Over the next few posts I am going to focus on 'Knowing our enemy'.
Are you aware of the fact that we are at war? You may have your life worked out, meaning you are well able to handle those things that are under control, your life is reasonably OK and not as broken, or unbalanced or confused like that of some people you know. Does this vaguely describe you? If so, then it may be difficult for you to comprehend that you have an enemy out to destroy you.
You are not unique in this. Eve did not know that she had an enemy; unfortunately, before she knew it everything was stripped away from her. The difficulty of this war we are in is that we are up against an enemy we cannot see. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph.6:12).
And besides the fact that we cannot see our enemy, our enemy is a deceiver. The word 'deceive' is used as often as 48 times in the Bible where we are frequently warned not to allow anyone to deceive us. "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1Pet.5:18).
This enemy that brought about the fall in the garden of Eden is still at work today. "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel" (Gen.3:15). This is the same enemy that came against Jesus in the wilderness. "And the tempter came to him and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread'" (Matt.4:3).
This is the same enemy we are up against today. He does not come to us dressed as the devil with his pitchfork in hand, but like in the case of Adam and Eve, the war is brutal, and the costs are high; our eternal lives are at stake. Brothers and Sisters consider with what the enemy is tempting you today. Is it wisdom, fame, fortune, pleasure, luxurious holidays, career success, beauty, a miracle cure against aging, or science to get life back to what was? The enemy did not warn Eve of the consequences of his tempting words. Eve may have thought of the serpent as just another creature who appears to have knowledge she did not have and so she was lured into disobeying the commandments of the Father. And to this day we are labouring under the curse arising from that error of judgment.
To his surprise, the enemy was not able to succeed against Jesus. Jesus knew his enemy and he knew his Father.
Let us stay alert and watchful. Let us get to know our Father and trust in the protection He offers us and let us seek knowledge and become wise about the enemy and his ways.
My Prayer
Father we understand that we are up against an enemy we cannot see, but who are constantly at work to destroy what we have in You. Thank you that we are safe when we stay in You. Please help us to never underestimate the craftiness of the enemy and to always use the armour You have given us as written in Ephesians 6. We pray in the name of Jesus. Aman.