Thursday, April 16, 2015

KNOW THE ENEMY

Recently I heard a man on the radio talking about military type of strategies, one of which he listed as perhaps the most important: He defined this plan of action as "knowing your enemy." Personally I have never served in the military, but I can grasp the concept of how important it is for military personnel to be fully equipped with knowledge of how the enemy performs and what their tactics are. I began to think about this and, for me, it calls to mind the many references in scripture regarding the strength, protection and power of God's word. Obviously, Satan stands as our adversary, the enemy, the destroyer. Jesus referred to him as "the prince of this world" (John 14:30). That is a shocking thought on one hand, and yet we do see it that way more and more. My greatest concern in this is that so many people in this world do not, by any means, "know the enemy."

"The mind is the battlefield" a pastor once said to our congregation some years ago. Satan tries to influence our thinking at times with unrelenting efforts if we do not respond with a strong defensive effort of our own. We need to know scripture, because as described in the Book of Ephesians, God's word is ". . . the sword of the Spirit." In that same verse we are told to wear "the helmet of salvation." God will protect, dear one, we are in His care. I just worry that we place ourselves at a disadvantage when we allow too much of the world into our lives. It always seems to coincide with reading less scripture and praying less, if at all.

For those of the world who do not know the saving power of Christ, it would be very hard for them, if not impossible, to know the enemy. And so, they may think they are doing okay or their lives are literally being torn to shreds. In both cases they are souls who are suffering, both from a lack of understanding, because the world so often resists understanding and would rather embrace a lie. They suffer because they embrace the lie and the deception continues to corrupt. They suffer because they do not know the enemy.

Beloved, God would not have any of us suffer! The cross itself is there to remind us of what Jesus took on for all of us.

"The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10, American King James Version).