The Bible makes it clear we are involved in a battle.
2 Corinthians 10 speaks of the divine weapons we have for our warfare.
Ephesians 6 describes the conflict we are in and the armor we have been given for that conflict.
1 Peter 5 makes it clear that we have an adversary that is actively trying to devour us.
With all these warnings, it is important we know our enemy.
He is an imposter. He prowls like a roaring lion, but is not the True Lion of Judah. He appears as an angel of light, but is actually a demon of darkness. He is not all-knowing, all-powerful, or ever-present. He is not God. He is created, subject to the rule of the Creator, fallen from his former glory, and forever doomed.
He is a thief. He wants to rob God of His glory, but he is not indifferent towards his ambition of stealing from us. He desires to rob us of our joy, our testimony, and our fruitfulness for God.
He is an accuser and a liar. He will try and accuse us before the throne of God as well as in our own hearts. However, his accusations are always based in lies. He will always lie, just as he did when he tempted Eve in the Garden and Jesus in the wilderness. He will even twist the words of scripture to lie to us, condemn us, accuse us, and deceive us.
He is relentless in his malevolence. He is continuously waging war against God and God’s people. He is on the prowl: accusing, tempting, intimidating, lying, and scheming. He is real, he does have power. He hates you, and he is always ready to attack.
He is a defeated foe. His time is short. His power is limited. His doom is sure. His judgement is sealed. And, his authority in our lives, as Christians, is non-existent. He is no longer our ruler. And, when we resist him with Christ’s power, he flees.
The more familiar we are with our enemy, the more success we will have in recognizing his attacks and defeating him in battle. The words penned by Martin Luther in the Hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” says it perfectly.
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
Our enemy is an imposter, a thief, an accuser, a liar, and he is relentless in his malevolence. But, the Bible promises, he is our defeated foe, “One little word shall fell him.”
As Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, we are entering a time of introspection and prayer leading to Easter. Let us reflect on the significance of death preceding resurrection, urging readers to embrace a daily practice of surrendering self in preparation for our spiritual transformation.