For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
[Ephesians 6:12]
Identifying the “real enemy” is easier said than done! We, in the flesh, can easily pick up insult, offense, and even hurt toward the other person; however, he/she is NOT the real enemy.
You see, the living word of God (The Bible) is very clear as it relates to this; our struggle is not against flesh and blood (a person) but rather against the evil one. Plain and simple!
As we know, the enemy is a liar, an accuser! He has come to steal, kill, and destroy – your relationships and community with others are not an exception to this. His wish is to destroy relationships in your life, rob you of community, and kill your joy. As you read this, I wish to encourage you to ask God to increase your Spiritual Awareness so that you can identify the REAL ENEMY…satan. Your spouse, your child, your boss, your neighbor, the people at the church, and even those who have caused deep wounds in your life are not the real enemy. Before we go any further, I’d like to take a moment to validate your pain/hurt – your feelings matter! There are people who have done things to cause deeper wounds than one can begin to understand, and if you happen to be on the receiving end – I am so sorry. There are things we have gone through that may not make sense, and we may even question “where was God when that thing happened in my life;” however, I pray that you seek supernatural healing that can only come from God so that you may be SET FREE…because as mentioned above, the thief (satan) wishes to STEAL your joy by holding you hostage to your own pain, by keeping you a slave to the wounds that may have now given birth to bitterness and anger in your life. Jesus died on the cross so that we can be set free of it all, we are no longer slaves; let's live in freedom!
Another important thing we forget to do when we are focused on the offense we picked up when someone hurt us, is: to look within our own heart!
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24
We must be open to the idea that there may be some things hidden within our own hearts that need to be dealt with, we must be humble enough to give God room to examine and search for those hidden things. Let’s ask God to intervene should there be something within our hearts that needs to be corrected, healed, changed, or transformed – he is the only one who has the power to change things, with just one touch!
There is something powerful that happens when our eyes are fixed on the real enemy, we are no longer vulnerable and open to being struck – so let us put on the full armor of God and reposition our focus. Spiritual warfare is real, we must seek the covering of God. How do we seek God's covering? We walk in obedience, we make our Father proud, and we recognize that in our strength we cannot do anything – absolutely nothing – God gets the glory, he gets the credit, he gets the praise, and he gets the honor!
Let’s not be fooled, let’s not fall into the lies that this world has taught us to believe in….to confuse pride with strength. We live in a world where “cancel culture” has taken over, and we are quick to cut people off. Where is the grace? Where is the mercy? Where is the love? Being strong and knowing our worth in God is one thing; however, being prideful and unforgiving is not okay. There is a fine line, let’s be cautious and not cross over, let’s be Christ Like!
Do you want to forgive the person who hurt you? Do you want to save the relationship? Do you want to hold on to the blessings? Do you wish to partner with God for your healing? I applaud you…do it! (If you are married, sure, the other person should be in alignment with you in your journey to save the relationship; however, God can perform miracles and make a way when there seems to be no way – but there is much more to this, let's save it for another blog on restoring marriages)
Today, the focus is to fix your eyes on the truth – your enemy is not he/she who is standing in front of you. You are not your own enemy either! (Let’s break up with the phrase “I am my worst enemy”) Why should we break up with it? Simple, because God has called us to love ourselves – how can we love ourselves if we are our own enemy? The power of your words matters – speak life over yourself, your situation, and your loved ones!
I challenge you to do the unthinkable…. pray over the person that you view as your enemy…watch the healing begin to happen!
I think it’s time to walk towards a life of freedom because you deserve it, my friend, you are worthy of receiving all things great! I pray that you begin to experience an urge to forgive right now, that new lenses of grace are bestowed upon you, and that your heart begins to soften for anyone who has hurt you.
I will leave you with this: forgiveness does not mean you aren’t to guard your heart – God wishes for you to guard your heart. Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean allowing someone back in your life who God has removed, be wise…. forgiveness simply means freedom!
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