TITLE: “There Was War in Heaven”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text for today, St. Michael and All Angels, is from Matthew chapter 18, Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  (Matt. 18:10)

There is a war going on.  It is unlike any other war in the history of the world.  There are no boundaries.  We cannot see the enemy, for he is everywhere.  The enemy’s tools are deceit, death and fear.  This war is one where regular weapons and tools to fight do not work.  It is a war where common, normal people’s very lives are at stake.  It is not a war that is off in foreign lands.  This war is fought right here, right now, every day of your life.

St. John mentions this war in the book of Revelation.  Michael, the one who is like God, and His angels do battle against the dragon, the old evil foe or Satan.  The war begins in heaven, where Satan in his pride comes to believe that he should be higher than God Himself.  Yes, the devil’s pride led him to believe that he was the most important thing in heaven and earth, and so he fought against the Lord, and against His anointed Christ.

What is the war about?  The war is about the First Commandment.  You shall have no other gods.  The devil believes that he can be like God, that he can and should rule over the people of the earth, not in love and mercy, but with an iron fist.  It is a war of words.  The Word of God verses the word of the lie.  And so, the war is also about you.  It is about your soul.  It is the battle between heaven and earth.  It is a war between the forces of evil and the Lord of hosts.  It is a very old war, but the battle wages on even today.

There are many soldiers in this war.  Common people of God like you and me.  Angels and all of God’s heavenly armies.  There is also the old dragon, the devil.  He has forces of darkness that we cannot understand, but we see their evil work every day.  They sow discord and strife among families.  They murder and steal.  They split marriages and do everything they can to drive a wedge between you and the strength you need to fight the battle.  The devil’s tool is sin and the lie, and we by nature are willing participants in his war against God.

The scary part for us is that from our perspective, we’re behind enemy lines.  There are times in your life and mine when it may appear as though the devil is having his way.  Whether it be 6000 dead in New York, or a marriage that just can’t seem to stay together, or a temptation to sin that we cannot shake, we are very much in enemy territory.  Frankly, sometimes it is scary.  We look around us, or even within ourselves, and see that the old enemy looks at times like he’s winning.

The devil, the Accuser, he knows that his time is short (Rev. 12:12).  He knows that the battle was lost for him on Calvary when Jesus’ died on the cross.  His fate was sealed when Jesus broke the seal of the tomb on Easter morning.  That is where Satan was defeated.  He knows that he’ll never win, but like an insane dictator, he wants to drag as many down as possible with him.  Why?  Because that is who he is.  The devil knows he’ll never rule in heaven, and so he makes his short reign on earth as miserable and painful as possible for those of us who are still behind enemy lines.

So how do we escape?  Where is our hope?  Some of you may remember that in World War II, there were countless people who died well after D-Day.  The victory by the Allies was secure, but there were many who were murdered by the Nazis long after they knew they had lost.  There were more Allied soldiers killed in the last year of the war then there were in the 5 years before.  And so it is that the devil just keeps killing, and lying, and trying to drag us down with him.  It can get to you.  Sometimes the warfare is long and the battle is hard.  Sometimes you may feel like in this war you have lost.  You may feel as though you have been driven to despair itself, because the might of the forsaken dictator is right in front of you.

It is in these times of fear and sorrow that our Lord comes with a word of hope.  Have no fear, He cries out to you.   Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come…  Like a radio message behind enemy lines, God’s Word gives hope and a future in the midst of sorrow and pain.

For, you see, you are not alone.  In fact, you have never been alone in this battle.  From the day that you were washed in the holy font, that baptismal water brought God’s great army to your side.  Your angels are before God’s face in heaven, pleading for you, praying for you, and holding you up.  God’s victory is at hand, and even if you can’t see all of the great things God has in store for you, they’re coming.  I promise you.

This is why Jesus says in our text that whoever receives one little child in His name receives Him.  Each one of these little baptized soldiers has God’s name on them.  They are precious in God’s sight.  You are precious in God’s sight.  But they must be taught about the battle.  They have to learn about the great Gift of faith that God gives them by water and word.

You probably know some of these little ones who don’t even know there is a war going on.  They are living in a dream world.  They believe that Satan, the Dragon, has won.  They don’t come to God’s house to receive His gifts.  They’ve almost forgotten that they were baptized, by the looks of them.  But we can tell them.  We can teach them.  It’s who we are, and these gifts of God are too important to let sit on the shelf.  The victory is ours, so why not proclaim it to the rooftops?

We sing about this great victory every Sunday.  Therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify your glorious name, ever praising you and singing, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of the heavenly armies!  You see, that’s what God’s power and might, that’s what the Lord of hosts really is.  They are his heavenly armies, the angels of God who watch over you every day and night.

It is so very easy in the battle to feel alone and downtrodden.  It’s so easy to be discouraged and to not see the armies of the Lord going to fight for you.  But they’re there.  As sure as the sun rises in the morning, they’re there.   I will never leave you nor forsake you, He says.  God promises that He will send His Son Jesus with all the angels of heaven to your side.  The might and strength that God gives to you in His Son knows no bounds.

When we gather at His Altar to receive His body and blood, all of heaven joins us in thanksgiving and praise for the gift of eternal life that He has given to you.  When we sing Holy, holy, holy, we are singing the song of the angels.  Their song, our song, resounds to every corner of the earth.  The victory is ours, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  There is nothing that Satan or his devilish army can do to you.  When you have Jesus Christ and his holy angels at your side, you have nothing to fear.  For, you see, the most important thing to remember about God’s angels is that they are His messengers.  Their weapons are not swords and guns.  Their weapons are the Word of God and His Holy Sacraments.  That is how the devil is defeated.

Don’t be afraid.  The God of grace is with you, the Lord of Hosts is your strength and your shield.  As we sang just a few moments ago:

Angels, help us to adore Him;

You behold Him face to face;

Sun and moon, bow down before Him,

All who dwell in time and space.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Praise with us the God of grace. (HS #893:4)

In the name of Jesus.  Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting.  Amen.