IDENTIFYING THE ENEMY

Ephesians 6:10—13
In this lesson, we go behind the scenes to reveal the identity of the Christian's arch-enemy. 
                                                                                    

OUTLINE
It has been well said that, for the Christian, "Your brother is not the enemy; the enemy is the enemy." Too often, we attack and set up defenses against fellow human beings. Instead, we need to identify and learn to recognize Satan, the Christian's true enemy.
I. Our Enemy
A. Satan's Personality
B. Satan's Position
C. Satan's Power
D. Satan's Purposes
E. Satan's Strategies
II. Our Challenge 

                                                                                     

OVERVIEW
The devil's cleverest ruse is to make believe that he does not exist. That's why there are so many ridiculous pictures of him dressed in horns and a red suit, sporting a tail and an evil grin. If he is a comic figure, there is apparently little harm he can do.
His disguises are also clever. He hides in religion, art, intellectualism, education, philosophy, and psychology. He has been called the original jet-setter, always at work in the latest cause. The Lord once asked him, "From where do you come?" Satan replied, "From going to and fro on the earth" (Job 2:2). Roaming the earth, looking for ways to turn people from God, that is the true picture of Satan. He is real, and he is the enemy. 

                                                                                    

OUR ENEMY
Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that the Christian is in a war against Satan. He uses the word "against" five times in describing the battle. We are against Satan, and he is against us—strong words for a culture that has adopted a passivist attitude about the Christian life. In recent years many denominations decided to remove all of the militant hymns from their hymnbooks. "Onward Christian Soldiers" has been dropped in a desire to remove the idea that there is a fight being waged. For them, Christianity is about peace and love, and they want to do away with the concept of spiritual warfare.

Yet it is unhealthy to believe there is no conflict in the Christian life because the world is full of conflict. One scholar has translated 6:13 this way: "For our contest is not with human foes alone, but with rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark world. That is, the spirit forces of evil challenging us in the heavenly contest." You see, Satan is our enemy, and we are his enemy. That is why Paul's instruction to the Ephesians in verse 10 is "Finally, my brethren, be strong." This isn't just a war for the apostles or the pastors, but for all the brethren. Every one of us is involved in the battle, and it goes on every day in your life, my life, and the world.

The battle lines are drawn up. God and His people are on one side, Satan and his demons on the other. Scripture identifies the enemy as "the devil" (in verse 11) and "the wicked one" (verse 16). And no one goes to war without learning all he can about the one he expects to fight. Countries spend millions of dollars on intelligence agencies to keep the government informed on the character and activities of their enemies. One of the principles of war is that you "know your enemy," so let's take a look at the one
against whom we fight.

Satan's Personality
Satan is the most bitter enemy of God and His people. Even his names tell you of his personality. He is called in Scripture "the deceiver" (Revelation 12:9, NRS), "a murderer" (John 8:44), "the tempter" (Matthew 4:3), "the destroyer" which means destruction (Revelation 9:11, NRS), "the liar" (John: 8:44) "the accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10), and "the evil one" (I John 5:19, NIV). He is depicted as a roaring lion, searching the world for those he can devour, yet he attempts to portray himself as an "angel of light" (II Corinthians 11:14). From generation to generation he continues his attack. He is the arch traitor against God.

Originally he was different. Strange as it may seem, he was originally God's cherished creation. In Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 you can read about the earlier days of Satan. He was called Lucifer, "The son of the morning," "the shining one," and "the day star." Ezekiel 28 reveals he was "the anointed cherub;" perfect in beauty and in all of his ways full of wisdom; gifted with marvelous intelligence and glorious in holiness.

So, what happened? How did Lucifer cease to be the son of the morning and become Satan, arch-enemy of God? Ezekiel 28 reveals that Lucifer lifted up his heart with pride, which led to self-exaltation and rebellion against God. Isaiah 14:12-13 says, "How you are fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning! .. . For you have said in your heart, 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of the congregation... I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High."' When those words came out of his mouth, sin began in the universe, and he was cast out of his position. Cast down as a profane one from the mountain of God, he was brought down into hell, taking many angels with him.

I don't pretend to understand all of the theological implications of that, but clearly God allowed His angels a choice, and they worship before His throne to this day because they choose to do so. But Satan, in his own heart, chose to lift himself up in pride, bringing about his own downfall. Ever since he was cast out of his original position, he has organized rebellion against God. He is angry, scheming, and spiteful, and he has put in place a system to wage war with God. His personality is one of pride and hatred toward God and everything that is good and holy.

Satan's Position
The Bible gives Satan three names that reveal his position. First, it calls him a prince. He is "the prince of this world" (John 12:31, KJV) and "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). As such he is the ruler of evil men and evil spirits. He is the one behind all the evil in the world today.

Second, the Bible calls him a ruler in charge of his own kingdom. He is the power behind our world system. When you see intrigue, aggression, brutality, ambition, greed, and a lust for power, you are seeing the results of the personal system of Satan.

The third name given Satan in Scripture is god—he is the god of this age (II Corinthians 4:4). As an imposter and imitator he wants to set himself up like the true God, so he has instituted his own religion. That's why the writers of the New Testament refer to the synagogue of Satan (Revelation 2:9), his ministers (II Corinthians 11), and his gospel (Galatians 1). He even has his own communion table and cup (I Corinthians 10:20-21). He is the god of this age, presiding over his own religion.

Satan's Power
He is the second most powerful person in the universe, subject only to God. It is good for Christians to remember and respect this enemy, for he has the power to destroy. The Bible says that men are held captive by that power until delivered by the power of the Savior. He is associated with the power of darkness, the power of the air, and the power of death. He is defined as both a roaring lion and a great dragon, and is described as diabolical, deceptive, destructive, rebellious, and filled with hate. He has his own armor, strongholds, and strongman, and is a very powerful enemy.

Satan's Purposes
Having been cast out of his original position, the devil is filled with fury and envy. His anger is directed against God and His people. His aim is to defeat God by throwing people into hell. Satan wants all people destroyed and in hell, so he travels the earth as a roaring lion bent on destroying people. He has a well
organized army fighting for him, and they set up outposts in the hearts of all people to keep them in bondage to sin.

One of the reasons so many prominent Christians have fallen into sin in recent years is because they have underestimated the enemy and have not done battle with that outpost of sin in their lives. Satan uses the area of sin as a beachhead from which he can expand into more territory until he has destroyed the believer's life, which is his purpose. Christian, you are in a life and death battle!

Satan's Strategies
Have you ever noticed the number of verbs associated with Satan? He beguiles, seduces, opposes, resists, deceives, hinders, buffets, tempts, and persecutes believers. Look at some of the strategies he uses to try to destroy our lives.

The great deceiver, Satan, tries to copy everything God has. He has a counterfeit church and someday will offer a counterfeit savior called the Anti-Christ. He is always trying to deceive people into believing a lie. John 8:44 says that "there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources." Satan is the father of all lies. Lying is his native tongue. His first ploy was to deceive Eve, and he is at work today through false teachers and false prophets who misquote Scripture, teach corruption, and mix just enough truth with falsehood to seem trustworthy and believable. He deceives people into believing he doesn't exist, convinces them that good can come from evil, and even misleads people into believing their sin "isn't really that bad."

Satan is the great divider. His first act after falling from grace was to divide the angels. He divided the first family so that brother killed brother. He has worked to divide churches and denominations by sowing suspicion, intolerance, criticism, and dislike among Christians. One of his chief strategies is to divide and conquer.

Satan is the great destroyer. Scripture calls Satan "Apollyon" (Revelation 9:11), which means "the destroyer." He wants to destroy your life through adversity, getting in the way and blocking the moves that God wants to make in your life. He does that by discouragement, by dissipating your time and energy, and by a frontal assault on your weak areas to lead you to sin. Satan wants to disrupt your walk with God, ruin your testimony, and destroy your life.

Look at Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God." You can't fight Satan in the flesh because that leads to so much defeat and discouragement. You get this idea that "I just need to try harder," and you wind up being defeated. People who lived generations before us understood the spiritual battle, and they recognized the role of God's power.

That's why those militant hymns were originally written! That's why Martin Luther could write,
A Mighty Fortress is our God!
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He.
Lord Sabbaoth His name, from age to age the same, and He must win the battle."

You cannot fight the fight in your own strength, but praise God; He has given us the armor that provides for our defense, and the sword that we use in offense.

As hymn writer George Duffield put it:
Stand Up for Jesus!
Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Stand in His strength alone.
The arm of flesh will fail you,
You dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor
And watching unto prayer,
Where duty calls, or danger,
Be never wanting there.




Lesson Two from Spiritual Warfare by Dr. David Jeremiah