy. There is a spiritual battle. There is a wilderness to walk through. But there is also a victorious Savior.
Jesus has defeated the accuser. His blood has paid for our sin. His resurrection has secured the victory. And God will faithfully keep His people until Christ returns.
So read the Word. Pray. Trust God. Obey Him. Stay alert.
Because a soldier who doesn’t know he’s at war is already in danger.
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MichaelStovall 