These verses come immediately after an evil scene in John's vision where an enormous red dragon is seen hovering over a woman in labour, desiring to eat the child immediately after birth (Revelation 12:1-4). The dragon is the devil (Revelation 12:9); the woman is Israel from whom the child is descended (Isaiah 9:6). Shortly after, the child is born, a boy who is to be King.

Psalm 2:7-9 speaks prophetically about the Lord Jesus: "I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, 'You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery." The Psalm implies that the rule of Christ will crush all resistance; but here in Revelation 12 the 'rule' of Christ uses a Greek word to describe shepherding the nations, feeding them with truth and leading them into His way. Clearly both meanings are true: the grace of Christ extends to all who will allow themselves to be led by Jesus, but those who refuse to acknowledge His sovereign rule will be judged (Romans 2:4-5).

The dragon does not have His way. The child is kept safe by God. The vision moves immediately from the birth of Christ to His ascension. In the interval, Jesus was protected many times (John 8:58-59), and even His death ended in resurrection. Jesus used the words of Psalm 110:1 to teach His disciples that He is the Son of God and would be kept safe by His Father (Matthew 22:41-46). After the resurrection Jesus had a glorified body which could not be trapped or attacked. The church, however, suffered through persecution. But God still protected them. Jesus had warned them to evacuate Jerusalem and go to the desert when it was destroyed by General Titus in AD70 (Matthew 24:15-25). In many other persecutions, the Lord has preserved His people. The protection over 1,260 days is the same period as the ministry of Christ's witnesses in Revelation 11:2 (the same period as the three and a half years of Daniel 7:25), underlining that the church under pressure is also a church of proclamation.

Now, Satan cannot do anything to destroy Jesus or to break His Sovereign rule. That is why the devil attacks Christians; he is filled with fury because he knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12). But even though he might do his worst, God's people still belong to the Almighty King who protects them in every testing situation and limits its duration and intensity – 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." So, be encouraged whatever your situation. The Lord is your boss, not Satan. The Lord will guard you so that you can serve Him; He will not abandon you (Psalm 138:8) and He will deal with the wicked people who trouble you (Psalm 1:6).