ACC ~ Revelation 12 v9

SATAN THINKS HE IS HARMING GOD. OECUMENIUS: “And there was no longer any place” either for refuge or, indeed, for dwelling “in heaven, and he was thrown down to the earth.” [The dragon] either experienced this in a physical way, or, having been deprived of his heavenly and angelic position, he was cast down to an earthly mind. Then, as though avenging himself on God because of his fall, he harms his servants and deceives people and tempts them to apostatize from God. Since he could not harm God himself, he thinks that in this way he is harming the Master. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.7-9.

THE DEVIL CONFINED TO EARTHLY THINGS. PRIMASIUS: The wise tend to understand the “earth” here to refer to those earthly things in which by the strength of that curse the devil is known to inhabit. For it says, “Earth you shall eat all the days of your life.” Having been exiled from spiritual realities, he assailed those of the earth who were suitable to his own strengths. This is what it means that he was cast out of heaven and was thrown down to the earth. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.9.

THE DEVIL GOES TO THOSE WHO HOPE IN EARTHLY THINGS. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: The devil, as well as every unclean spirit along with their leader, were expelled from the hearts of the saints to the earth, that is, to persons who are wise only in earthly things and have their entire hope in earthly things. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.9, HOMILY 9.

THE DEVIL BECAME EVEN MORE OF A BLASPHEMER. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: This is most proper. For heaven has nothing to do with a base, earthly mind, since darkness has nothing in common with the light. If the term the Satan occurs here with the definite article, it does not suggest that he is someone other than the devil … rather he is named with two names. He is called “devil” because he accuses and slanders the virtues and those who love them, and he has even slandered God himself to people, as he did when he suggested to Adam that God was envious. He is called “Satan” because he opposes himself against the Master and his servants. It is therefore to be noted that the downfall of the devil did not only occur after the cross, as though he were inactive in former times. Rather, as he himself confessed to Anthony, the saying of the psalm is fulfilled in him, “The swords of the enemy have come to their end.” Therefore, his banishment is the abolition of all his evil enterprises along with his total exclusion from heaven and from his rank. The blessed Justin Martyr noted that after the coming of Christ and after the devil’s sentence to Gehenna, the devil especially became a blasphemer, while in former times he did not blaspheme God so brazenly.And so it is accurately said about him, “His heart is hard as stone,” since he is unyielding in his evil. And if the expectation of punishment makes him even more evil, how would punishing either him or his followers in Gehenna through fire wash out the filth of sin? And not attaining to this, how would there be a cessation of punishment against those who think vain thoughts? COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.9.

Rev