Know Thy Enemy

Two recent conversations brought to the surface an issue of Christian living which I believe is overlooked far too often. In one of those conversations a fellow believer indicated that she “wasn’t even sure if she believed in Satan.” In the other discussion, we were split on how much power the evil one has on our lives. Do we sin independently or are we lead, or even caused, to sin by the Devil. Interesting questions and observations. If one reads the text of the New Testament, there are clear mentions of the “evil one” to be found by both Jesus and the writers of the Epistles. He is an active force in our world, especially our spiritual world, and to deny his presence or existence is tantamount to a concession of defeat. There clearly are good and evil, darkness and light, contending powers at work all around us. And I propose that virtually everything we do serves either God or Satan, that every step we take carries us towards one of those opposing moral forces. There is a Devil, a Satan, an Evil One, a Deceiver. Call him what you want, but he’s out there and he has an impact on both your life and your future. Success in spiritual life mean success in a spiritual battle and taking the ostrich approach to Satan is the first step towards defeat. In fact, it is one of his most cherished weapons. In her recent testimony before the 9-11 commission, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said that we weren't expecting the attack because we “weren't on a war footing,” even though our enemies were clearly already at war with us. So it is with spiritual war. If we know our enemy, we have taken the first step in warding off his attacks. Know your enemy.

A few bonus quotes today:
“Know Your Enemy” Sun Tzu, from The Art of War

“It’s getting so very easy now,
since no one believes in me anymore” Keith Green

Know Thy Enemy
There is a battle raging
In the depths of each of us
A battle for our hearts and minds
For our actions and our trust
And every thought, yea every step
We take along the way
Can be one step nearer heaven
Or a slide the other way
If we are to be successful
And proceed effectively
It’s not enough to strive for God
We must also know our enemy
Some folks deny there is a devil
Or a battle on at all
Having lost sight of the evil one
Of sin and of the fall
Yet we can only be victorious
Over what we understand
For we cannot hope to parry blows
From an unacknowledged hand
We are engaged in battle
Every hour of every day
And it’s raging all about us
No matter what folks think or say
To deny the power of Satan
Just because we cannot see
Will have disastrous results
Much like denying gravity
And the fiercest weapon Satan wields
Isn't poison, sword or fire
But the myth that he does not exist
For he is the prince of liars
         By Frank Carpenter ©