Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. (Jude 9)
We have learned that our Lord desires for us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Sometimes, we forget that supernatural power is involved in the opposition that God’s people face in this world. There is a battle raging around us and inside us. We can have the victory only through our Lord.
Notice the connection between Jude 8 and Jude 9. Verse 8 talks about apostates who speak against those in authority, then verse 9 gives the example that even Michael the archangel did not speak against the Devil but committed him to the Lord. The warning is against tearing down others. From this, the Lord leads us right into the sin of Core and the criticism of Moses’ authority. This is a solemn warning that we should not bring accusations against those in authority.
The Evil That Surrounds Us
The Bible teaches that we are contending with the Devil. There is evil that surrounds us. This should prepare us for a life of prayer and faith in God.
Jude mentions the contention over the body of Moses. Read Deuteronomy 34:5-8. The children of Israel did not see Moses’ body, and they were not involved in its burial. However, there was a spiritual battle taking place over Moses’ body. Perhaps the Devil wanted it to deceive the children of Israel into worshipping the image of Moses.
Most of the time, we are unaware of the spiritual contention about us. We need to ask God to help us to be aware that evil is all around us. Spiritual warfare is raging.
The Enemy Who Seeks to Harm Us
The enemy in Jude 9 is identified as the Devil. This is the enemy who seeks to harm us. Satan wants to hinder our efforts to serve the Lord and give the message of the Gospel.
We know that the Devil has worked to bring about all the evils of our society. There has been a destruction of morality and decency. However, Satan is most proud of the work he has done in religious deception! People are damned because they believe something other than the plain truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.
Notice in Daniel 10:12-13 that Daniel’s prayer was hindered until Michael intervened. If we could see the spirit world with our natural eyes, we would witness real warfare. Ephesians 6:10-12 teaches us that some fallen angels are loose with the Devil to wage war against God and God’s children. They operate a well-organized force of evil.
Satan does his most destructive work in deceiving people through some religious means. 1 John 4:1 warns us to “try the spirits whether they are of God.” We need Holy Spirit discernment because our enemy seeks to harm us.
The Everlasting Refuge We Have in Our Lord
In Jude 9, Michael commits Satan to the Lord. The hardest thing to do in life is to determine the human from the divine. What are we to do and what is God to do? Many of us try to play God with other people’s lives. Christian people should walk with the Lord and leave things in God’s hands. Michael said, “The Lord rebuke thee.” Our refuge is in the Lord, not just from evil and harm, but also from attempting to do more than what God wants us to do.
The battle is raging for the souls of men. We are going to be used by God or used by the Devil. We cannot withstand this evil alone. God is our everlasting refuge, and we are not going to have the spiritual victory apart from Him.
Background Reading for Next Week: Jude 10-11; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Psalm 14:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:12; Genesis 3:21; Genesis 4:1-5; Numbers 22:1-17; 2 Peter 2:15; Revelation 2:14; Numbers 16:1-17