November - December 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel

Who Is Our Enemy?

by Royce Mitchell, Jr.

From the beginning of recorded history, man's existence has been marked by the presence of enemies, both real and imagined. Even in the Bible, we read that, in the first family, one brother named Cain saw his brother Abel as an enemy and eventually slew him. He is a good example of the potential end result of an adversarial relationship with other people.

But throughout history there have always been instances where the enemies have been real. Even today, part of police training is a course where the enemy must be determined and done so in a split second, since their lives and the lives of bystanders are at risk.

Warriors have always been faced with several key questions when facing an enemy. Primary among them was to determine who the enemy was. In the War of Independence, the enemy was identified by their colors, red coats vs. blue coats. In the Civil War, it was blue vs gray. In second World War, the Germans wore gray uniforms, the British brown and the Americans green. In Judges12:6 we find that the Ephraimites were fighting with the Gileadites. The Gileadites had managed to trap the Ephraimites in the condition where they had to cross the Jordan where the Gileadites controlled it. In that instance, the enemy was defined by whether or not he could pronounce the word "Shibboleth." In the Lilliputian war, the enemy was defined by whether he cracked his egg at the big end or the little end.

But the great leaders have always had to know more than who the enemy was to prevent them gaining an edge over them. Yes, determining the enemy was and is important but they need to know more. They needed to know who the enemy was, as stated, but they also needed to know what the enemy's capabilities were, and how he thought. Besides just being able to identify the enemy, reconnaisance had to be accomplised so that the capabilities of the enemy could be established. To learn how the enemy thought, spies were often employed.

The Bible shows that we have an enemy who is at war with us. We likewise must be aware of who the enemy is and what his capabilities are to prevent his gaining an edge over us! In 2Corinthians 2:10-11 we find, "But to whom ye forgive anything, I (forgive) also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes (have I forgiven it) in the presence of Christ; that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices," (ASV).

So then, we see that we do not want Satan to gain an advantage over us. He must be the enemy! Notice Matthew 13:38-39 where Christ says, "The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels," (KJV). Also notice 1 Peter 5:8, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devilprowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour," (NIV). We have identified the enemy!

What, then, are his capabilities? What weapon does he hold? Hebrews 2:14 tells us, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;"(KJV). The devil has the power of death, indeed a potent weapon! We also find this weapon mentioned in Revelation 9:11,"And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon," (KJV/ The English translation of his name is "Destroyer!" Death and destruction are in his hands!

Next, we need to determine how he thinks, in order to defeat him. How does he think? Galatians 5:19-21 gives us the insight we need! "Now the works of the fleshare manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revel-lings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God," (KJV).

Ephesians 6:12 shows us that our brethren and people still in the world are not our enemies. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," (KJV). Satan is our enemy, flesh and blood is not. God is our Father and Jesus Christ is our elder brother. Who is left?

We have an enemy who has declared war on us; whether or not we wanted a war, we are in one. Satan is the inventor of the sneak attack. It is important that we understand the enemy so that we are not surprised and beaten by him. By recognizing that Satan is our only enemy, that he has some great powers, that he seeks to distract us with our minor differences and that he seeks to put his way of thinking into us, trying to cause us to make enemies of our brethren, we can do our part to prevent his gaining an advantage over us.

TSS

November - December 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel