Know Your Enemy

Most men will agree that life is a struggle, a grind, a fight.

But we have different opinions about who we’re fighting. 

As Christian men let’s be on the same page and know our enemies.

First, there is the enemy in me.  Don’t forget we were born enemies of God. But by grace through faith in Jesus Christ we became new creations in a new relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Now we are sons of God.

BUT we need to renew our thinking from the negative to the positive.  We need to relearn and be retrained in our beliefs and our lifestyle.  How do we do this?

We have to learn submission.  The evidence of a warrior spirit is the ability to adapt to God’s ways.  That means submitting to a training process that will also hold us accountable to following Jesus.   

What does this look like?  It may mean investing in software like Covenant Eyes.  It may mean living with other Christians to stay focused on long-term goals.  Maybe it means retaking a marriage or premarital course to have a happy home.  Perhaps it will involve using direct deposit to give tithes and to be sure we are saving.  

It definitely means being part of a healthy well-balanced Christian brotherhood with men who are committed to their spiritual growth; and committed to seeing you grow.  We couldn’t save ourselves from hell without Christ Jesus and we won’t continue to grow without learning submission.

Second, we are in a fallen world system full of counterfeit gods and counterfeit promises.  To talk about a fallen world system is not to speak in favor of one governmental system or economic system over another.  It means that, “Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.”

How do we deal with this system?  I’ll say only this for now: By being men of integrity, walking with humility and by growing in generosity. 

Finally, remember that we wrestle with spiritual forces.  As my Pastor says, it doesn’t make sense to believe in Jesus but not to believe in what he believed in.  Jesus Christ dealt with demons.  So will we. There are two extremes among Christians; we either become obsessed with Satan or we ignore him entirely.  Both extremes play right into the devil’s hands.

So what do we do?  Remember that victory over the demonic is linked to submission to God.  And submission to God is evidenced in reorganizing our lifestyle.  There is no way around it.  The doorway for demonic attacks is our rebellious nature.

Yes we have authority in the Name of Jesus over spiritual snakes but we need to become men of private worship to God.  Practice and familiarize yourself with the spiritual disciplines but especially worship.  This way you develop familiarity with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  When we are in step with the Holy Spirit He can guide us and expose demonic traps.

Where are you right now in the good fight of faith?'

Are you still learning to submit to God?  What area of your life can’t you “control”?

In what way are you grinding against the social order?  On the job?  In your community?

How are you becoming familiar with the presence of God?

Please post your thoughts below.

Your brother,

Minister Onorio