Let’s talk more about having enemies on a spiritual level.
Many Symptoms, but One Underlying Cause:
If you had a sickness or disease, you wouldn’t just want to treat the symptoms. You would want to find out the cause and be able to apply a remedy. You would want the root source to be completely eliminated. Too many times (in the Spirit) we settle for band aid treatments that only touch the surface, but do nothing to remove the ultimate problem.
Why do we have enemies? Because there is an enemy of your soul that wishes to steal, kill, and destroy everything good in you. He’ll use people, situations, ideas, or even things that appear good to bring about your demise. Ultimately, it’s not people, things, or even our own flesh that we’re battling against most of the time. Ephesians 6:12 says, “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
1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
The Word also tells us that the devil – our ultimate enemy – is the persecutor of our souls (Psalm 143:3). He is listed as the Father of all Lies (John 8:44). He is a deceiver. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
The Fruits of Righteousness and Unrighteousness:
Just as Jesus is the vine (root) and we are the branches stemming off from Him, the enemy also has roots and branches. He is the opposite and counterfeit to everything God has made. Yet – never make the mistake of viewing them as equal in power! God has never been, nor will He ever be made lesser than the adversary.
The Word tells us that we shall know each other by the kind of fruit we bear (going along with the idea that HE is the vine and we are the branches). E very good vine (and branch) bears good fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, or self control – those who are not engrafted in the vine are destined to bear bad fruit: hate, sadness, depression, unrest, impatience, extortion, evil, no self control, etc.
Acts 13:10 says, “"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
Going back to Acts 13:10 – if you are not a child of God, then you are a child of the devil and everything that is right. Question – should this be so black and white? If you are not a friend of God, does that make you His enemy? If we then want to be a friend of God – should our lives be influenced through close friendships with those who oppose Him? Doesn’t this verse explain a lot about what is happening in the world?
We see this truth in our abstract enemies….
The enemy of being debt free is DEBT.
The enemy of marriage is DIVORCE.
The enemy of success is FAILURE.
The enemy of character is UNRESTRAINT.
The enemy of wisdom is FOOLISHNESS.
The enemy of truth and honesty is LIES.
The enemy of order is REBELLION.
The enemy of the family is REDEFINING MARRIAGE.
The enemy of life is DEATH.
The enemy of peace is HOSTILITY.
The list goes on and on! In many of these things, also remember that the enemy will masquerade around as an image of light. He will make something appear as good or create a false sense of security. For example, today we see a lot of false unity and peace in the world and elsewhere. The Word says, “While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3
It’s important to make this connection - that there is evil in this world and a real adversary of your soul. We also need to realize that we are become desensitized to sin and we’re allowing the enemy to defeat us. Man’s truth and reasoning is replacing God’s truth and Word. We need to get back to realizing that there is an enemy who is actively trying to steal, kill, and destroy and we are his target!
