Luke 10:17-20 - Conquered

Sermon for the feast of St. Michael & All Angels [observed]. The Scripture readings are Daniel 10:10-14, 12:1-3; Revelation 12:7-12; and Luke 10:17-20.We consider what the Scriptures have to teach us about angels, but most importantly, we see the defeat of the chief fallen angel, Satan, the accuser.Jesus’ proclamation of seeing Satan falling like lightening to the seventy-two (Lk. 10:18) and what is taught in Rev. 12:7-12 as confirmation that the shedding of Christ’s blood and the preaching of the Gospel of the reign of Christ was what cast Satan down from heaven. Satan is no longer able to accuse you before God which is what he was constantly doing day and night before God in heaven (Rev. 12:10). He has now been conquered.Satan is no longer able to accuse you before God because he has been defeated and expelled from God’s presence, but that doesn’t mean he is done accusing. The devil can’t accuse you before God anymore, but he can and does try to accuse you in your conscience, and he is very good at that. Satan will come to you here on earth and say that your sins are too many or too great to be forgiven. The accuser now roams about like a roaring lion seeking to devour you (1 Pet. 5:8), constantly whispering in your ear, “Did God really say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’?”Dear saints, when the devil does this, he needs to be expelled from your conscience. How can you do this? How can you conquer the devil as he attacks you now? You conquer with the same weapons that Michael and the angels used - the blood of the Lamb, and the word of your testimony (Rev. 12:11).