Solutions for overcoming the enemies most of us face every day
By Dean Collins
They are not your worst or biggest enemy. Whatever your political party, social cause, or personal opponent, you might think you know the enemy’s name, but you may be battling against the wrong foe.
As followers of Jesus, we know that ultimately our adversary is the devil. Peter warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 that our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. We often forget and assume that it’s the Russians, the Democrats, the Republicans, the media, the culture, and on and on. Of course, the enemy of God will disguise himself well and seduce us into fighting each other so that we don’t realize what he is stirring up.
Both Peter and Paul give us clear instructions for dealing with the enemy. We humble ourselves before God, we put on the whole armor of God and stand firm, and we pray as God exerts his dominion over all things.
Reading a few verses in Psalm 119 got me thinking about one of your enemies. He is one of mine as well. I see mine every day, and so do you. I don’t know who first said it, but I think they might be right: We are often our own worst enemy. I think you might agree that our own fears, our negative thoughts, and our tendency to think we can do it ourselves often work against us. The psalmist has a solution that will help us overcome all enemies including the enemy of self. “Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,” he said to God, “for it is ever with me.”
The source of victory
Over and over in Psalm 119 we see that taking in God’s Word, meditating on it, and following it will change our thinking, guide our behavior, order our steps, and bring victory over fear and over our enemies.
When we first focus on God and on the truth of his Word we will avoid so many pitfalls. Yet time and time again we say a quick prayer and head out to face our challenges without critical spiritual preparation and formation. The counsel of God must come first. We cannot successfully fight any enemy, including the enemy of self, unless we are rooted in the wisdom of God.
Then we must be careful to seek counsel from men and women who are walking with the Lord. Otherwise, we will fall back on the methods of men over the wisdom of God.
Sorting out the enemies
The deceptive nature of the enemy is to get us focused on people and groups we see either as our enemies or our solutions. God’s Word will allow us to see clearly and therefore act with wisdom in our dealings with others. A pretty good indicator of whether the others we follow are following God is whether their actions and words are motivated by or filled with anger and hostility or whether we see the mercy and grace of God in the ways they interact with others.
Some will want to explain God’s wisdom away as being too simplistic or idealistic. And if all we do is read a little Scripture and say a quick prayer believing that life will be different and that enemies will fall, then we are naive. Paul reminds us in Philippians 3 that many walk as enemies of the cross. “Their end is destruction,” he promises. “Their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. “
If we seek wisdom from others whose minds are set on things and systems of the world, then we will end up with solutions that crumble under pressure. But when we remember that our citizenship is in Heaven, then we must seek the wisdom of Heaven to guide us through the little and the big things we face in life. As we surrender fully to the lordship of Jesus and the wisdom that comes from his Word, then we are transformed by the power that raised Jesus from the dead and will stand victorious now and forever.
Take in God’s Word, which is sweeter than honey according to the psalmist. Savor it and let it guide you today. His Word will make you wiser than any enemy you will face today, including the one who looks back at us in the mirror.
Photo by Tiago Bandeira at unsplash.com
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