God's Enemies Destroyed
A Sermon on the Destruction of God's Enemies
Originally preached April 22, 1955
Scripture
Sermon Description
The spiritual conflict Christians experience is much deeper than merely a battle against people. In this sermon titled “God’s Enemies Destroyed,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches on this spiritual warfare as it is written about in this last book of the New Testament. Who are the antagonists behind the opposition of men and women? Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies these as the devil, the secular powers and governments of the earth, false religion, and the seductive power of worldliness. Over and over throughout Scripture, Christians are warned against being lured by the pleasures and promises of the world. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that when all attempts fail, Satan leans heavily on this to cause Christians to fall. However, even though God gives descriptions of these enemies, how marvelous it is that in Revelation He shows the details of the Christian triumphs. The essence of comfort is that Christians ultimately have no need to fear. God promises that these antagonists will be judged and that this judgment is final and emphatic.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon is divided into two main sections: chapters 1-11 and chapters 12-22. The first section deals with Christ and the church facing opposition from mankind. The second section deals with the conflict between the church and spiritual forces of evil.
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In chapters 12-14, the antagonists against the church are described:
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The devil, described as the great dragon (12:3)
- The beast from the sea, representing secular powers that persecute the church (13:1)
- The beast from the earth, representing false religion (13:11)
- Those who receive the mark of the beast, representing people who are tools of the devil and his forces (13:16)
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The great harlot Babylon, representing the seductive power of worldliness (14:8)
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In chapters 15-16, the final judgments of God against the antagonists are described. The judgments start with the weakest antagonists and progress to the strongest.
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In chapters 17-19, the judgments against the harlot Babylon, the beasts, and their followers are described in detail. They are all utterly destroyed.
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In chapter 20, the devil himself is judged and cast into the lake of fire. With the destruction of all the antagonists, the new heaven and new earth are established.
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The sermon offers comfort by showing that God's people will be kept safe through all the judgments and will ultimately triumph. The harlot Babylon and all the forces of evil will be destroyed.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Book of Revelation: Questions and Answers
What are the seven main sections of the Book of Revelation according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the Book of Revelation divides itself naturally into seven main sections: 1. Chapters 1-3 2. Chapters 4-7 3. Chapters 8-11 4. Chapters 12-14 5. Chapters 15-16 6. Chapters 17-19 7. Chapters 20-22
He explains that "in each of those sections you seem to be dealing with the entire history of the church leading up to the last judgment," which makes this division logical rather than arbitrary.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the major division of the Book of Revelation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that there is a major division of the book into two sections: the first eleven chapters and the second eleven chapters. This division occurs at chapter 12, where the narrative goes back to the incarnation of Christ. In the first section (chapters 1-11), the theme is "Christ and his church facing the opposition of men, of mankind." In the second section (chapters 12-22), the theme is that the conflict is "not only a conflict against men and women" but against spiritual powers, as Paul describes in Ephesians 6.
Who are the main antagonists against Christ and His church in Revelation 12-14?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several antagonists in these chapters:
- The devil himself (the great dragon in chapter 12)
- The beast rising from the sea (chapter 13) - representing secular powers used by the devil
- The beast rising from the earth (chapter 13) - representing false religion
- People who receive the mark of the beast - humans who become tools of both secular and religious powers
- The great harlot Babylon (chapter 14) - representing "the seductive power of worldliness"
He emphasizes that all these powers have the same ultimate object and are all used by the devil to oppose Christ and His church.
What comfort does Revelation 14 offer to believers facing these antagonists?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones points to the 144,000 in Revelation 14 as a symbol of comfort for believers. He explains that this number is not literal but symbolic, representing "the whole body of the elect, all God's people, the saved." The chapter assures believers that despite all these enemies, "nothing shall be able to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." These believers are described as those who "follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth" and are "redeemed from among men."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between the trumpets and the bowls in Revelation?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the trumpets (chapters 8-9) and the bowls (chapter 16) describe similar judgments, but with a critical difference:
"It's no longer a third part that was destroyed. It's no longer a partial visitation. But this time it is complete. This time it is entire."
He explains that this reflects a biblical principle that "God always warns before he finally punishes." The trumpets represent warnings, while the bowls represent "the poured out punishment and the shedding out of the wrath of God." He notes that historically, God has sometimes already visited certain areas with what appears to be final judgment, citing North Africa (where Christianity once flourished but largely disappeared) as a possible example.
What does the destruction of Babylon in Revelation 17-18 teach believers about worldliness?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that Babylon represents worldliness, and its destruction should fundamentally change how believers view the world's allurements. He says:
"And if we only grasped this teaching, we would never be tempted again by worldliness. It's going to be destroyed utterly and absolutely."
He vividly describes how the world's luxury, wealth, pride, and beauty will all be stripped away, revealing its "utter, awful nakedness and filthiness." He quotes from Revelation 18 about how everything the world values - its music, craftsmanship, celebrations, and commerce - will be silenced forever. This should motivate believers to "love not the world nor the things that are in the world" since "it's all passing away."
What is the order of judgment against the antagonists in the latter part of Revelation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the order of judgment is the reverse of how the antagonists were introduced:
- First judgment: People with the mark of the beast (chapter 16)
- Second judgment: Babylon the great harlot (chapters 17-18)
- Third judgment: The two beasts - from the sea and earth (chapter 19)
- Final judgment: The devil himself (chapter 20)
He notes, "The last antagonist is judged and destroyed. So that there's nothing else left to do now in the remainder of the book but to give us a picture of the new heavens and the new earth."
Great Biblical Doctrines
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.