The War Above All Wars
The war above all wars is a spiritual battle between God and the devil, but through Jesus Christ, we can live in victory and overcome the enemy.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that the wars we see on earth are merely reflections of a greater spiritual battle occurring in heaven between God and the devil. He explains that this cosmic conflict began long ago when Satan attempted to usurp God's authority, leading to his defeat and expulsion from heaven. Despite the chaos and fear caused by earthly wars, believers can find hope and victory through Jesus Christ, who has already secured our triumph over sin and evil. Wilkerson reassures that God had a plan for redemption even before creation, and we are called to live as conquerors in this ongoing spiritual warfare.
Text
"War broke out in heaven" (Revelation 12:7).
We hear a lot of talk today about war -- war on terrorism, war in the Middle East, nuclear threats from various nations. Never in history has there been such a time of war throughout the earth. And because of the instant communication we have now, almost immediately we receive reports of bombings, ambushes, death tolls.
I am convinced that Jesus spoke about these: "You will hear of wars and rumors of war" (Matthew 24:6). And just as Christ prophesied, people's hearts are failing them for fear: "Men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke 21:26). The wars we are seeing are causing terror throughout the earth, yet these wars are all mere symptoms of a much greater war. You see, there is actually just one war going on and this war-above-all-wars is taking place in heaven -- a war between God and the devil.
This war was declared eons ago. Revelation tells us, "Michael and his angels fought with the dragon [Satan]; and the dragon and the angels fought" (12:7). While in heaven, Satan rallied all the fallen angels he deceived to rise up against God because he wanted to usurp God's authority and take over his throne.
But the devil lost that first battle and God cast him and all the rebelling angels out of heaven. Satan had already deceived those angels and when God created humankind, he determined to deceive them, too.
Satan's rebellion did not take God by surprise. Even before the foundation of the world, God devised a war plan to defeat the devil. The Lord created man in his own image and allowed him to have a free will -- and then he sent his Son, Jesus, to redeem all mankind!
Jesus is patiently waiting for the last harvest to be brought in but until the coming of the Lord, we can live in victory: "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
Sermon Outline
- The War Above All Wars
- The War in Heaven
- The War on Earth
- The War in Our Lives
Key Quotes
“You will hear of wars and rumors of war” — David Wilkerson
“Men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth” — David Wilkerson
“We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We can live in victory through Jesus Christ, who has already redeemed us and given us the power to overcome.
- We must not be afraid of the wars and rumors of war, but instead, we must trust in God's plan to defeat the enemy.
- We have a free will, and we must choose to follow God and live in obedience to His will.