Our hymn for our devotion this week is hymn 499, Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken.
Battles are terrifying things to think about. The sheer scale of death and destruction that they unleash is terrible to consider. So why do we spend an entire Sunday focusing on a battle? Because that’s what this coming Sunday is all about: the Festival of St. Michael and All Angels. This festival in the church year focuses our attention on the great battle that took place between the angels of God at the beginning of the world, and the battle that will take place again at the end of time when Christ comes again in his glory. But as we clearly see in the hymn, we don’t need to fear this battle or the outcome, for Christ’s victory is already established!
Verse 1: Christ, the Lord of hosts, unshaken by the devil’s seething rage, thwarts the plan of Satan’s minions, wins the strife from age to age; conquers sin and death forever, slams them in their steely cage.
Satan is a terrible enemy. The Bible describes him as a Lion as he prowls around seeking to destroy us. Satan is our sworn enemy, and he has perfected how to trap and ensnare us in our ways and sin. Christ is the answer to our dread enemy. Satan holds no power over him! Just like a skilled lion tamer at a circus can easily handle a ferocious lion, so too Jesus takes hold of Satan and slams him and his evil minions into an impenetrable cage.
Verse 2: Michael fought the heav’nly battle, godly angels by his side; warred against the ancient serpent, foiled the beast, so full of pride, cast him earthbound with his angels; now he prowls, unsatisfied.
At different times in ancient history, two armies would at times choose a champion or a group of champions to fight a battle instead of using the whole army to fight. This one champion would represent the army he fought for, and if he won it would spare the lives of many others. In the first battle of heaven, Michael was the champion who fought on behalf of the faithful angels. He led the charge against Satan and his rebellion, throwing him down to earth and to his impending judgment. But even though he was defeated, Satan still prowls! That’s why we still need and give thanks for angel warriors like Michael who fight for us today.
Verse 3: Long on earth the battle rages, since the serpent’s first deceit twisted God’s command to Adam, made forbidden fruit look sweet. Then the curse of God was spoken: “You’ll lie crushed beneath his feet!”
No matter how soundly evil is defeated, it never stays dead for long. It finds ways to creep back into the world through different forms and means. That’s exactly what Satan accomplished when he came to Adam and Eve in the form of a serpent. He couldn’t overthrow the Lord Almighty through force, so he used more subversive means. Through his treachery, mankind fell into sin. But even then, when Satan had successfully tempted mankind to their own destruction, his own destruction was foretold. His victory wouldn’t last! The son of man would come and crush his head once and for all.
Verse 4: Jesus came, this word fulfilling, trampled Satan, death defied; bore the brunt of our temptation, on the wretched tree he died. Yet to life was raised victorious, by his life our life supplied.
While the church festival is called “St. Michael and All Angels” the festival is really about Jesus and his victory over Satan. Michael is just a champion of the greater power: Jesus who is King of kings and Lord of lords. It was his sacrifice on the cross that truly defeated satan once and for all. And it was that sacrifice that gave us life! And not just life on earth, but eternal life in heaven as well. Death was defeated! Life is given to all who believe. Jesus took Satan’s greatest weapon, death, and turned it against him. Christ’s victory over death proves that Satan is completely powerless. The one weapon he had has been taken away! This lion’s teeth and claws are gone. All he can do now is snarl.
Verse 5: Swift as lightning falls the tyrant from his heav’nly perch on high, as the word of Jesus’ vict’ry floods the earth and fills the sky. Wounded by a wound eternal now his judgment has drawn nigh!
Sometimes after a definitive battle is fought and a nation is defeated, it will take weeks or even months before all the enemy troops have stopped fighting. Satan’s defeat wasn’t like that at all. The second the tomb door was broken open by the victorious Christ, satan was immediately defeated and disarmed once and for all. As quick as a lightning bolt, Jesus’ victory covered all sins past, present, and future. The crushing wound to Satan’s head will never heal. His defeat will never be changed. And as a result, when the end comes and all the living and dead will be judged after the last battle, we have nothing to fear.
Verse 6: Jesus, send your angel legions when the foe would us enslave. Hold us fast when sin assaults us; come then, Lord, your people save. Overthrow at last the dragon; send him to his fiery grave.
Even though Satan is defeated, he and his evil angels are still all around us. Just because he will ultimately lose doesn’t mean he can’t score a few wins against us in the meantime. Many Christians have fallen away and will continue to fall away. The love of many will grow cold. The world will continue to hate Christ and his followers, and our sinful natures will still resist and despise the Word of God every day. We will ultimately win, but we need help in the meantime! That’s why we need to cling more tightly to our victorious Savior and to his Word. And he, in turn, will continue to send out the angels to guard and protect us night and day. Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! And thanks be to the mighty hosts of heaven, whose sleepless eyes protect us from foes seen and unseen night and day.
The battle of heaven is over. The battle for Earth has begun and still rages on to this day. Wars cannot be won by a force as weak and outnumbered as we Christians are on earth. That’s where St. Michael the Archangel and his legions of angels come in. Commanded by the lamb who was slain and who lives again, these angels have fought and will fight for us as long as Christ’s church remains on earth. So let us give thanks for these angels. And let us rejoice and celebrate the victory that our savior has won for us now and always. Amen.