Day 1: Christmas: God Enters the Cosmic War for Us
Christmas is more than trees and nostalgia. Scripture shows heaven unveiling a radiant woman, a child-king, and a dragon bent on devouring, reminding us that the angels arrived not as a caroling choir but as a battle host. At the manger, God advanced His rescue into a world at war. The conflict is real, but so is His presence and power. He came to fight for His children and to secure a victory no enemy can undo. So when you sing carols, remember you are celebrating the day God drew His sword for you [07:15].
Revelation 12:1-5, 7-9 — A breathtaking sign appears: a woman bright as the sun, crowned and laboring to give birth. A huge red dragon positions himself to swallow her child. She delivers a Son destined to guide all nations with unshakable authority, and He is caught up to God’s throne. War breaks out in heaven; Michael and his angels defeat the dragon, and the dragon—along with his angels—is thrown down to the earth.
Reflection: Where does this season feel more like conflict than calm, and how could remembering that Christmas is God’s decisive move on your behalf reshape the way you pray this week?
Day 2: Conquered by the Blood of the Lamb
You cannot out-argue or out-muscle evil on your own. Jesus conquers where we cannot, and His blood answers every accusation. When you trust Him, your sins are covered and the Father sees the righteousness of His Son over your life. This grace is received, not achieved, and it frees you to approach God without fear. Today, ask for His covering again and walk into the day as one already declared clean [03:22].
Revelation 12:10-11 — A loud declaration rings through heaven: Now the rescue, the power, God’s reign, and His Messiah’s authority have arrived, because the relentless accuser of our family has been cast down. They overcame him through the Lamb’s blood and through the message of what God had done in them, valuing faithfulness above self-preservation—even when it cost them dearly.
Reflection: What accusation keeps replaying in your mind, and how will you answer it this week by thanking Jesus specifically for covering that very sin with His blood?
Day 3: Your Testimony Pushes Back the Darkness
One of the ways darkness is pushed back is through the simple, honest story of what God has done in you. You do not need a dramatic past to bear bright witness. Tell someone how Jesus met you, carried you, or changed your desires. Your few sentences can open a door for hope in another heart. Pray for a name, make a plan, and speak gently but clearly about the Savior you love [09:48].
Revelation 12:11 — They won their battle through the Lamb’s blood and by speaking of God’s work in their lives, refusing to make protecting themselves the highest priority.
Reflection: Who is one person you can tell—in two or three sentences—what Jesus has done in you lately, and when will you reach out?
Day 4: Loving Jesus More Than Your Life
Victory over the enemy is tied to loving Jesus more than life itself. It is easy to prize comfort, success, or reputation and let our hearts drift. Choosing Jesus first means reordering decisions, even when it costs convenience. As you loosen your grip on lifestyle, you find the deeper freedom of belonging to Him. Ask Him to be your first love again, and let that love direct your choices today [11:59].
Revelation 12:11 — They did not cling to life as their highest treasure; loyalty to Jesus mattered more, even when obedience was costly.
Reflection: What is one comfort or habit you sense Jesus inviting you to hold more loosely this week so that love for Him guides a specific decision?
Day 5: Stay Alert; Stand Firm in Hope
Scripture says there is a real enemy who aims to steal joy, fracture families, and confuse identity. But Jesus has come to give overflowing life, and His victory puts limits on the darkness. Stay alert, not afraid—rooted in prayer, grounded in Scripture, and strengthened by community. Name the pressure you feel, invite Jesus into it, and stand firm in the hope of His return. The war is fierce, but you are not fighting alone [05:06].
John 10:10 — The thief shows up only to take, to ruin, and to destroy; I came so that people would truly live—life that overflows.
Reflection: Where is the enemy thinning out your joy right now (home, work, or mind), and what one protective practice—daily prayer, a verse to memorize, or a conversation with a trusted friend—will you adopt this week?
Sermon Summary
The noise of kids filling the room and Asher’s Christmas baptism set the tone: Jesus loves to welcome children, and he still draws people to himself. From there, I invited us to see Christmas through a lens we rarely consider—Revelation 12. The nativity isn’t a sentimental postcard; it’s the battlefield where heaven’s army steps forward and the dragon is exposed. Luke calls the angels a “host”—not a choir, but a military formation—because the birth of Jesus is God declaring war on the serpent who has deceived the world since Eden.
Revelation 12 shows a woman, a dragon, and a Son. The woman represents Israel—God’s covenant people—through whom the Messiah comes. The dragon is Satan, the ancient serpent, who seeks to devour the Child, and after failing, rages against the woman and “the rest of her offspring”—those who obey God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. This helps us read our lives soberly: spiritual conflict is not a metaphor. It explains history’s persistent antisemitism, the assault on families and identity, and the quiet erosion of faith through comfort and compromise.
Yet the text does not leave us guessing about how to stand. It gives three simple but costly ways we overcome: by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, and by not loving our lives even unto death. The blood of Jesus answers the Accuser’s case and declares us clean. Our testimony—whatever its drama—pushes back the dark because it bears witness to Jesus’ power in real people. And loving Jesus more than our own lives detaches us from idols and frees us to obey when obedience costs. So I asked us to wrestle with a simple question: what do you love more—your life and lifestyle, or Jesus? Christmas is not cute; it’s God entering the war to rescue his children. Choose life in him.
Key Takeaways
1. Christmas is a turning-point war Christmas is God’s decisive move in a long, cosmic conflict, not a sweet interlude. Heaven’s “host” signals a battle posture because the birth of Jesus marks Satan’s unraveling. When you celebrate, remember you’re rejoicing in a victory that cost God everything and changed everything for you. Joy is sharper when you know what’s at stake. [58:31]
2. Know your enemy and his tactics Satan is the ancient serpent—deceiver, accuser, destroyer—not a cartoon ruler of hell. He hates what bears God’s image and targets Israel and anyone who keeps God’s commands and clings to Jesus. Expect accusation, confusion, and division; those are his tools. Name them, resist them, and don’t be naive about the spiritual backdrop of everyday life. [55:59]
3. Conquer by the blood of Jesus You don’t out-argue the Accuser; you outlive his accusations under Christ’s blood. The cross gives an objective verdict—“clean”—that silences the enemy’s case and steadies a trembling conscience. Victory starts with receiving, not achieving. Stay near the fountain that keeps your record clear and your heart brave. [67:43]
4. Tell your story, push back darkness Your testimony isn’t graded by drama; it’s measured by truthfulness to Jesus. Speaking of his faithfulness in your ordinary life is kingdom warfare because it exposes lies and invites hope. Share how he met you in weakness or kept you in blessing—both preach grace. Someone’s freedom may hang on hearing your story. [69:40]
5. Love Jesus more than your life Allegiance dethrones fear. When Jesus is loved above comfort, status, and control, obedience becomes possible in costly places. This love reorders desires so that loss isn’t ultimate and faithfulness is. Freedom often comes when you settle whom you love most. [71:58]
In Revelation 12, who are the three main figures (the woman, the dragon, and the male child), and what happens between them (vv. 1–6, 13–17)?
Luke calls the angels a “host.” What does “host” mean, and why does that matter for how the first Christmas is seen? [45:18]
How does Revelation 12:9 identify the dragon? List the names/titles given and what they reveal about his tactics.
According to Revelation 12:10–11, what are the three ways God’s people conquer the accuser?
Interpretation questions
Christmas is presented as a turning point in a long war, not a sentimental interlude. How should that reshape the way disciples think about celebration, joy, and what’s at stake? [58:31]
“They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb” (v. 11). What does it mean to live under an objective verdict of “clean,” and how does that answer accusation and shame in real time? [01:07:43]
Revelation 12:17 says the dragon wages war on those who keep God’s commands and hold to the testimony of Jesus. What does this imply about the source and purpose of some of the pressures, temptations, and divisions believers face? [01:05:10]
“They did not love their lives even unto death” (v. 11). Beyond martyrdom, what priorities and patterns show that Jesus is loved more than comfort, status, or control? [01:11:58]
Application questions
Name one concrete area where your lifestyle (comfort, schedule, control, image) has been loved more than Jesus. What specific act of obedience this week would show that love is being reordered? [01:13:29]
Practically, how will you “stay near the fountain” of Jesus’ blood this week so accusation doesn’t stick—Scripture you’ll rehearse, prayers you’ll pray, a confession rhythm you’ll keep? Choose one practice and when you’ll do it. [01:08:59]
Prepare a two-minute version of your testimony (before/Jesus/after). Who is one person you can share it with in the next seven days, and when? [01:09:40]
Deception, accusation, and division are core tactics of the serpent. Where have you felt one of these at work recently (home, work, church)? What would resisting look like in that exact situation? [55:59]
Where do you see the enemy trying to distort identity or fracture family in your world right now? What protective, loving step can you take this week (set a boundary, pray together, speak truth over a child, reconcile, seek counsel)? [01:07:06]
Since Christmas is God’s decisive move in the war, how will you celebrate with battle-aware joy? Identify one intentional practice this week (fasting from an idol, interceding for the persecuted, blessing a neighbor, worship that names Jesus’ victory). [58:31]
Who is one person you can invite into hope—through a meal, a conversation, or an invitation to gather with believers—so they can hear and see the good news? What’s your plan and when will you ask? [01:24:59]
Sermon Clips
Christmas is a story that makes us feel warm inside. It's a story that makes us feel good and brings back memories of Christmas trees and family and friends. But what if I told you that the first Christmas was probably very different than the one that you're thinking about in your head? You see, a lot of times we think about Christmas and we think about this. We think about Mary and Joseph. There's a couple of sheep nearby, maybe some oxen. Maybe there's a star that's like peeping over the horizon with some wise men coming in, which, by the way, they didn't come for a couple of years afterwards. So they definitely were not there.
[00:43:49]
(42 seconds)
#firstChristmasWasDifferent
You see, that first Christmas, it wasn't simply, hey, a baby is being born. It was war. Perhaps Christmas didn't look like this. We have a picture of the Christmas where they're all sitting there. Perhaps it looked like this instead. A conflict between angels and the devil as the baby was born. And we're going to see that in Revelation chapter 12.
[00:45:36]
(26 seconds)
#firstChristmasWasWar
What a lot of us try to do sometimes is we try to understand everything, but why I try to focus on what is black and white, what the Bible says, hey, this clearly is something and this clearly is not, okay? You can have a lot of certainty when you're like, I'm looking at the black and the white. The gray, man, I love to talk about all the gray areas. Like, hey, these are things that might be or might not be. What I do in those areas, I try to keep my hands very open and go, man, I could be completely wrong in these, okay?
[00:52:03]
(26 seconds)
#seekBiblicalClarity
So, we actually find quite a bit of clarity even in this story as we find the cosmic realities of Christmas. So, first of all, a woman appears. There's a great sign in heaven. And this woman is pregnant. And there's a lot of symbolic language around her. She's got a crown of seven stars. She's robed with the sun. She's standing on the moon. And what we can know is that this is a symbolic representation of Israel. Of Israel. Of the people of God. Those who are descended from Abraham. Now, this is not the country Israel.
[00:53:13]
(37 seconds)
#symbolicIsrael
There's also another person. That person is a dragon. That great sign is a dragon, is a symbol of Satan who had a rebellion against God. And the scriptures here tell us actually, interestingly enough, that he also apparently brought a third of the angels of heaven with him in this rebellion against God. Sweeps them as stars from the sky, from the heavens, and join in a rebellion. And there's a constant cosmic battle happening between these fallen angels and the angels of the Lord Almighty.
[00:54:50]
(35 seconds)
#fallenAngelsAndDragon
The Bible tells us that God created Satan. He didn't exist separate from God. God created him. And in the beginning, Satan was good. And he was a servant of God. Perhaps the most powerful being that God ever created. And it seems that his form is draconic. Or that he looks like a dragon. Because when he's referred to in the book of Ezekiel and Isaiah, and here he's spoken of as a serpent. Which helps you understand that the being that was speaking to Eve in the garden probably was this exact same being, this Satan serpent.
[00:56:32]
(36 seconds)
#satanWasCreated
Now, we don't know his name. There's an interesting parallel between Satan and Jesus. We don't know Satan's name. All we know are just descriptive names of him. But Jesus, at some point, every name will, every person will know the name of Jesus Christ. And every tongue will confess him. Right? There's a difference between those two. And you may go, oh, wait, I thought Satan's name was Lucifer. The word Lucifer was created by a man named Jerome who lived after Jesus. He was a Roman scholar who coins the term, son of the dawn, son of the morning, out of a passage in the book of Ezekiel.
[00:57:08]
(35 seconds)
#everyTongueWillConfessJesus
I just want to just kind of just point something out. That this idea of Satan and the seven-headed serpent is actually something you find in culture. Because the Bible even said that. If you guys put that passage back up there, it says he deceives the whole world. Like, that was verse 9. He deceives the whole world. There is evidence outside of the Bible of a seven-headed serpent as a force of evil and chaos. Across cultures that are not connected to each other. Across continents that there is no way they would communicate with one another.
[00:59:06]
(28 seconds)
#sevenHeadedSerpent
So I want to just pause for just a second. Some of us think Satan lives in hell. And he's down there just like, ha, ha, ha, going to, like, punish you now, right? And I think some of that is because we saw Farside comics or we watched, like, you know, Bugs Bunny or we've seen some kind of comic where Satan's the overlord of hell. It kind of comes down to Dante's Inferno in culture. But the Bible tells us that Satan has never been to hell and doesn't want to go there either. He will go there someday. But he is called the prince of this world.
[01:02:11]
(39 seconds)
#princeOfThisWorld
And this is something I think we should, like, understand when it comes to seeing the world through a biblical lens. Is that the Bible is telling us right here that Satan attacks God's people. Particularly those who are descended from Abraham in the Abrahamic covenant. Let me just spell it out for you. Anti-Semitism isn't something that people invented. It's something that Satan did. And so you find, historically, for the last 2,000 years, Jews being persecuted to the point of almost being wiped out from the face of the earth. The Holocaust is part of the persecution against the woman.
[01:03:30]
(36 seconds)
#standAgainstAntisemitism
What happened in Australia, Bondi, like a week ago, that's persecution against the woman. These are all areas where you find God's people being attacked by Satan because he hates what God is doing through them. And it doesn't mean that Israel is perfect. And it doesn't mean that Jewish people are perfect. But it does mean that Satan does attack them because God said, this is my covenant, people. And so if you see that, you should oppose it. Because the work of the enemy is to persecute them. But that's not all who he's going after.
[01:04:06]
(41 seconds)
#standWithGodsPeople
Satan wants to destroy you. He wants to destroy your family. Men, he wants to destroy your influence in your home. He wants to destroy your heritage. Women, he wants to destroy your hope and your virtue. He wants to destroy families. He wants to destroy culture. He wants to destroy any godliness. He wants to bring us to a place where we can no longer define a man or a woman. He wants to destroy the way that we look at ourselves and our identities. He wants to destroy every part of humanity. Why? Because God created men and women in the image of God. And Satan hates God.
[01:06:45]
(36 seconds)
#protectGodsImage
``Three things that everybody needs to have victory over the enemy. This is what they are. Number one, the blood of the Lamb. Listen, you can't win. You can't try hard enough to beat Satan. He's so much bigger and scarier than you can imagine. You, you can't just go, all right, I'm just going to have that power, authority on myself, or just being a good person. You, you can't do that. None of us can. But Jesus can. See, the Bible tells us that Jesus, when he gave himself for us, offers us an escape from death, darkness, and the devil. And the way that he does that is by giving us his blood.
[01:07:57]
(37 seconds)
#bloodOfTheLamb
The second way to win is through the word of your testimony. What an interesting phrase, right? The word of your testimony. What does that mean? Well, one of the ways you overcome darkness around the world is by having a gospel conversation with somebody and just saying, hey, this is the hope I found in Jesus Christ. Now, you might be going, I don't have a testimony. I gave my life to the Lord when I was five and walked an aisle. I've been mostly in church my whole life.
[01:09:32]
(26 seconds)
#shareYourTestimony
