The Long Defeat (Revelation 12)

Big Idea: Satan is waging a war against God's people, but his defeat is certain, so stay faithful to the end.

In many ways, Polina lives like any other 12-year-old. She attends school, plays with friends, and tackles homework — the familiar rhythm of an 8th grader's day. Polina, who lives 100 kilometers west of Kyiv, experiences something most children don't: the sound of air-raid sirens interrupting everyday life.

"Now I'm more calm about this signal because I've gotten used to it," she says, referring to her routine sprints to the shelter, which feel as normal to her as running for a bus.

Her daily life balances on a knife's edge of uncertainty. Over 400 Ukrainian schools have been destroyed and 3,500 damaged in the past two years. Despite this, Polina strives for a sense of normalcy while remaining alert for further attacks. She does her math homework, but also knows the quickest route to safety. She trades gossip with friends, but keeps one ear tuned for warning sirens. This is childhood in a war zone — both ordinary and extraordinary at once.

You, too, are living in the midst of a spiritual battlefield. Every day, whether you realize it or not, you're operating in a war zone. The challenges and struggles you face aren't random—they're direct consequences of this ongoing conflict. Why is everything so hard sometimes? Why is everything so broken? This chapter tells us.

Don't be caught off guard when you come under attack; it's not a matter of if, but when. Understanding this reality should compel you to take decisive action to prepare and protect yourself in this ever-present battle.

Revelation So Far

We have been exploring the book of Revelation since September. Let's find our place in the book.

Revelation is a letter written to the church that shows us what’s really going on in the world. And what is going on? Here’s all of Revelation so far in one sentence: God is on his throne; he is judging evil; and he calls his people to be faithful.

• God is on his throne. We see this in Revelation 1 and 4 and 5. It may not look like it, but behind the chaos and evil, God is reigning in heaven and is in control of all of history. We don’t need to be worried.
• He is judging evil. This is the main part of Revelation: the seven seals and seven trumpets and seven bowls. You have these progressive series of judgments on the earth and its inhabitants, each series increasing in severity and scope. But that's not all—there's even more on the way! God will judge every evil, whether committed by individuals or corrupt world systems.
• He calls his people to be faithful. You see this theme in the seven letters to the churches in chapters 2 and 3, and all throughout the book. Revelation encourages believers to stay true to their faith, resist temptations, trust God's promises, endure challenges, and anticipate eternal rewards.

God is on his throne; he is judging evil; and he calls his people to be faithful. That’s what we’ve covered so far.

But now we’re in the central part of the book in what may be the most pivotal chapters in the book. We’ve had the seven seals and the seven trumpets. Chapter 11 described the seventh trumpet, marking the start of Jesus' universal reign and God's presence among his people. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). God's judgments lead to the victory of his people, allowing them to enter the heavenly Promised Land as promised.

That's the context. And it’s going to be repeated again, in an intensified way, in the seven bowls of Revelation 15-16.

But first, we have the seven histories. From chapters 12, verse 1, through chapter 15, verse 4, we find seven distinct visions. These visions share the same story from different perspectives, spanning from Jesus' time on Earth to His future return. By understanding these seven parallel accounts, we can better make sense of the world today.

Today, we’re going to cover the first and second of the seven histories, and it’s going to tell us that we’re part of a larger war that Jesus is going to win.

Satan’s Rage

Let’s look at what this first history tells us about what’s going on in the world today. We’re going to learn three things in this passage. First, what’s really happening in the world. Second, why it’s particularly bad now. Third, what we can do about it.

First: what’s really happening now (12:1-6)

Verses 1 to 9 describe the world the way it really is. It shows us that a lot of what’s happening in the world can be explained by a simple fact: Satan is outraged.

Verses 1 and 2 describe a woman:

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. (12:1-2)

What a picture! You might think this woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus - and you'd be partially right. But she actually represents something bigger: all of God's people.

Let me explain the symbols she wears. She's dressed in magnificent celestial imagery - the sun, the moon, and twelve stars. These decorations are not random. They connect directly to Jacob's dreams in Genesis 37. Specifically, the twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

Notice the crown on her head? This links to Christ's promise to give “the crown of life” to those who persevere. Her pregnancy and labor pains hold symbolic meaning. In the Old Testament, prophets like Isaiah and Micah compared God's people yearning for deliverance to a woman in labor. This woman represents all of God’s people, both before and after the coming of Jesus.

This woman also reminds us of Eve from Genesis. Remember God's words to the serpent in Genesis 3:15? “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

This sets up the great conflict that runs through the entire Bible - a battle between two bloodlines. This pattern recurs often: Cain vs. Abel, Isaac vs. Ishmael, Jacob vs. Esau, and David vs. Goliath—whose armor resembled serpent scales.

The core question becomes: Who is this promised child who will be born of a woman? Who will be the one to crush the serpent's head and make things right? This mystery propels the biblical story. Even Satan himself watches anxiously, wondering which child might be the promised one who will ultimately defeat him.

The woman in our passage reminds us of the ancient promise made to Eve about victory through her offspring.

Then we meet a very angry dragon:

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. (12:3-4)

Who is this dragon? This is easier to figure out. It's the devil, Satan, that ancient serpent from the Garden of Eden who deceived humanity. Throughout the Bible, terms like serpent, dragon, and leviathan commonly represent evil forces and Satan himself.

The dragon is described as red, symbolizing his fierce rage and dangerous nature. His seven heads suggest cunning intelligence, while his ten horns represent power and authority. It’s also probably an allusion to Rome, which had seven hills and ten districts. The crowns he wears show his attempt to claim divine authority, which is why he's called 'the god of this age' and 'ruler of this world.'

We see his destructive power when his tail sweeps down a third of heaven's stars. This imagery, drawn from Daniel 8, represents Satan's ongoing persecution of God's people throughout history. The message is clear - Satan is powerful, fierce, and persistently seeks to destroy those aligned with God.

This dragon stands in direct opposition to God's authority. He's not just a spiritual threat - he works through earthly powers and systems to oppose God's people. The dragon is both a spiritual enemy and a symbol of worldly opposition to God's kingdom.

Then you have the child:

And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. (12:4-6)

How do we know this child is Jesus? The text says he will “rule with an iron scepter,” a clear reference to the Davidic Messiah. Notice how Jesus' entire earthly ministry is captured in just two moments: his birth and his ascension to heaven's throne.

Meanwhile, the woman - God's people - remains on earth facing the dragon's threats. She finds refuge in the wilderness, much like the Israelites did during the exodus. God protects her for 42 months, symbolizing Israel's journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.

This tells us something important: while God's people journey toward their final home, they face ongoing spiritual warfare. Yet God promises to protect and care for them, even though they may face temporary suffering and persecution.

This passage reveals the true events unfolding in the present moment. We’re at war! Like Polina who wakes up with air raid sirens going off, we live in a war zone. Satan is at war against God and his people. This explains so much about why life is so hard. We live in a time of war!

That’s what’s really happening in the world. But, quickly, we learn two other things.

Second: why it’s particularly bad now (12:7-17).

Why is spiritual warfare so intense right now? There are two key reasons.

First, Satan is already defeated. In verses 7 to 11, we see Michael the archangel overthrow the dragon and his armies, casting them to earth. This represents Jesus' victory over Satan through his death and resurrection. As Paul writes in Colossians, Christ has 'disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame.'

Second, in verse 12, Satan knows his time is running out. Like a cornered animal, he's more dangerous because he's desperate. He can no longer attack Jesus directly, so he turns his fury toward God's people - the church.

Satan is like a defeated general who, realizing he's lost, tries to create as much destruction as he can before his end. He's already beaten, but he's not yet finished - and that makes him particularly dangerous right now.

Tolkien described our earthly struggle as "the long defeat." As he explained, "I am a Christian... so that I do not expect 'history' to be anything but a 'long defeat.'" Though Christ has already secured the ultimate triumph over Satan through his resurrection, we continue to fight through hardship and suffering until his return. We fight the long defeat because the final victory is coming. While Satan may win battles along the way, Christ has already won the war. Our victory in Christ is guaranteed, even if we must persevere through difficult times until that day arrives.

In verses 13 to 17, Satan, unable to reach the woman directly, attacks God's people in a new way. The imagery reflects the Exodus story, showing how God protected Israel with eagle's wings in the wilderness, and similarly continues to protect His church.

The dragon tries to destroy the woman with a flood from his mouth - but even the earth itself helps protect her. This flood embodies Satan's most powerful weapon: deception. Jesus speaks truth (symbolized by a sword from His mouth), while Satan spreads false teachings to mislead people.

Remember how God rescued His people at the Red Sea? The earth swallowed up Pharaoh's army. This same God continues to safeguard His people even today. As Isaiah promises, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.”

Take heart in this promise: Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Though we journey through our own wilderness, God will bring his people safely home.

We live in a time of war. Satan is at war with God and his people. He’s furious because he knows he’s defeated and that he doesn’t have much time left. There’s only one more question to ask.

Third: Here's what we should do.

What should we do in light of this news?

First: don’t be surprised. As Charles Spurgeon said, “When you sleep, remember that you are resting on the battlefield; when you travel, suspect an ambush in every hedge.” Do you feel like you’re under attack? As Andrew Peterson sings, do you feel the world is broken? Don’t be surprised. This passage tells you what’s really going on.

Second: rejoice that your enemy has been defeated. Satan is on the attack, but you don’t need to worry. He has already been defeated. Read this passage over, and you discover that God has thwarted every one of his plans. We’re seeing his last gasps. We don’t need to be worried. Just wait a little longer. Satan is like a defeated predator—still dangerous, but fatally wounded. You don’t have to fear him any longer if you are in Jesus.

Third: hide in Jesus. Read verse 11 again: “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.”

How did these believers overcome Satan? John gives us three reasons:

• First, through Christ's blood, which freed them from sin.
• Second, by boldly speaking truth about Jesus, even during persecution.
• Third, by valuing faithfulness to Christ more than their own safety.

So here's John’s encouragement: Trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross. Stay faithful to him, no matter what comes. Don't fear for your life—not even death can separate you from his love.

Satan is waging a war against God's people, but his defeat is certain, so stay faithful to the end.