Understanding the War Pt 2

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 

When DD and I moved with our children to a different culture, so far away from America…not just in miles, we tried to prepare ourselves for new trials. At that time kidnappings were many and we knew we would face dangers we did not deal with as a Pastor in the USA. However, I soon learned that the enemy thinks differently than we do. I remember when I was attacked in a way I never thought I would be. I was in my back yard cleaning up when I suddenly felt water hitting me. I looked up – no clouds – then I saw in a second story window, my landlord urinating! I had prepared to even die, but not this! No…I did not break out in a chorus of “Showers of Blessing”, but the Spirit of God engaged me to remember my landlord did not know Christ. After a quick shower I went to his house, he was drunk and very ashamed. The way I handled it allowed me to witness to him for another year, the enemy wanted me to respond in the flesh and burn that bridge.

Understanding the war first requires that we know our Purpose.

Second: Know your enemy:

Sadly, we usually go to extremes. Either we ignore his existence and think ignorance will spare us, or we become enamored by him and spend all our time trying to discover something new about him. I find it so ridiculous that there are books 6 inches thick on Satan and demons, when the Scriptures have very few pages dedicated to this topic!

The best way to know your enemy is to study how your sin nature works – that is how he will approach you most often. Know your weak points, this will help you be prepared for his attacks.

Ephes. 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 

The word “schemes” in the original is where we get our word “method”. Satan does not have a “one size fits all” approach. His attacks are custom made for each one of us.

It is important to know our enemy, but not to become infatuated with him!

Revelation 2:24 ‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you.

The So What: How well do you know your weak points? Do you see patterns in the way you are drawn into sin? Do you spend most of your time getting to know Christ? If you know the Real Truth don’t you think identifying a fake will be easier?