‘And the great monster was cast down, the old Serpent, he who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was cast down to the earth and his angels were cast down with him.'
As a result of the exaltation of the male child as the slain Lamb, the Devil and his angels have no further place in the heavens. Their activities there are no longer to be permitted. They are defeated. And while their presence on earth is not good news for the world, it is good news for Christians (v. 10).
Now we know for certain who this great monster is, it is the Satanas (Satan) - ‘the Adversary', it is Diabolos (the Devil) - ‘the Slanderer', it is the old Serpent who beguiled man into sin (Genesis 3), it is the one who deceived the whole world. As Jesus said, he is the father of lies (John 8:44). But his forcible descent from the heavens means that, when the time is right, he, or one of his angels, will be allowed to receive the key of the Abyss (Revelation 9:1). Meanwhile he will exercise his wrath on the woman and her seed.