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Jesus had some very satisfied disciples returning to Him. He had sent out 36 pairs of men ahead of Himself, to the towns and villages on His way to Jerusalem and His inevitable passion and death. They were to preach the coming of God's kingdom. They were to heal the sick. These men were part of the larger entourage that was following Jesus on a regular basis, witnessing all the mighty acts of God. This included seeing Jesus heal the sick, and seeing Him cast out demons from those afflicted by Satan.
“Lord, even the demons are made subject to us in your name,” they report with joy. Just like the shepherds who had found the newborn Christ child, the men return to Jesus with the joy of seeing a marvelous blessing of God. Just like the Good Shepherd who has found the one lost sheep, or the woman who has found the one lost coin. There is great joy in seeing the coming of God's kingdom and the defeat of the forces of Satan.
Yet, Jesus sets us in our place a bit. You can be joyful over the events you are allowed to see here on earth. But Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven, when he was defeated by Michael and the heavenly host, and thrown down out of heaven for rebelling against God. Jesus saw Satan falling when the 72 men cast out demons in His name, when they healed the sick in His name, when they preached the coming of God's kingdom. Jesus continues to see Satan fall every time one lost sinner hears the Gospel and repents, and the angels rejoice. Jesus continues to see Satan fall every time His Gospel is preached rightly, His children are reclaimed in the waters of Holy Baptism, and they are fed with His body and blood. The Holy Spirit brings forgiveness of sins and saving faith to God's people — and the unclean spirits are exorcized and defeated. Jesus sees it all, and the angels rejoice. God's Kingdom has come, and it continues to come.
For us, however, we live in a time of faith, not of sight. The triumphant march of God's Kingdom is normally quiet and invisible. We believe by faith God's Word of promise that it happens, that God gathers His people to Himself. We are not promised that we will even see or witness in any way results like the 72 witnessed. The defeat of Satan, the coming of God's kingdom, comes even by itself, without our prayer, without our efforts or good works. All good things do come from God, but when and where He pleases.
So Jesus points us in the right direction: “Do not rejoice that to you the spirits have been made subject, but rejoice that your names have been written in Heaven.” (Luke 10:20).
Do not rejoice in what this world offers as results. Do not rejoice only in that you have had some visible success, even if it is God given and God pleasing. Do not rejoice only in receiving any earthly blessing. Putting our faith in what we see easily leads us to begin taking credit — the men returning to Jesus suffered from this, “the demons are subject to us” they brag. Instead, the only thing that is worth rejoicing over is something that must be believed: that our salvation has been secured. That our names have been written in the Lamb's book of life in Heaven. That Satan has been defeated. That God has fought for you with His holy angels both in Heaven and here on earth, so that you may be kept safe as His little flock, His lambs and sheep.
How has this happened, this securing of our salvation? How then is Satan defeated? Not with our own reasoning or strength. Not by using Jesus' name as some holy incantation. Not by our piety, good works, or devotion. Not by praying hard enough. Not by making a decision for Jesus. Not by accepting Jesus into our hearts. Not by giving our heart to Jesus. Not by evangelism programs, not by stewardship programs, not by fund–raising campaigns, not by building programs, not by any well intentioned program at all.
As a matter of fact, not even 12 legions of angels were called upon by Jesus to defeat Satan during His passion in the garden, even though He could have. That could have been quite a spectacular show, and surely would have set many hearts ablaze for Jesus. But Jesus using the holy angels of God in such a way would have been to set our fleshly, sinful will above God's. Our salvation could not be accomplished by angelic efforts, nor by Peter's sword. Jesus would have been using God's angels as some sort of magical lucky charm, as many people today view what they call their “guardian angel.” A “get out of jail free” card. But the angels do not serve the flesh, they serve God's Word and His will alone.
The fires set by all human efforts to do things according to our sinful flesh and reasoning will eventually go out. They are not based upon the true source of our salvation. The salvation of God's saints, whose names are written in Heaven's book, and the victory of God's holy angels, is due to one thing and one thing only:
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.(Rev. 10:11)
The heavenly voice in Saint John's vision tells us how Satan's defeat has come about. All that we have and are comes about — God's Kingdom comes — because of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His blood has been shed, and by His stripes we are healed. On account of His blood, the angels defeat Satan and protect us from his ferocious attacks.
The apostles experienced those attacks of Satan, even unto death. Their testimony, their witness even to the point of martyrdom, was only to the atoning life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God's children will not die to this life for something that is not true. They loved not their earthly lives and suffered and died to show the world that what they testified to was true. Despite Satan's attacks to the contrary, they knew that because their Lord Jesus had risen from the dead, so they too would rise again to live eternally. God's kingdom will come and is coming whether they lived or died, whether or not we live or die in this life.
The Gospel that they preached and have left to us is the Gospel we preach today, even in the face of satanic persecution. Through it, God's kingdom comes and Satan's defeat is secured, on account of Christ's blood that seals it. Another way of saying it all — the angels come to protect us, God's kingdom comes, Satan is defeated, our sins are forgiven, our eternal salvation is secured — all by Grace, received through faith, for Christ's sake.
God's kingdom comes and, so too, His holy angels come, and Satan is defeated, when our Heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel, the granting of absolution for our sins, the washing of regeneration in the baptismal waters, the feeding of our souls with the Bread of Life. The Father gives us His Holy Spirit, allowing His kingdom to come to us so that by His grace we believe His Holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.
God's holy angels are promised to you, dear saints in Jesus Christ. They have fought for you on account of the blood of the Lamb even from the very foundations of this world. They continue to guard and keep you in the true faith from the attacks of Satan. They accompany you even now, with the saints and all of heaven in festal procession right up to this altar, where Heaven meets earth, and your Lord and their Lord, the eternal Son of God, comes down to bless us with His own body and blood.
Fear not the foe, O little flock. The old dragon, the ancient accuser of us all has been defeated. He can harm us none, he's judged, the deed is done. The victory has been won by Jesus Christ. The Kingdom ours remaineth. Remain firm, praying that God's holy angels have charge over us each day, so that the wicked foe may have no power over us.
We pray this and all things for Jesus' sake, on account of His most holy and precious blood. Amen.
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