Recognize Your Enemy

1 PETER 5:8-9

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.

The devil is your enemy. His forces are the ones causing you trouble. (And their main target is your faith.)

God is not your enemy! God is for you. He is on your side.

People are not your enemies. They sometimes act like enemies -- but they are not. They are only relatives in darkness who are believing lies and being influenced by the devil.

EPHESIANS 6:11-12 NLT 11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Although Jesus completely defeated the devil and gave us authority over him, the devil is still free to tell his lies and try to deceive people. The devil is a liar and a deceiver (John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 11:14, Revelation 12:9). He robs people by getting them to believe lies. He attacks with thoughts of doubt and fear.

We must resist those thoughts and refuse to speak them. Be aware also that the devil may even try to misuse Scripture to deceive you (Matthew 4:5-7). So we cannot take Scripture out of context and try to make it say something which it does not really say, and which does not reflect God's nature.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4 NLT 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We are involved in a fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), so we may have to struggle to hold on to faith in God's Word (Hebrews 4:14, 10:23), and not give in to fear and doubt. We receive God's provision by faith so we must believe what God says. We must not allow the devil to rob us through doubt and unbelief.

Dear Jesus, I will not believe the lies of my enemy, the devil. Amen.

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