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Notes For Revelation 12:7
a [war in heaven] This war in heaven will be the last actual struggle between Satan and God over the possession of the heavenlies where Satan reigns (Eph. 2:2; 6:12). Satan still has access to God's heaven to accuse the brethren, but from the time of this casting out he will never again enter heaven (Job 1:6; 2:1; Rev. 12:7-12; Zech. 3:1).
Five facts about the war in heaven:
1. The fact: there will be a war (Rev. 12:7).
2. The time: in the middle of Daniel's 70th week (Rev. 12:6-14; 13:1-5)
3. The place: in the heavenlies (Rev. 12:7; Eph. 2:2; 6:12)
4. The combatants (Rev. 12:7)
5. The result (Rev. 12:8-12)
The war predicted here could not be the same as the one in heaven (Isa. 14:12-14; Lk. 10:18). That was in the dateless past before the six days' work of Gen. 1:3 -- Gen. 2:25. This war is yet future, for all events of Rev. 4:1 -- Rev. 22:5 must be after the churches (Rev. 4:1, note). The only truth we find here in connection with the original war in heaven is that revealing how many angels originally fell with Lucifer (Rev. 12:4).
b [Michael and his angels fought against the dragon] Dan. 10:13,21; 12:1; Jude 1:9.
c [fought and his angels] Angels fight by physical contact in the same way that people do. They are capable of operation in the material and earthly realm. After all, heaven and other planets are of material substance like the earth. Angels have done and can do all things that men can do, plus some things people cannot do before becoming resurrected, immortalized, and being given glorified bodies like Christ who can appear and disappear, going through material substance (note, Jn. 21:14). Angels are capable of being captured and confined by chains and prisons like people (Dan. 10:13-21; 2Pet. 2:4; Jude 1:6-7; Rev. 9:11,14; 20:1-10). Here one army of angels is going to defeat and cast down another army of angels to the earth and confine them there (Rev. 12:7-12). All fallen ones will be confined to hell forever (Mt. 24: 41; Rev. 20:10).
Dake's Annotated Reference Bible.