Revelations 12

This is a very revealing chapter. The woman symbolizes the church and the dragon symbolizes the Satan. The war in heaven is as clearly put forth as in any verses of the Bible. Michael, or Adam, and the hosts of heaven fight against Satan and the one third of the hosts of heaven who followed him. Satan and his hosts are defeated and cast down from heaven to the earth. What is interesting is how Satan was defeated. It also tells us the level of spiritual strength we had gained in the pre-mortal life. We were part of the hosts who fought with Michael and the way in which we overcame Satan was by the atonement, the strength of our testimonies, and our willingness to sacrifice all things. It says we "loved not [our] own lives unto death." And that is the way that we overcome him now. This chapter describes how Satan knows his time is short and how he is extremely angered and continues the war here. He is angered because he hates the Father, and because he will never have a body, a wife, a family, a posterity, and will never be exalted to any degree of glory. The last verse tells who Satan wars against. It is the members of the church, "those who keep the commandments of God and have a testimony of Jesus Christ."