KNOW YOUR OPPONENT

Have you ever been in a fight? I can’t say I have had the experience myself, but I have seen quite a few in my career as a high school teacher. Some of them have gotten quite vicious. In some of the fights I have witnessed, I have seen one of the opponents go after the other one with such tenacity and anger that it was virtually impossible to pull them apart. Usually at the end of the ordeal, it is obvious that there is one of them in the fight that gets the best of the other. I thought to myself what would happen if in those fights the person that was fighting did not know who their opponent was? What if they just fought everyone that happened to be in the crowd? I am pretty sure that would not prove to be in their best interest.  They have to know their target, their opponent so that they can expend their energy on them and not on those around them, right?

Fighting everyone in the crowd sounds funny doesn’t it? But isn’t that what we do in spiritual battles we tend to lash out at people and circumstances when the real opponent is the enemy, Satan. He is very deceptive.  Yes he uses people, but he is the culprit behind their lies, their attacks, and their God-less acts. We have to recognize first that we are in a fight and then who the real opponent, or enemy is. We read in Ephesians 6:12 “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.” (Amplified Bible)

When we understand who our enemy is, then we can better be prepared for the fight. No, it is not a physical fight, but one that is fought on our knees in prayer. Just like in a physical fight we size up the competition we must do the same, but our approach is using God’s word. It’s in His word that we find out the real truth about our enemy: The enemy, Satan is:

A defeated foe. Hebrews 2:14

The father of all lies. John 8:44

A devourer and a destroyer. 1 Peter 5:8

A deceiver. 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Corinthians11:44

As you try to survive in and through your spiritual battle make sure you are very clear of who your opponent is, Satan. He has you set in his sight to get you off track, to miss God’s best for you. Don’t allow him to do it. Stand firm, no matter what. Fight him with the most powerful weapon you have, prayer. Be encouraged today!