“A War of Words”
“A War of Words”
Revelation 12.7-12
Revelation 12.7-12
“They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12.11)
In the name of the Living God and his risen Christ. Amen.
Epic battles. Good vs Evil. Superheroes in action. Many of us are drawn to these in media and film: the bigger, the bloodier, the better. I think of Avengers: Infinity War or the billions spent each year on video games and graphic action films. I am not exempt from enjoying a good action film. This is also why, when Rachel finally convinces me to watch 3-hour Pride and Prejudice, my first question is “so when do the attack helicopters show up?”
The scene from today’s second reading, Revelation 12, at first glance seems perfectly fit for a blockbuster film or video game. There is an epic, cosmic struggle between good and evil. It takes place on both the spiritual and physical planes. The opposing forces are led by superhuman entities: the archangel Michael on the one hand, and the ancient seven-headed dragon on the other. Great armies are engaged in a massive melee that seems to be determining the fate of the Universe. One can almost smell the smoke rising up as the apocalyptic battle heats up.
The problem with this characterization of Revelation 12, however, is that it misses the most important point. The battle described here is largely a war of words, not of weapons. And this is the way I’d like for us to find ourselves in the battle on this day when we observe St. Michael and All Angels. You see, Satan is the deceiver, the father of lies, the accuser—that’s literally what his name means in both Hebrew and Greek. From the very beginning in Genesis, his greatest weapon is one of words: to accuse us before God day and night. It’s what he says which is damning and damaging. The dragon breathes out not fire, but violent lies, accusations, incriminations.
And the place he tries to usurp in Revelation is a place of words and witness and evidence. He seeks to stand in the great courtroom of heaven before to the Almighty Himself and hurl the slings and arrows of outrageous accusations against us. When we hear of angels and demons, when we heed St. Paul’s words that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities of this dark world, we tend to think of physical demonic oppression or possession—the invasion of our workplaces, our homes, our bedrooms by spiritual forces who can somehow work physical havoc. Now we certainly cannot deny that this can happen—the scriptures are full of examples. But this more assuredly is not the most important battleground, and in fact can be a distracting side-show. The real battle takes place first in our ears… and in our minds and in our hearts, as the Satanic slanderer spews his lies: “God can never love you. You are too far broken for any good. You are beyond repair. Your past is too shameful for any future use.”
And then the battle ultimately takes place before the Almighty God himself in the courtroom of heaven as Satan prosecutes his case: “See, God, see who they really are, this shameful [stinking, sinful] creation of yours. Cast them aside forever. Be done with them!”
Now we all know this battle, don’t we? It is the battle against despair, when the Great Accuser names and shames us day and night before God and within ourselves.
But just like the attack is largely a war of words, so is the defense and the victory. When the Accuser is thrown out of the great heavenly court, we don’t so much as see the crash, we hear it. A mega voice proclaims: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser… has been thrown down.” And how do we overcome, according to the text? By the blood of the lamb—that blood which cries out, “innocent, redeemed, child of God, reconciled to God, restored to God.” And we overcome by the word of their testimony. Did you hear that? We overcome by blood and by testimony. Our confession and witness of what Christ has done and accomplished by his incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension. Christ’s great authority is his great silencing of the Great Accuser by the great word of salvation.
In his incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension Christ the word made flesh now has taken Satan’s place in the heavenly courtroom. And he now stands before God on our behalf, by the power of his new word on us: “She is mine. He is forgiven. They are redeemed. They are restored. My blood speaks for them. My death covers for them. My victory is their victory, and the Great Accuser now has no authority here!”
The battle continues on earth. We all know this. But faith says that although the accuser is alive and well slandering in my ear and mind and heart, he has been expelled from where it really counts: from the presence of God. And ultimately, what Christ says about me is all that matters. Christ Jesus, the word made flesh, speaks through his word, the scriptures. Through the preaching of his word, through the word of consolation spoken by brothers and sisters in Christ, and through the word manifested in the sacraments. But in the end, it’s all the same word: Christ himself, silencing the Great Accuser and winning the only victory that really matters.
And about all this angel business? Keep this in mind. Their most important jobs actually have to do with words… words which point to Christ. They speak the glad tidings, proclaim his forgiveness, announce his arrival, and sing of his victory. Our job, especially on this observance of St. Michael and All Angels, is simply to join them—our words to their words, and our song to theirs.
Come soon Lord Jesus. Amen.