OUR SPIRITUAL ENEMY!
1 Peter 5:8-11
INTRODUCTION: We are involved in an invisible spiritual war. Ephesians 6:10-12: We live at the intersection of the invisible and the visible. Our spiritual enemy seeks to blind us all to the truth of the spiritual war that is going on all around us today.
- IDENTIFYING OUR ENEMY!
1 Peter 5:8-9. We not only have an enemy, but our enemy has a spiritual army against us. Our spiritual enemy hates us because he hates the God that loves us. He hates us because of whose we are. What should be our attitude toward our enemy and his spiritual army: We are “to be alert and of sober mind.” Our world loves to joke about the devil and his army. Our Lord Jesus gave His disciple this warning: Matthew 26:41. You have a spiritual enemy and it is no joke. You need to be armed for spiritual battle. Our enemy is not playing tag; he is out to destroy us.
2. IDNTIFYING OUR ENEMY!
You need to see Satan as your spiritual enemy who seeks to destroy you: 1 Peter 5:8. That someone who Satan seeks to devour is you and your family! Lions prowl around because they are seeking after easy prey. Satan watches for the right time when we are alone, tired, or travelling, or late at night when everyone else has gone to bed. He is watching for our times of vulnerability: that is when he strikes. Satan roars when he has his enemy in his sights. Satan wants you to fear him and think he is all powerful. He wants to destroy your marriage and your life.
3. OUR ASSIGNMENT IN OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE!
We must remember we are soldiers of Christ in our spiritual battle. We have been given an assignment from our heavenly General. When we were saved we were drafted into the army of God and ordered to fight God’s spiritual enemies. Satan wants to fill our hearts with fear, that is why he roars like a lion. God wants us to overcome the roar of the lion through our faith. 2 Timothy 1:7. So what is our assignment: 1 Peter 5:9. Not only are we to recognize our enemy and understand who he is, but we are called to resist our enemy by standing firm in our faith. Remember, if God has given us a command, God will also give us what we need to obey the command: Ephesians 6:10-13. Unless we stand we cannot withstand. Our weapons are the Word of God and prayer: Ephesians 6:17-18; 1 Peter 5:9. We are not alone in this battle with Satan. Satan wants you to believe you are the only one that is tempted the way you are to surrender to your fleshly desires and sin against your God. Remember, Satan is a liar. God says that every believer is going through the same test as you are going. We don’t need to live in defeat. God has given us the answer of how to overcome our enemy, the devil: James 4:7. We do respect Satan’s power to tempt us to fear him but we do not need to fear him. Only our God is omnipotent. Satan has limited power given to him by our Lord. Satan is present but not omnipresent as our Lord is. Satan knows much more than us but only our God is omniscient. We should know our enemy but even more important for us is to know our God! Our God has promised to make us more than conquerors, but not in our own strength: Romans 8:37-39.