Revelation 12:10
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
This passage describes a moment of triumph and declares the ultimate victory of God’s kingdom through Christ over Satan, the accuser of the brethren. It affirms that the forces of evil, personified by Satan, have been decisively defeated. While Satan continues to roam, seeking to devour those under his influence, his final condemnation is already sealed. His power is now limited to those who remain in his kingdom, not to those who belong to the Lord Jesus.
Although those redeemed by Christ still await the final day when the full manifestation of Satan's defeat at the cross will be revealed, this message offers comfort, especially to the believers of the first century who faced persecution from the beast (Rome) and the false prophet (organized religion) (Revelation 13:1-18). For all the redeemed, this is a message of assurance: the accuser has no lasting power, and God's salvation, which He secured through the death of His Son on the cross, is certain. Before His death, the Lord Jesus declared, "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out" (John 12:31). The reason the accuser can no longer find fault with any elect sinner is because Christ has paid their entire sin debt. As a result, "There is therefore now no condemnation" (Romans 8:1).
The phrase "Now is the judgment of this world" (Greek: crisis) refers to the approaching death of the LORD Jesus. Whatever judgment is being referred to here is directly related to what His death would accomplish. It cannot mean that the world’s final judgment was happening at that moment because Jesus had already stated that He did not come to judge the world at that time (John 12:47; John 8:15).
Since the fall of man (Genesis 3:15), there has been a long struggle between God and the devil. God placed enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. Satan has had significant influence over the fallen world, even being called the "prince of this world." The Lord Jesus is the true God of this world. He has been given all authority by the Father (John 5:22). Because of this, Jesus could declare victory over Satan through His impending death, which would ultimately destroy Satan's kingdom.
The death of Jesus was the pivotal moment, the turning point, in God's purpose to defeat Satan's rule and establish His reign over the fallen world. In this way, the prophecy from Genesis 3:15 was fulfilled: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
"The prince of this world" refers to Satan, as He is also called in John 14:30 and John 16:11. Some attribute to Satan the title "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), but in truth, GOD is the GOD of this world. Satan is merely an instrument in God's hand to bring judgment on the world, but not before first saving those whom He has chosen, delivering them from Satan’s grasp and the depths of depravity. These people are saved from the bondage and fear of Satan's power, which he wields through his fallen angels, "the rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephesians 6:12), and "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). These titles describe Satan's influence over people in this world who are reprobates.
When the Bible says Satan will be "cast out," it means his kingdom will be destroyed. His reign will not end immediately, but this moment marks the beginning of his defeat. From that point on, his power will gradually decline until it is completely eradicated. This eventual defeat of Satan is referenced in several places, including Luke 10:18, Colossians 1:18-20, Acts 26:18, 1 Corinthians 15:25-26, and Revelation 20:14.
God’s purpose to save is as eternal and immutable as God Himself. However, His purpose to save did not mean salvation itself would come immediately. For those God purposed to save, salvation required that the Lord Jesus come in time, in the flesh, to accomplish everything the Father had purposed The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about this in 2 Timothy 1:9: "Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." The grace was given in Christ Jesus before the world began, in God's eternal purpose, but it was only accomplished when Jesus came and fulfilled it through His righteous life and obedience unto death.
In Romans 5:9, the apostle Paul declared, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." The use of "now" indicates that since the cross, what God purposed for the salvation of His chosen people has now come to pass.
How? In the strength and kingdom of God, and through the power of His Christ.
And what was the cause for rejoicing? The fact that Satan, the accuser of the brethren, has been cast down.
When did this happen? Revelation 12 is a song of victory, reflecting the work that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished, first by satisfying the law on behalf of His people, and then by God the Father justifying them at one time and in one place upon the completion of Christ’s finished, effectual death.
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