I have family connected by blood, friends connected by heartstrings, and acquaintances connected by circumstance, but enemies?
Nobody is shooting at me, cursing me, or actively blocking my progress, are they? No, not really.
But God thinks they are.
He keeps telling me that He will defend me from enemies as though He assumes I have them.
What am I missing?
I think it is this: My enemy is not a person.
My enemy is blindness.
My enemies are the people and things I bring close enough to block my vision, to distract me from God.
The Lord said to Moses, "When you cross the Jordan, drive out all the inhabitants before you. Destroy their images and idols and demolish their high places. Take possession of the land, for I have given it to you."--Numbers 33: 50-53
The territory I have to conquer is not only physical, it is the ground I have given to an enemy in heart or action.
What habits do I maintain that come from former times? They are my enemies.
What thought patterns placate or distract me? They are my enemies.
What plans and desires derail God in my life? They are my enemies.
Just as I can't know salvation until I know I am a miserable sinner, God cannot destroy my enemy until I acknowledge its identity. And the enemy often comes from within.
God reminds me that I more often embrace my enemy than engage him.
But when I do choose to stand my ground against an enemy, the fight is God's and I am guaranteed victory.
In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.--Romans 8:37
I would say that your enemy is also Satan--seeking whom he may devour. You are right in saying we must first identify our enemy so that we are rightly prepared to stand our ground!
ReplyDeleteGlad to have you at WIP Wednesday today!
Yes, Satan is the enemy for sure, and oh those times when he whispers to us through our own voice...
DeleteHm, yeah. I just wrote about this sort of thing in today's post. Whatever comes between us and our dear Lord and Savior is acting as our enemy. And that can easily my self. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing, Hugs!!
ReplyDelete"God reminds me that I more often embrace my enemy than engage him." The enemy always works with generalities - which are easier to embrace and believe. The more time we spend with God, the easier it will be for us to stand up against the enemy. Thanks for linking up to the spotLIGHT series!
ReplyDeleteYou are right on target about the generalities. I always beware when I hear empty-sounding words accompanied by a lot of hand-waving.
DeleteThanks for the post. Yes we've got to love our enemies, how else will they know God's love if we don't show them?
ReplyDeleteWow! What a great revelation. Definitely something to think about for me.
ReplyDeleteMrs. P... beautifully written! Could not have said it better myself.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for joining us in Thursdays Favorite Things Blog Hop! With His grace, wishing you peace and many blessings to you and yours... Carla
I agree. It's so easy to have our hearts and attention slide to other needs and intense issues, and to stop focusing on the Lord being first, forever and ever. I often need to readjust my attention. Very wise sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your bloggy friendship and for sharing on the Thursday Favorite Things hop. Hoping you have a great weekend xo
ReplyDelete