Spiritual Warfare, Spiritual Enemy
1 Peter 5:8 warns us that we have an enemy. He is described as “our adversary, the devil” who according to John 10:10 comes to “steal, kill and destroy.”
Sun Tsu, one of the greatest military strategists of all time wrote these words in his book The Art of War: “When we know ourselves and know our enemy, we need not fear a hundred battles.”
Let’s identify what our enemy can and can’t do.
The Powers of the Enemy
What He Can Do
- He can manipulate the truth and sow confusion. He is the father of lies [John 8:44]. He leads people astray by disguising sin to appear attractive or by questioning God’s goodness and authority.
- His tactics are to exploit human weakness. He actively tempts people to disobey God [Matthew 4:1-11]
- He is the accuser of the brethren [Revelation 12:10]. His accusations work to bring guilt, shame and doubt all to hinder our relationship with God.
- He blinds people to the truth of God’s word [2 Corinthians 4:4] Spiritual blindness prevents people from recognizing their need for a Savior.
- He oppresses people [Mark 5:1-20] and can afflict people [Job 2:6-7].
The Limitations of the Enemy
What He Can't Do
- He cannot change his destiny. Jesus’ death and resurrection defeated the power of sin and death. Our enemy’s eternal judgment is described in Revelation 20:10.
- He cannot alter his outcome.
- He can’t be everywhere at once. He is a created being. His reach is not unlimited.
- He cannot know everything.
- He can’t read our thoughts nor foresee the future. He relies on observation and past patterns to influence human behavior.
- He can’t force us to sin [James 1:14]. He can only tempt and deceive. Believers are equipped with the Holy Spirit and can resist the devil through faith [James 4:7].
- He can’t take our salvation [John 10:28]. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their salvation [Ephesians 1:13-14].
- He can’t separate believers from the love of God [Romans 8:38-39].
- He can’t override God’s sovereignty. God is in control [Romans 8:28].
Follow Your Commander
While the devil possesses significant influence, he is not all-powerful, all-knowing or everywhere present. He can cause temporary hardship, but he cannot achieve victory over believers [Matthew 16:18]. Believers are given spiritual armor [Ephesians 6:10-18].
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose spirit lives in us, proved over and over that He is greater than the god of this world [1 John 4:4]. The god of this world is no match for Jesus Christ [John 12:31], therefore he is no match for us who are in Christ.
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