But Michael, the archangel, when he was disputing with the devil, was arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Jude 1:9 LSB
As we read this Scripture passage, we need to understand a few things. First of all, we need to understand who Michael is. Michale is an archangel or a chief angel. He is the commander of God’s heavenly hosts or God’s army of angels.
He is involved in a confrontation with the devil. Michael has to fight Satan in order to do God’s work. We see another example of this in Daniel 10:13 where Michael had to help another angel who was being confronted.
In Revelation 12:9-11, Michael and his army will defeat Satan and his army. Michael and his angels will then throw Satan and his angels out of heaven and onto earth. They will then be banned from heaven.
In this passage, Michael is fighting Satan over the body of Moses. Moses died on Mount Nebo without being able to enter the Promised Land. Apparently, Satan wanted Moses’s body for some type of diabolical purpose. This is the only mention of this confrontation in the Bible. Satan might have wanted Moses’ body as some type of relic or some type of idol for worship, who knows. But either way, Michael’s job was not to allow him to have it.
When we refer to Michael as a chief angel or an archangel, this means he is high ranking or chief over many other angels. We must realize that angels are created beings. Michael’s reaction tells us that although he has a high ranking in God’s army of heavenly hosts, the devil outranks him. Does this mean he can’t defeat the devil? Absolutely not! This just means he needs God to do it.
Our passage says that Michael did not dare pronounce a blasphemous judgment. This means Michael didn’t dare curse the devil. He didn’t dare rely on his power. Instead, he called on the Lord to rebuke the devil. He deferred to the ultimate, sovereign power of God.
We must wage war on the devil. We must fight against him, but we should never be so foolish as to think we can go it alone. If Michael, God’s own angel, the chief of His heavenly hosts must call on God for help, then so must we.
Whether we realize it or not, we face spiritual battle on a daily basis. We must rely on God. We are told in Proverbs 3:5-6 that we must not rely on our own understanding, but to acknowledge God in all we do, and He will lead us on the right paths.
James 4:7 says, “Submit to God, resist the devil and He will flee from you.” In verse 8 James says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners and purify your hearts, double-minded people!”
We must daily suit up in God’s armor which Paul lists in Ephesians 6:10-18, we must dress in righteousness, truth, peace, faith, salvation, and always carry the sword of the Spirit which is God’s holy Word.
My friend, it isn’t a matter of if you will battle with the devil, it’s a matter of when and for how long you will battle with the devil. Our life on earth will be a series of temptations, trials, and tribulations. We must submit our lives to Christ in order to defeat the devil.
There is always a war between good (God) and evil (Satan) going on all around us. We need to be sure we are on the winning side with God.
If Michael needed God’s help to defeat the devil, then we certainly need His help. Surrender to Him, suit up in His armor. Arm yourself with the sword of the Holy Spirit or God’s holy Word and be prepared to come out swinging. And don’t forget to rejoice always, pray continually, and be thankful in all circumstances for this is God’s will for us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
This is how God helps us to defeat the devil.
Have a great day!