There are three ways by which we overcome the accuser of the brothers: by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, and by loving not our life to the death. The second of the three ways, the word of our testimony, always proceeds from the Holy Spirit. There is nothing human in the testimony that overcomes the accuser.

The human being can tell about the testimony but the testimony itself is given by the Spirit of God.

It seems the condition of the world grows worse with each passing day. For two thousand years philosophers, educators, politicians, scientists, and other savants and leaders have offered solutions to the destructive policies of mankind. But Utopia eludes us.

The reason why Utopia eludes us, why every reasonable device of well meaning and not so well meaning people fails in its objective, is that Satan and other wicked spirits sit on the thrones in the air that govern the spiritual atmosphere of the earth.

Satan's house cannot be invaded until the strong man is put out of commission.

God's holy angels who perform His will have always had the power to cast Satan from the heavens. But God has not given them permission to do so.

Satan remains in the heavens, coming before the Throne of God day and night, accusing the saints of all their wrongdoings.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down." (Revelation 12:10—NIV)

Before the problems of earth can be remedied the accuser of the brothers must be "hurled down" from his position in the heavens. He has been a troubler not only of the earth but also of the heavens. Notice the sigh of relief when he finally is cast down.

Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short. (Revelation 12:12—NIV)

"Rejoice you heavens"! But woe to the earth and sea when Satan is forced down. The days ahead are going to be interesting!

The wars of the Lord are fought by two armies, the army of saints, with Christ at the head, and the army of angels, having Michael as the Commander in Chief. Of course Christ ultimately is over all.

The actual power of the warfare resides in the angels. The army of saints are judges. God has given to the saints, by the Scriptures, the task of judging the world and also the angels. The saints are God's judges.

The reason Michael was not commanded long ago to cast Satan from the heavens and then from the earth (in the end it requires only one angel to bind Satan and cast him into the pit) is that the judges were not ready. They themselves are subject to Divine judgment and so they are not qualified to judge the world and the angels.

The world will never be made right until the saints have been prepared to judge the wicked.

To be continued.