The Old Serpent in Revelations chapter 12 Rev. 12:9 "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Four different names are used to describe Satan in the above verse. Each of the words has a meaning and describes part of the character of Satan. The word, dragon, has reference to a sea monster and as such is a devourer. As such he seeks to devour God's people: 1 Pet. 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." The second name is "that old serpent" and has reference to the serpent in the garden of Eden. The serpent used the technique of deception to deceive Eve and ultimately to get at Adam. Thus the serpent is a deceiver: 1 Tim. 2:14 "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." The serpent is also an enticer as he enticed the woman to sin through the fruit of the tree of knowledge and evil and the concept that by eating thereof she would become as God:" The name devil refers to Satan as a possessor: Matt. 9:32 "As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil." This is the same as the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. It is that spirit that possesses and leads them prior to the new birth. The name Satan means accuser. He is the accuser of God's people. For instance he said of Job, "Doth Job fear God for nought." Under the old law covenant (first heaven) Satan accused the children of God of sin according to the law. As long as that law was not fulfilled and the redemption priced paid Satan would continue to accuse the Lord's people before God. However, we find in Rom. 8: 33 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Because Michael (Christ) represented us and paid the redemption price (his blood), he won the war and now Satan can no longer accuse us before God. There is no charge that can be made against God's elect. Not even the devil can now make a charge. Thus Satan has no more place under the fulfilled law covenant. He has been cast out. All he is capable of doing now is dealing misery to the elect people of God. To do this he must attack their flesh nature (earth) for he has no power to attack us in the inner man. Rev. 12:15 "And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth." A glimpse of this picture is shown to us in the Garden of Eden when the serpent cast out of his mouth a flood of false doctrine in order to deceive the woman in the garden. He told Eve, "Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." This false doctrine came from the mouth of the serpent. He set forth the principle that man by an act of man can attain to Godhood. This same doctrine and the many various forms of this are still in the world today and being taught to God's people in the "earthly" assemblies (those who teach for doctrine the commandments of men). This doctrine was used to carry away the woman in the garden. It was used by Cain in an attempt to get favor with God. The Israelites had used this doctrine in their efforts to get right with God and Paul prayed for their deliverance from it in Rom. 10:1 "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." They had swallowed the flood of false doctrine that man through keeping the law could establish his own righteousness and thus get right with God. This is in direct opposition to the fact that Christ is the end (completion) of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. The false requires the act of the creature whereas the true is by grace through the atoning blood of Christ. There are multiple variations in the worldly teaching today as to what man must do in order to get right with God. But every one of them requires man to do something in order to get right with God. Man in the very pride of his fleshly nature (earth) wants to think he can do something in order to get right with God. The truth is that he cannot do anything to get right with God, but Jesus Christ through the covenant of redemption has made his elect right with God and no man can lay anything to the charge of God's elect. The earth and the earthly assemblies swallow up the flood of false doctrines and false practices that flow forth from the serpent’s mouth and his self-made ministers: 2 Cor. 11:14 "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." The scriptures also teach of these earthly assemblies: 2 Tim. 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." The Lord warned of those in Mark 7:7 "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." The earth is full of assemblies who hold to the doctrines and commandments of men that originated with the serpent in the garden of Eden. The earth has swallowed up this flood and this is really a help to the Lord's true church as she feeds from the manna of God's word and worships him in Spirit and in truth to His name's honor and glory. Rev.12:17 "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." The covenant of redemption is completely contrary to Satan's goals and all he promotes. What can the dragon do to the covenant of redemption? He cannot alter God's eternal purpose and stop what God has purposed from coming to pass. Christ's death on the cross to justify his people has already come to pass. The new birth is a work that cannot be stopped. The resurrection is sure. The dragon's goal is to wipe from the mind all belief in the covenant of redemption that all the elect may worship the beast and his image and ultimately worship the dragon. In order to accomplish his purpose the dragon attempts to change people's perception of what the word of God really is. All the attempts to introduce new so-called bibles are attempts to change the doctrine of God to the doctrine of Satan. It is an attempt to eradicate the possibility that people might believe in God's covenant of redemption. In so doing he would replace Christ with a false Christ in the minds and hearts of God's people and have them worship the false Christ, which really holds and promotes Satan's doctrine. He allures through the pride of the flesh the idea that man is instrumental in procuring his own salvation from sin. The second part of the dragon's attack is to make war with the remnant of the woman's seed which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. If he could disrupt and destroy the Lord's church, then he would be well on his way of accomplishing his goal of universal worship from God's elect. The Lord's church is made up of disciples who believe in the grace of God and believe that their salvation from sin was accomplished by the grace of God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They also believe that God is sovereign in bringing about the new spiritual birth and that by the grace of God. They also believe in the resurrection of the dead. Subsequently, they believe in God's covenant of redemption that he made with himself before the foundation of the world. The statement that he went to make war with the remnant of the woman's seed that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ is evidence that not all the seed of the woman keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The idea of a remnant is taught throughout the scriptures. When God chose Israel to make a covenant with and be his people under the law dispensation, it is stated, "The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people." Out of the 12 tribes of Israel, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi to serve the tabernacle. When he chose the priesthood, he chose the family of Aaron to be the priests. Notice that the Lord chooses a remnant. First it was the remnant of all mankind when he chose Israel, then it was a remnant of the 12 tribes when he chose Levi, then it was a remnant of the tribe of Levi when he chose the family of Aaron. The following verses of scripture point to a remnant serving the Lord in this New Testament age: 1. Jere. 23:3 "And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. 5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." 2. Joel 2:32 "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." 3. Mic. 4:7 "And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever." 4. Rom. 9:27 "Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha."