Sabbath August 15th, 2026 | Dr. Trevor Kinlock, President Allegheny East Conference | This is War

Revelation 12 opens the eyes of God’s people and says with no stutter, “This is war.” The text pulls back the curtain and shows that the mess on earth is not just politics, economics, family drama, or bad luck. The passage says there was war in heaven, Michael and His angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon “prevailed not.” Michael, the One who is like God, is Jesus Christ, and the dragon could not beat Him in glory, could not beat Him at the cross, and will not beat Him when Jesus comes again.

The dragon gets cast down with great wrath because he knows he has but a short time. That short time explains the anger in the streets, the division in the nation, the wickedness in high places, and the pressure coming against homes, children, marriages, communities, and churches. The chaos is not natural. It is supernatural. The real enemy is not flesh and blood, not Johnny, not Susie, not a job, not a politician, but powers, principalities, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places.

The signs of the times demand moral clarity. Evil economics cuts food, health care, and education for the poor while wealth piles up at the top. Sick sociology demonizes Black and brown bodies, immigrants, and the vulnerable. Pathological politics rips families apart and forgets the stranger. Heretical theology blesses violence while women and children suffer. The church cannot be distracted by the rat race, social media drama, spiritual complacency, or comfortable pews while the hour is late and the clock is ticking.

The mission of the church is prophetic and liberatory. Revelation 14 cries, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His justice is come.” That means the church must cry aloud, spare not, speak truth to power, and let the world know it is out of step with the coming King. That also means the church must be a center of liberation, where the poor are helped, the oppressed are defended, addictions are broken, communities are empowered, and somebody gets free.

Revelation 12:11 gives the weapon that wins the war: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” The blood is not weak religion. The blood is power, covering, deliverance, victory, and protection. The dragon is under the feet of those covered by Jesus, because the Lamb has already won.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The dragon did not prevail [01:47:07] Revelation 12 does not leave the battle undecided. The dragon fought, but he did not win, and that heavenly defeat becomes earthly hope. The devil’s rage is real, but his power is already limited by the victory of Michael, King Jesus. [107:07]
• 2. The problem is supernatural [01:44:39] The pressure against families, minds, marriages, and communities cannot be reduced to personalities or circumstances. Flesh and blood may be visible, but the root is deeper than what eyes can see. Spiritual clarity begins when God’s people stop fighting symptoms and recognize the powers behind the confusion. [104:39]
• 3. Wake up from spiritual distraction [01:42:18] The hour is too late for a sleepy church. Distraction can wear church clothes, keep religious routines, and still miss the crisis of the moment. Spiritual complacency dulls discernment until God’s people sound just as confused as the world around them. [102:18]
• 4. The mission is prophetic and liberating [01:56:45] The church does not exist merely to enjoy good music, good preaching, and a comfortable Sabbath. Jesus defined mission as good news to the poor, healing for the broken, deliverance for captives, sight for the blind, and freedom for the oppressed. A church that follows the Liberator must speak truth and help somebody get free. [116:45]
• 5. The blood still wins wars [02:07:40] Revelation 12:11 places the victory where human strength cannot reach. The blood of the Lamb confronts strongholds that intellect, money, status, and willpower cannot break. Blood covering is not escape from the battle, but power to stand, fight back, and overcome.
  
  ** [127:40]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:37] - Opening Praise and Prayer
• [81:07] - Gratitude in God’s House
• [84:42] - Christ the Chief Shepherd
• [87:08] - Revelation 12 Scripture Reading
• [92:11] - This Is War
• [93:43] - The World Is About to End
• [100:06] - Demonic Chaos and a Distracted Church
• [102:18] - Wake Up Out of Sleep
• [104:39] - The Battle Is Supernatural
• [106:23] - Michael and the Dragon
• [113:21] - Do Not Forget the Mission
• [116:45] - Prophetic and Liberatory Mission
• [123:19] - Fight Back Against the Enemy
• [127:40] - Overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb

Bible Reading

Revelation 12:7-17
“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, 'Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 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. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!' And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured out of his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” [01:27:08]

Revelation 12:11
“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.” [02:07:40]

Revelation 14:7
“And he said with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.'” [01:59:14]

Ephesians 6:12
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” [01:45:11]

Observation questions

1. In Revelation 12, what actions does the dragon take, and what repeated words show the intensity of the conflict?
2. According to Revelation 12:11, what two specific things are named as the way God’s people overcome the enemy? [02:07:40]
3. What are some of the distractions that can keep God’s people from seeing the seriousness of the hour clearly? [01:41:31]
4. In Revelation 12:17, how are the people the dragon goes to war against described? What stands out about their identity?

Interpretation questions

1. Revelation 12 says the devil has “great wrath” because his time is short. How does that help explain why there can be so much pressure, confusion, and hostility in families, communities, and public life? [01:31:11]
2. Ephesians 6:12 says the struggle is not against flesh and blood. How should that change the way believers view conflict with people they disagree with or people who have hurt them? [01:44:39]
3. Michael is identified as the One who is like God, Jesus Christ, and the dragon “prevailed not.” What does Christ’s victory in heaven say about the outcome of the believer’s present battles? [01:47:07]
4. Revelation 14:7 announces that the hour of God’s justice has come. What does that suggest about the kind of message the church should carry in a world marked by oppression and moral confusion? [01:56:45]

Application questions

1. Where has the pressure of life tempted you to treat a spiritual battle like it is only a people problem? What would it look like this week to respond with spiritual clarity instead of just frustration? [01:44:39]
2. The hour is late, and distraction is one of the enemy’s tools. What has been dulling your spiritual alertness lately—stress, social media, money pressure, relationship drama, exhaustion, or something else? What is one change that could help you wake up spiritually? [01:42:18]
3. Jesus’ mission includes good news to the poor, healing for the broken, deliverance for captives, and freedom for the oppressed. Which part of that mission most challenges you right now, and why? [01:56:00]
4. God’s people overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. What part of your testimony do you need to stop hiding and start using to encourage somebody else? [01:30:40]
5. The church is called to be prophetic and liberating. Where do you sense God calling you to speak up more clearly against injustice, harm, or oppression in your everyday setting? [01:57:12]
6. Liberation is not only a big public idea; it also reaches into homes, habits, and family lines. What stronghold, cycle, or area of bondage do you most want Christ to break in your life or family? [02:07:05]
7. The blood of Jesus is not just comfort; it is power for battle. When fear, accusation, or spiritual attack rises this week, what would it look like for you to fight back in prayer, worship, and faith instead of shrinking back? [02:08:50]