Jude 1:9, commentary and pictures

Michael the archangel is Christ Himself, the Son of God and Commander of heaven. Soon after Moses died He came to raise him with a glorified body before decay, but Satan stood by claiming the body as his lawful prey and accusing Him of unjustly invading his dominion. Though He had every provocation and had already overcome Satan in heaven, He would not answer with insult or retaliation but meekly left judgment to God. His restraint stands as the right example against false teachers who defile the flesh, despise authority, and speak evil of things they do not understand. Those who contend for truth must therefore never bring a railing accusation against anyone, not even the devil, but guard word and pen, refuse sarcasm and personal attack, and let truth spoken in love do its work.

Michael Is Christ

Michael the archangel in the verse is Christ Himself, the Son of God, the world's Redeemer and Prince of Life. He is the Commander of heaven, revealed as the Angel of Jehovah and Captain of the Lord's host. Soon after Moses died He came contending with Satan over the body, disputing about it, resurrecting Moses and taking him to heaven before his body decayed, with a resurrected glorified body. Satan stood claiming Moses as his lawful prey and rightful property, enraged and accusing Christ of invading his dominion and acting unjustly by taking from the grave one he claimed. Christ answered without a railing accusation, meekly leaving rebuke and judgment to God and to His Father, saying the Lord rebuke thee.

His example in so contending is the pattern for how to contend for the faith, teaching that aggressive warfare is to be maintained yet without self-created zeal born of hereditary and cultivated traits counted as zeal for God. All human qualifications are to be yielded to divine influence and brought into subjection, with self hid in Christ and Christ in God, forbidding one-sided extravagance, cold-hearted criticism, selfish practice, and disregard for another's individuality, so that truth is seen on all sides in perfect harmony. The verse presents Him as the Archangel Himself, one of the chief princes and among angels of the highest rank in the kingdom of God. It shows a scene in the heavenly courts where angels of that rank take interest in the affairs of men, and reveals the active part taken by both good and evil angels in matters connected with earthly kingdoms. Thus Michael came to the assistance of Gabriel when satanic forces opposed God's purpose, as when evil influence was exerted on the mind of the king of Persia to block the answer to Daniel's earnest prayer. Even though as Commander He had every excuse and provocation to answer otherwise, His restraint in refusing a railing accusation is Christlike humility and the need for sanctified speech.

Dispute Over Moses

Soon after Moses died, Christ came to raise him before his body could decay and took him to heaven with a resurrected glorified body. Angels had buried him on the mount where his strength was still undiminished and his eyesight clear, and after he had lain briefly in the grave Christ called him from the grave to life. Moses had already been raised and taken to heaven, though this was not generally known.

Satan stood by disputing for the body, claiming Moses as his lawful prey and property belonging to death and his dominion. He was enraged at being deprived of his prey and accused Christ of invading his dominion and acting unjustly by taking from the grave one who belonged to death. He claimed Moses because of his sin and contended that the taking of the body was unfair treatment.

Moses had come under the power of death through transgression at the rock, where he failed to give God glory and took to himself glory belonging to God. There he struck the rock in anger, spoke presumptuously, lost patience and self-control, and was barred from the promised land. Had he remained faithful God would have brought him into the promised land and translated him to heaven without death.

His sin was not premeditated but a surprise into which he was drawn when he took to himself the people's murmuring that was really against God. He had humbly repented, so his character bore no stain and his name and record in heaven remained untarnished. Though his sin made him subject to death his title to life rested in Jesus his Head.

Satan contended earnestly and renewed his controversy over the justice of God's law, charging that he was not fairly treated. Christ did not retaliate by bringing up Satan's cruel deceptive work in heaven by deceptive misrepresentation, his falsehoods in Eden that led to Adam's transgression, or his stirring up Israel to murmur and rebel until Moses lost self-control.

Humble and Restrained Reply

When contending and disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, Michael dared not bring a railing or reviling accusation against him but meekly left rebuke and judgment to the Lord. Michael is Christ, who after Moses' death resurrected him and took him to heaven, while Satan stood claiming Moses as his lawful prey belonging to death and accusing Christ of invading his dominion by taking one from the grave. Christ answered that claim without a railing charge, saying in effect that rebuke belonged to the Lord. This restraint stands as the right example in contrast to false teachers and filthy dreamers who defile the flesh, despise dominion, speak evil of dignities and dignitaries, and speak evil of things they do not know or understand, exposing the evil-speaking and apostasy to be met in the present day. Even one so high would not speak careless and venturesome words against the prince of darkness, which condemns finite humans who dare unkind thrusts and harsh words.

The restraint is weighty because even the Majesty of heaven guarded every word lest He stir up the spirit of Satan and the fallen angels. Though Christ had overcome Satan and expelled him from heaven, He met him over Moses' body without abuse or retaliation. Though He had every provocation and every excuse to answer otherwise, He would not be aroused to retaliation but spoke with great carefulness. His refusal to answer with a railing accusation even when He had every excuse is an example of Christlike humility and sanctified speech.

He would not enter into dispute on Satan's ground, turn from His straightforward course of truth to follow Satan's wanderings and twistings and prevarications, or give Satan occasion or semblance of excuse to misrepresent His spirit and distort His conduct. Satan provoked Him and hoped to stir Him to retaliation and sought to misrepresent His actions, but Christ stayed on the straightforward course and referred the matter to God. To rail would be to use the devil's weapons and to place the speaker on the enemy's ground, and Satan would at once seize on it as proof that the speaker has his own railing spirit and proclaim it to his synagogue and evil angels and everyone. Workers for souls must therefore reveal the meekness of Christ when they meet opponents, not meeting them in their own strength, not speaking inadvisedly when provoked to bear hard things, and speaking no words that Satan can take advantage of, while the angel of God stands by to help answer questions asked.

When tempted He met temptation with God's Word, teaching followers to resist the enemy without adopting Satan's methods and to rely on Scripture as their defense. Conflict with the devil as an invisible terrorizing foe is met not by human strength but by calling on the Lord to rebuke Satan. That rebuke must be made in the name of the Lord, with earnest prayer, and this appeal brings victory, deliverance, and peaceful rest from Satan's assault.

Warning Against False Teachers

The verse holds up the right example of restraint in speech against the opposite course of false teachers. Even Michael, while contending and disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, dared not bring a railing or reviling accusation against him but left rebuke and judgment to the Lord. That guarded carefulness stands in contrast to filthy dreamers who defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities and dignitaries. It stands in contrast also to those who speak evil of things they do not know or understand, set against the pollution of the world and the working agencies to corrupt it described in the opening of Jude.

The verse belongs to Jude's message to guard believers against the seductive influences of men with a form of godliness who are not safe leaders. That warning applies in the last days, when such teachers arise and become actively zealous. They present all kinds of theories to divert minds from the very defining truth that marks the position that can be occupied with safety, at a time when Satan works with power upon religionists who make a pretense of righteousness while failing to place themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The verse thus exposes the evil-speaking and apostasy to be met in the present day. Workers must study it in order to meet that apostasy.

Hope and Heavenly Ministry

Jude 1:9 shows Satan claiming the body of Moses as his rightful prey because of Moses's sin, yet Michael the Son of God prevailing in the dispute and bringing Moses out of the grave to life before his body saw decay. Raised and taken to heaven with a resurrected, glorified body, Moses became one of the two heavenly messengers who appeared to Jesus at the transfiguration. Brought from the grave in this way, he witnesses to Christ's victory over sin and death and represents those who will come forth from the dead at the resurrection of the just.

Moses had already been resurrected from the dead and taken to heaven, though the Jews who asked whether John was Moses raised to life did not know it.

The verse opens a scene in the heavenly courts in which angels of the highest rank in the kingdom of God take interest in the affairs of men. Michael is the Archangel Himself, one of the chief princes, who contends with the devil about the body of Moses without bringing a railing accusation. It reveals the active part taken by both good and evil angels in matters connected with earthly kingdoms, with Michael coming to assist Gabriel when satanic forces work to oppose God's purpose. So evil influence was exerted upon the mind of the king of Persia to hold back the answer to Daniel's earnest prayer.

Pattern for Believers Speech

Those who advocate truth must never rail, not even once, bringing no railing or reviling accusation against anyone, not even the devil himself, nor against deceived opposers, overseers, nations, or people without conscience who connive at evil, make false statements, and seek to gain control of sacred property, since to speak so gives the enemy advantage. They are to be fair and pleasant, with no sharpness, taunting, twits, flings, sarcasm, or flinging retorts, praying more and loving others more, and they must not mix self into the work or try to use the Holy Spirit, but let the Holy Spirit use them, so that the Spirit is life and voice in them and the tongue acts as His instrument as the pen of a ready writer without human mixture. Every statement must be carefully considered, strong retaliatory statements repressed, and no advantage given to opposers, with truth put strongly as in Jesus with self hidden in Christ in its beautiful, solemn, dignified, uplifting character, giving perishing souls only enduring impressions and opportunity for the Holy Spirit to mold those turning from error to truth, without stirring retaliation or arousing the dragon-like spirit, guarding every word and controlling every emotion and striving lawfully, because careless, impulsive words spoken in attacking error will be remembered, reproduced, and confronted when witnesses stand before kings and rulers, magistrates and powers.

Even in direct controversy with Satan no word of retaliation and nothing bearing even the appearance of railing is permitted, for Christ in dispute over the body of Moses did not answer with a railing accusation or retaliate though provoked and though Satan sought to misrepresent His actions and stir Him to retaliation. He stayed on His straightforward course of truth and gave Satan no excuse or semblance of excuse to distort His conduct, refusing to be aroused to retaliation and refusing to turn to follow Satan's wanderings and twistings and prevarications. His restraint is the example for all dealings with others, never to bring a railing accusation against any, and much less to use harshness or severity toward those who are anxious to know the right way and sincerely seeking it, but to manifest love and meekness and gentleness and present truth with Christ's love, letting truth itself do the cutting.

Ministers and all who defend God's cause must refuse sarcasm, insult, contempt, personal attack, and retaliation when contending for truth, learning Christ's meekness and lowliness and relying on God rather than meeting opponents in their own strength in a spirit that gives Satan advantage. Even when their claims are true they must act with caution and the spirit of peace, doing nothing through harsh words, denunciation, retaliation, or needless controversy to give adversaries advantage. This sets the limit on response to opposition, that insulting or contemptuous speech has no place in vindicating truth.

Word and pen must be strictly guarded, for even one so high and even the Majesty of heaven guarded every word lest He stir up the spirit of Satan and the fallen angels, and would not speak careless and venturesome words against the prince of darkness. Finite humans therefore must not dare unkind thrusts, sharp personalities, sharp critical sayings, taunts, retorts, scathing rebukes, denunciation, retaliation, defiance, or needless controversy and drives against churches and individuals, which stir up enemies, arouse the powers of hell and the dragon-like spirit against the saints, provoke wrath, bring back suffering in double measure, and hinder reaching all classes. They are to speak the truth in love with careful attention, Christian politeness, courtesy, meekness and lowliness of heart after Christ's methods, with self-examination, weeding out of all discourses everything savoring of retaliation and defiance, not making prominent the objectionable features of faith until people know belief in Christ and His divinity and pre-existence, not pronouncing scathing rebukes against those who know not the truth, and publishing nothing to provoke wrath unless positively essential to vindicate the truth.

Workers for souls must meet people where they are, hidden in Jesus with self hid in Christ, letting truth itself cut and speaking no words that cut with sharp, critical or smart sayings. Railing is using the devil's weapons and placing oneself on the enemy's ground, and Satan would at once seize on it as proof that the speaker has his own railing spirit and proclaim it to his synagogue and evil angels and everyone, while the angel of God stands by to help answer questions asked when workers reveal Christ's meekness, do not meet opponents in their own strength, do not speak inadvisedly when provoked to bear hard things, and speak no words Satan can take advantage of. In humility before dense darkness covering minds like the pall of death, they must acknowledge that human words cannot strip away blindness, weigh every word and bridle the tongue lest words be misunderstood and misrepresented and bring reproach on the work and cause their good to be evil spoken of, and allow the Holy Spirit to use them as His instrument rather than mixing self into the work or trying to use the Spirit.

Aggressive warfare for the faith is to be maintained, yet believers must not put on zeal of their own creating, born of hereditary and cultivated traits of character, and count it true zeal for God, giving Satan advantage. All human qualifications are to be yielded to divine influence and brought into subjection to Christ, with self hid in Christ and Christ in God, avoiding one-sided extravagance, cold-hearted criticism, selfish practice, and ignoring another man's individuality, with truth seen on all sides in perfect harmony. Those whose wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness must do nothing to provoke the powers of darkness and must not single out individuals and attack their false statements, since such words do not advance the truth but are treasured up against them and used by the enemy to hinder the work, and they are to be in the world without being of the world.

Loyalty when the law of God is trampled in the dust and made void by national law must vindicate the sacredness of the commandments by loyalty and obedience rather than by railing against the nations, because railing would close the way to set the light of truth before the people. Every objection against the commandments then becomes an opening to present the value, beauty, and force of truth, and opposition and persecution make many convert to the truth. God sees the malice of those who attack His law and people, so His servants need not take judgment into their own hands. Those in whom Christ abides follow the same rule by not retaliating and not bringing a railing accusation against anyone, not even repeating the false statements they hear, since doleful, discouraging words do no good, and bringing a railing accusation wounds one's own soul deeply and makes one forget the resting place of confidence and peace in Christ.