Most people assume Satan was kicked out of heaven long ago. But Pastor Daniel Batarseh reveals why the 'war in heaven' is a future event and what it means for our spiritual victory today.

If you were to peek into the throne room of God right now, you might expect to see nothing but unending bliss, worship, and peace. But according to the Bible, there is a persistent, jarring presence there: an accuser.

Most of us have been taught that Satan was kicked out of heaven once and for all in the distant, prehistoric past. We imagine him locked away in a dark corner of the universe. But as Pastor Daniel Batarseh pointed out in his study of Revelation 12:7-12, that isn't the whole story. Right now, at this very moment, the enemy still has a limited, legal access to the heavenly places—not to worship, but to prosecute. He is the "accuser of our brothers," standing before God day and night to remind Him of your failures, your secret sins, and your unfaithfulness.

But there is a day coming when the courtroom doors will be slammed shut in his face. In this sermon, Pastor Daniel Batarseh takes us into a vision of a future conflict that is unlike any other. It isn’t a battle fought with human weapons or on human soil; it is a riot in the heavenly places that signals the beginning of the end for the kingdom of darkness.

Why the War in Heaven is Still in Our Future

One of the most common misconceptions about Revelation 12 is that it’s a flashback. Many commentators argue that this war is a description of Satan’s original fall before the creation of the world, or perhaps a spiritual replay of what happened at the Cross.

However, Pastor Daniel Batarseh argues that if we read the text carefully, we see this is an event yet to be realized. He points to the summary of Satan’s defeat in verse 8: "And there was no longer any place for them in heaven." This is a permanent eviction. If Satan had already been permanently evicted, how could he have approached God in the book of Job 1 to accuse Job? Hear Pastor Daniel explain this connection at 06:35.

Even after his initial rebellion, the Bible shows us that Satan alternates between roaming the earth to destroy and standing before God to accuse. We see this again in Zechariah 3, where Satan stands ready to resist the high priest before the angel of the Lord. The "war in heaven" described by John is the moment that access is finally, legally, and physically revoked.

This war happens during the Tribulation period, triggered by the blast of the seventh trumpet. As Pastor Daniel Batarseh explains, when the seventh trumpet sounds in Revelation 11:15, it announces that "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ." Satan hears this announcement. He knows his lease is up. In a fit of pride and fury, he organizes an all-out assault against heaven to stop the coronation of the King. He fails, and the result is a humiliating downward spiral.

The Four Falls: Tracking the Devil’s Downward Spiral

To understand the victory we have in Christ, we have to understand that Satan’s defeat happens in stages. God is a God of order, and He has decreed a specific sequence for the dismantling of the devil’s power. Pastor Daniel Batarseh identifies four distinct "falls" of Satan described in Scripture:

1. The Prehistoric Fall

This was Satan’s eviction from his original, exalted position as a high-ranking cherub. Passages like Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 describe a being who was "full of wisdom and perfect in beauty" until pride was found in him. He was cast out of his position of authority, but as we’ve seen, he retained limited access to God’s presence as an accuser.

Jesus alluded to this original fall in Luke 10:18 when He told His disciples, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." As Pastor Daniel Batarseh puts it, "For Christ to claim that he was present at the humiliating defeat of Satan, what does that say about his nature? That he is preexisting... He eternally stood as the Son of God and witnessed these events" (watch this moment at 19:58).

2. The Mid-Tribulation Fall

This is the focus of Revelation 12. After losing the war against Michael and the angels, Satan is "thrown down" (a phrase mentioned three times in verse 9 for emphasis). He is now barred from heaven. No more accusations. No more courtroom appearances. He is confined to the earth, and he is dangerous because he knows his time is short.

3. The Fall into the Abyss

When Jesus returns bodily to the earth in Revelation 19, one of His first orders of business is to deal with the dragon. In Revelation 20:1-3, an angel seizes Satan and binds him in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. During the Millennial reign of Christ, the earth will experience a thousand years of peace because the Great Deceiver is locked away.

4. The Final Fall into Hell

After a brief, final rebellion at the end of the Millennium, Satan is thrown into the Lake of Fire and sulfur. This is his final destination. There is no release from this fall; he will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10).

By laying out these four falls, Pastor Daniel Batarseh reminds us that Satan is not God’s equal. He is a creature on a leash, and God is the one who determines the length of that leash.

The Courtroom of Grace: How the Blood Silences the Accuser

While the physical eviction of Satan is a future event, the legal victory over him is something we possess right now. Revelation 12:11 gives us the secret to spiritual warfare: "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony."

Think about the courtroom scene again. Satan is there, pointing at your life. He’s not necessarily lying; he’s bringing up your real sins, your real failures, and your real filth. He is trying to convince God to change His mind about you.

What silences him? It isn't your resume. It isn't your church attendance. It isn't even your sincere apologies.

As Pastor Daniel Batarseh explains, "The only hope you and I have in overcoming Satan’s charges is what Christ has done... that payment has now been transmitted to my account. That is the only thing that silences the evil one" (hear this at 29:16).

When Satan accuses you to you—assaulting your conscience and whispering lies about your past—you must learn to do warfare the way heaven does. Don't rehearse your obedience. Don't try to prove how much you've changed. Cling to the blood. The blood of Christ speaks a "better word" than the accusations of the enemy.

Pastor Daniel Batarseh quoted a powerful old hymn to drive this home: > "Though the restless foe accuses, sins recounting like a flood, > Every charge our God refuses, Christ has answered with His blood."

The Word of Testimony: When the Gospel Becomes Personal

The second weapon mentioned is "the word of their testimony." This isn't just about sharing a nice story at a small group; it’s about a public, personal realization of what the blood of Christ has done for you.

A testimony is the evidence that the blood has actually transformed a life. You know you have truly tasted this Gospel when you are willing to die for it. The text says, "for they loved not their lives even unto death."

This is the ultimate "fear factor" for the devil. If his greatest threat is death, but you have already surrendered your life to Christ, what leverage does he have left? If you aren't afraid to die because you know exactly where you are going and whose you are, Satan is powerless to intimidate you.

Pastor Daniel Batarseh challenged the congregation to consider their own confidence: "I’m so certain of the power of this blood that I can sleep so sweetly at night even though Satan stays up all night trying to convince God otherwise" (watch at 37:27).

The Aftermath: Why the World Feels So Violent

There is a sobering note in verse 12: "But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short."

This explains the "feverish pitch" of evil we see in the world as we approach the end of the age. When Satan is finally evicted from heaven, he doesn't go quietly. He realizes his boundaries are shrinking. He is like a cornered animal, venting his rage on everything that represents God—specifically the nation of Israel (the "woman" in verse 13) and the followers of Jesus.

But for the believer, this "great wrath" is actually a sign of the devil's desperation. He isn't winning; he's panicking. He knows the seventh trumpet has sounded. He knows the King is at the door.

As we look at a world that seems to be spiraling into chaos, we don't have to live in fear. We serve the God who saw Satan fall like lightning. We serve the King who has already stripped the ruler of this world of his legal authority. Whether the battle is in the heavenly places or in the quiet of your own conscience, the victory is already decided.

What to Remember

Satan is an active accuser. He currently has limited access to heaven to prosecute believers, but this access will be permanently revoked in a future heavenly war.
The fall of the enemy happens in stages. From his prehistoric rebellion to his final judgment in the Lake of Fire, God is systematically restricting the devil’s territory.
The Blood of the Lamb is your only legal defense. You cannot out-argue Satan or out-work your sin; you can only rely on the finished work of Christ that has been credited to your account.
True spiritual warfare is fought with a personal testimony. When the Gospel becomes more precious to you than your own life, the enemy loses his ability to intimidate you with the threat of death.
The world’s increasing darkness is a sign of Satan’s short time. His "great wrath" on earth is a reaction to his defeat in heaven and the looming return of Jesus Christ.

Questions to Sit With

When you feel a sense of guilt or shame, do you tend to "rehearse your obedience" (trying to prove you're a good person) or "cling to the blood"? How would your prayer life change if you focused entirely on Christ’s advocacy for you?
Pastor Daniel Batarseh noted that Satan stays up all night accusing us. Does the reality of the blood of Christ allow you to "sleep sweetly," or are you still trying to win a legal battle that Jesus has already settled?
What is the "word of your testimony"? If someone asked you today how the blood of Jesus has practically changed your history and your future, what would you say?
If you truly believed that Satan’s time was short and his defeat was certain, how would that change the way you view the "wars and rumors of wars" in the news today?

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This article is drawn from the sermon "The Future Fall of Satan | Revelation 12:7-12 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh" by Pastor Daniel Batarseh at Maranatha Bible Church Chicago. Watch the full sermon →

Scripture Referenced

Why the War in Heaven is Still in Our Future