Introduction

Revelation 19:17-20:3 ESV  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,  (18)  to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”  (19)  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.  (20)  And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.  (21)  And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.  (2)  And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,  (3)  and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

• Well today we break into the final 3 chapters of Revelation!
  • And it’s all downhill from here because it’s just a whole lot of victory!
    • Someone say VICTORY! COME ONE SHOUT IT OUT! VICTORY!!!!!!!
  • Because Christianity is a story of victory!
    • The walls of Jericho crumbling down… VICTORY!
    • The Israelites entering Canaan… Victory!
    • Gideon against the Midianites… Victory!
    • David and Goliath… VICTORY!
    • Ezera and Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem… VICTORY!
    • Esther and King Ahasuerus… VICTORY!
    • The Empty cross… VICTORY!
    • The Empty grave… VICTORY!
    • The Holy Spirit living inside us… VICTORY!
    • The Holy Spirit empowering us…VICTORY!
    • The Gospel Spreading to the Ends of the Earth… VICTORY!
    • And honestly the ENTIRE book of Revelation is a book of… VICTORY!
• And today, at the Battle of Armageddon, we read about victory!
  • And why is there victory? Is it by our strength or by our might? No! The Battle belongs to the Lord!

• Armageddon – The Battle Belongs to the Lord
  • So the passage of scripture that we just read describes the last battle, the final battle between the forces of good and evil, the battle known as Armageddon.
    • It’s called the final battle because after this point there are no more battles between good and evil.
    • There is no more fighting, no more war, no more struggle.
      • There is, however, one more instance of Satan trying to seize power in Chapter 20, after a 1000 years of peace, but that does not result in a battle, it is a laughable attempt that God squashes with fire from heaven… no battle, just God winning once again.
    • So this is the last Battle…

Revelation 19:19 ESV  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.

• All the evil forces, both demons and humans, gather together to make war with God and His saints and angels.
  • But why is this last battle sometimes called the Battle of Armageddon? Well I am glad you asked!
  • There is a great article answering this question on the website gotquestions.org, I posted a link of it on my Facebook page, but let me summarize it for you…
    • Obviously, most of us know that the word “Armageddon” is used to describe any catastrophic event or war that leads to widespread death or destruction, especially if it is seen as world ending…
      • Right, if Russia were to nuke everyone, the news would call it Armageddon…
  • But the word Armageddon is actually a biblical word, it is derived from the Hebrew Har-Magedone.

• Har-Magedone is Hebrew for “Mount-Megiddo” or “the hills of Megiddo”
  • • Now if you remember all the way back to the sixth bowl judgment you will find that the devil has been preparing for this battle for a a while now…
    • Even before the fall of Babylon the Great, the enemy was preparing for this battle… check out Revelation 16:12-16

Revelation 16:12-16 ESV  The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.  (13)  And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.  (14)  For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.  (15)  (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)  (16)  And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

• So, during the sixth bowl judgment, the armies of evil begin assembling for the battle that was to take place when Jesus comes back.
  • Jesus reminds us that He is coming like a thief in the night…
  • Then the armies prepare for battle at Armageddon, the hills of Megiddo.
  • But to their surprise, Jesus doesn’t come right away, because He comes like a thief in the night, instead He first overthrows Babylon the great.
  • And now that Babylon the great is destroyed, and the marriage supper has happened, Jesus is ready to come, and He is ready for battle at Armageddon… at the hill country of Megiddo.
• Now let’s talk about the hills of Megiddo. They exist about 60 miles north of Jerusalem.

• So clearly this is an area of great Biblical and military importance.
  • And it will be the scene of our final battle.
  • The battle of Armageddon.
  • Let’s pray.

• So, what is our take away from the Battle of Armageddon… how do we apply this to our lives today?

• The take away of course is that the Battle belongs to the Lord
  • And I think as mature believers this is fairly obvious…
    • God is going to win, and He is going to win big.
    • The Devil, the Beast, and the Prophet will all be thrown into hell. And all their followers with them.
      • GOD WINS BIG.
      • And we are on God’s team.
      • And we KNOW that the battle belongs to the Lord.
  • And I think deep down inside, the enemy knows that too.
  • So the enemy wants to make you ineffective in battle…
    • And the way he does that… the way the enemy disarms us in a battle he has already lost, is that he get’s you to focus on you.
    • Because when you take your eyes of Jesus you start to drown…
      • Peter learned that one for us…
    • When you fail to stay focused on God and you lower your arms you should have raised in worship… you start to lose the battle.
      • Moses learned that one…
    • But if you would keep your eyes dead set on God, then it doesn’t matter how big and strong the enemy is, it doesn’t matter how small and weak you are, it doesn’t matter how outnumbered or out gunned you are… if you keep your focus on God you will find the victory!
      • Young David proved that to be true when he took down Goliath…
• Speaking of Goliath, that brings me to point one of today’s message, the enemy want’s you to focus on you.

Point One –  The Enemy Wants You to Focus on You!

Revelation 19:17-19 ESV  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,  (18)  to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”  (19)  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.

• When I read this verse, the Holy Spirit immediately brought another verse to remembrance…
  • Did you know He does that, on of the key functions of the Holy Spirit in our life is to bring to remembrance all we have been taught by Jesus.
• And when I read these verses about the birds being gathered together to eat the flesh of kings, and captains and mighty men… the Holy Spirit immediately had me remember 1 Samuel 17… the confrontation between David and Goliath…

1 Samuel 17:42-44 ESV  And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance.  (43)  And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.  (44)  The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.”

• Now I want you to notice something about Goliaths tactics.
  • Goliath is bigger, older, stronger, more experienced, and better armed than David.
  • So Goliath points that out… David is just a ruddy youth… and look at his weapons, nothing more than mere sticks.
    • And Goliath even evokes the imagery of birds eating the flesh of David when he is done with him!
    • If David were not a man of faith, he would look at himself and realize he is younger, ill trained, ill equipped, and no match for Goliath.
    • BUT David did not take the bait… David was not focused on Himself, but the Lord…

1 Samuel 17:45 ESV   Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 

• David says “You’ve got it wrong Goliath! This battle is not between you and me… if it were you would win… you have a sword, and a spear, and a javelin… you are bigger, stronger, and better than me…
  • But it’s not me verses you… IT’S YOU VERSES GOD!
    • It’s you and your pathetic little spear, and your pathetic little sword, and your pathetic little javelin… Versus God and all His armies!

1 Samuel 17:46-47 ESV  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,  (47)  and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

• The battle belongs to the Lord y’all, so we need to get our eyes off our selves!
  • David knew that God goes before him, and with him stands all the armies of the Lord.
  • So David had nothing to fear because His focus was on the right thing.
• Some of y’all think you have a weapons problem…
  • Think you have a strength problem…
  • Think you have a training problem…
  • Think you have an age problem…
  • BUT REALLY YOU HAVE A FOCUS PROBLEM.
    • You think if you just had this thing or that training… or this strength… or that energy… if you were just a bit older or just a bit younger…
    • NO! Your problem is that your focus is on yourself… right were the enemy wants it to be.
      • Instead focus on GOD!
• You see the battle of David and Goliath is a precursor to the battle of Armageddon.
  • The imagery is very similar…
  • On one side you have all the evil men gathered together to make war on God’s people.
  • On the other you have all of God’s people ready to stand for the truth.
    • Goliath comes out and challenges God’s people, and mocks God’s people.
    • But David, who trusts in God, takes the first shot.
    • When Goliath falls all the people of Israel charge and they crush the armies of the philistines… and the end result was the same…

1 Samuel 17:46 ESV  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

Revelation 19:17-18 ESV  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,  (18)  to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”

• The reason I make this correlation is because I want you to know that BATTLE hasn’t changed… from the time of King David to the Time of King Jesus, battle hasn’t changed.
  • That means that whatever battle you are facing today, it lies somewhere between David and Goliath and the Battle of Armageddon…
  • Therefore we can understand that if battle hasn’t changed between those two events, one historical and one prophetic… if battle hasn’t changed, then the battles you face in life will have similar set ups.
    • You will be underequipped, outnumbered, outgunned, and ill-experienced.
      • It will look like all the odds are against you, like defeat is all but certain…
      • Satan and his minions will be laughing at you, mocking you, belittling you.
  • Now I am not talking about issues you got yourself into.
    • Actions have consequences, sin has consequences…
      • David did not have to fight Goliath because of some past sin David did.
      • It was not because David was lazy or unhealthy that Goliath attacked…
      • It was simply because Evil hates good.
• So when I say the battles you are facing are like the battle of Armageddon and the battle of David and Goliath… I am not talking about things that are your own fault.
  • But I am talking about spiritual warfare… when the enemy attacks your mind, your emotions, even your health.
  • When you are depressed, overwhelmed, or anxious for no good reason.
  • When your loved ones betray you and persecute you.
  • When your government, your job, or your school attacks you because of your faith.
  • When ALL the world seems out to get you for no other reason than God is good and they are evil, and you happen to be on God’s side…
    • When you face these kinds of battles, and we all face these kings of battles, when you face these kinds of battles… understand this.
      • You are not strong enough to defeat a single demon, let alone an army of them.
      • You are not smart enough to defeat the US government should they come against you.
      • You are not influential enough to change your bosses mind, or vote out a wicked teacher, professor, or school board member.
      • PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS! YOU ARE NOT ENOUGH!
      • DAVID WAS NOT ENOUGH. A SLING, A STONE, AND A SHEPHERDS STAFF WAS NOT ENOUGH.
      • You will lose these battles if you try to fight them on your own.
      • But there is a better way.
      • Get your focus of yourself, because we already know you are not enough, and get your focus on the LORD!
      • BECAUSE GOD IS ENOUGH.
        • God can overcome that demon. God can overcome an army of demons.
        • He can get you through their attacks, He can change the hearts of governments and of jobs and of schools.
        • GOD IS ENOUGH.
      • Focus on Him and make sure you are on His side…
• That brings me to my final point this morning… Line Up Behind Jesus!

Point Two – Line Up Behind Jesus

Revelation 19:11-19 ESV  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.  (12)  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  (13)  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  (14)  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.  (15)  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  (16)  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.  (17)  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,  (18)  to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”  (19)  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.

• Have you ever had this thought… maybe it is just me and the odd way my brain works… but have you ever watched a movie with a medieval battle in it…
  • Be it Braveheart, or Lord of the Rings, or whatever…
  • And you see these two armies lined up to battle each other… thousands of men with their armor and their swords…
    • And then the trumpet blows and both sides charge at each other.
• Whenever I see those kinds of battles, and we know historically these kinds of battles took place all the time, whenever I see those kinds of battles I always think the same thing…
  • MAN IT WOULD SUCK TO BE IN THE FRONT ROW OF ONE OF THOSE ARMIES!
    • Like, we know these battles happened all the time… HOW DID THE CONVINCE GUYS TO FIGHT IN THE FRONT?
    • None of those guys survive! Doesn’t matter what side is going to win… those front line soldiers are not going to make it!
    • I want to be in the back… I want to engage the enemy after all the archers are out of arrows, after the cavalry has had it’s last charge, after the major clashes have already went down.
      • I want to be on the clean up crew…
      • I don’t know, maybe it is because I am a cowered… but I don’t want to be in the front lines in that kind of battle.
• Now imagine the battle of Armageddon…
  • All of the armies of the world are lined up against you. Millions if not billions of soldiers, with modern weapons…
  • Tanks, and jets, and missiles… all ready to go.
  • Now this army is taking aim at you…
    • You are riding on a flying white horse… but all of the sudden that doesn’t seem that great when you are facing f-18 fighter jets, and surface to air missile launchers, and millions of soldiers trained and ready all equipped with high powered riffles.
      • Imagine how horrifying it would be if you were in the front line… if you were in front of Jesus…
      • Because if you are in front of Jesus, then it is you verses them…
      • You can’t see Jesus… you don’t know what He is doing or where He is going…
      • You don’t have His covering or His protection.
      • You are on your own… AND YOU ARE NOT ENOUGH.
• Do y’all see the application in this for your life today?
  • Of course we are going to be behind Jesus in Armageddon.
    • And how great a day that will be… to ride down from heaven in those battle lines, heavenly spear in hand.
    • I wonder if I will get to shove my spear through the engine of a Mig-35 as an enemy fighter pilot try’s to take aim at my Lord.
    • I wonder if I will recognize any of the demons, and if I will be allowed to take sweet sweet revenge on them for all the GARBAGE they have put me through.
      • Just find the one who has been making me depressed… kya!!!
      • Or the one who has attacked my families health… BLAM!
      • The one who has tried to tempt me with sex, and drugs, and alcohol… BLIP-BLOP-BLOW
    • Oh it’s going to be amazing! But it’s only going to be amazing if I am doing it with Jesus!
      • If I am following His lead… if I am taking His orders.
      • Because if Jesus is in front of me I KNOW THE VICTORY IS NEAR!

Matthew 16:24 ESV  Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

John 8:12 ESV  Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 10:27 ESV  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

John 12:26 ESV  If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

• Christianity is a religion of FOLLOWING.
  • It is a relationship and a followship. WE FOLLOW…
• But some of y’all have gotten yourself ahead of King Jesus.
  • You have taken Jobs that Jesus did not lead you to.
  • You have a girlfriend or boyfriend that Jesus did not lead you to.
  • You moved to a new city, or state, or country, not on the leading of the Lord but based on your own desires and your own passions.
  • There are college kids majoring in whatever they feel like, never seeking the Lord… not following Him… I saw it all through my University days… kids wasting time and money on their own desires instead of following Christ.
    • Y’all take the Job that Jesus tells you to take.
    • Marry the man or woman that Jesus tells you to marry.
    • Live in the City that JESUS tells you to live in.
    • Major in college in the subject JESUS tells you to major in.
    • Go to the church JESUS tells you to go to.
    • Have the friends JESUS tells you to have.
    • Do the things JESUS tells you to do.
  • Because if you don’t, and you do what YOU want to do… then you are going to get yourself ahead of Jesus…
    • And when Battle comes, and battle ALWAYS COMES… we don’t have to wait for Armageddon to come… Battles come every day…
    • If you are not living your life as a follower, and battle comes… YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL ALL ALONE.
      • Weak, underequipped, ill prepared, and inexperienced…
        • And I have seen so many people, as a pastor, I have seen so many people live a pathetic life of defeat because they have not been following Jesus.
• Listen I need you to understand this… the enemy has NO POWER OVER YOU if you are in Christ Jesus.
  • So the only thing he can do is try to get you to give up.
    • And if you can’t see Jesus in front of you it is VERY easy to give up.
    • I am a church planter, and I have heard MANY people say that church planting is the hardest form of ministry.
      • But listen, I don’t think I have ever seen a failed church planter…
      • But I have seen a lot of church planters who give up.
        • It’s never “Yeah I gave it my all but no one came to church”
        • It’s always “It’s not as big as I wanted, it’s too hard, I don’t have enough money, I don’t have enough volunteers…”
        • BLAH BLAH BLAH! You are a quitter! If you had your eyes on Jesus you would know you had everything you needed, but you got focused on church size, finances, and programs… you had a focus problem and you gave up.
        • LINE UP BEHIND JESUS.
      • I see a lot of marriage issues… but when it’s between two Christians it’s always one or both people have given up.
        • Given up caring for one another.
        • Given up fighting for one another.
        • Given up praying for one another.
      • I have seen parents give up, student’s give up, employees give up…
        • Y’all Satan only wins by way of forfeit… when you give up, you give Satan the victory!
          • And if you are not behind Jesus… watching Him, following Him, obeying Him… it get’s real easy to give up.
• Listen, the Battle of Armageddon ends with an AMAZING victory.
  • Everyone who came against God is defeated… the beast, the prophet, and Satan are thrown into hell.
  • God’ doesn’t lose a single soldier… IT WILL BE A GLORIOUS DAY! IT WILL BE A GLORIOUS VICTORY!
• And you could have that kind of victory in your life if you would get behind Jesus!
  • To do that you need to open your Bible, read it, and do what it says.
  • You need to get into discipleship.
  • You need to tithe and give offerings, so your money is not who you are following.
  • You need to serve in the church and in other ministries.
  • You need to evangelize.
  • You need to be discipled.
  • You need to make disciples.
  • You need to pray and seek the voice of God.
  • You need peers to help you discern the voice of God.
  • YOU NEED TO LINE UP BEHIND JESUS AND LET HIM LEAD. Because the Battle Belongs to the Lord!

Conclusion

Now none of this will make sense if you are fighting on the wrong side…

• When the battle of Armageddon comes… which army will you be serving in… the ones standing on the plains in the hill country of Megiddo, or the one riding on horses coming down from the clouds.
  • Maybe just maybe you are not seeing victory in your life because you are on the wrong team…
• Gospel Call