With so much tension in the world these days, it’s easy to forget who our real enemy is. Remember that Satan is the one who comes to steal our joy and peace, kill our hopes and dreams, and destroy our health, families and future; but Jesus came to give us life to the full, until it overflows (John 10:10). Recognize who subtracts and divides, and who adds and multiplies.
- – The Devil is (d)evil. He always takes something away from us.
+ God is Go(o)d. He always adds something to our lives.
“Be alert and vigilant, because the devil is your adversary and roams around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).
Who is our Adversary? The Devil
… not each other… not everyone else’s fault… not flesh and blood… not different religions… not different skin color… not different genders… not different political views… not different social status… not different countries. The devil is our adversary! He has been using this trick for a very long time so he has a lot of practice. We fall for it hook, line, and sinker every time. He knows, “If a house is divided against itself, it will not stand” (Mark 3:25).
If he can get us preoccupied with fighting each other instead of the real culprit, he can continue his work undetected with success, and let us do his dirty work for him. Just like the Coronavirus moves about freely behind the scenes taking victims at will, the devil shoots his fiery darts at us like a sniper, hidden from sight. Recognize his tactics and do not let them work on you, or the penalty’s on you, like getting a yellow flag in football because you jumped off sides. Tell him, “You lose devil…not today!” When he sees his strategy isn’t working on you any more, he’ll move on.
“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshly), but are mighty through God to pull down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Tell him to stand down! As a Christian, you have authority over him to bind and loose (Luke 10;19, Matthew 16:18-19). Use your keys; use your authority. You are the spiritual policemen on earth. Speak to this mountain/wedge of division, and tell it to be removed. Command this spirit of strife to go. Recognize who your enemy is, so you shoot the right person and not kill your own team (flesh and blood) with friendly fire.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you AND draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:7). It is both at the same time. It is a two-edged sword.
When to Ask and When to Speak?
- Ask for provision – Ask your heavenly Father for provisions, to supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19, Matthew 7:7-11).
- Speak and bind your enemy – On the other hand “Say to the mountain” (Mark 11:23) when the devil is trying to steal what’s rightfully yours, take your territory, or standing in your way. Like practicing self-defense training, don’t just stand there, defend yourself! Like a mama bear defending her cubs, go after him!
Use the Word of God like dynamite, to blast through any mountain. When the enemy comes in, like a flood the Lord will raise up a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19). When you feel bombarded, call and He will answer. God is an ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). If you lack wisdom, just ask! He gives liberally to all who ask (James 1:5). You don’t have to have the answers…He does!
Use Your Spiritual Eyes and Ears
Be discerning. The Bible says to “try the spirits to see if they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Spirits are invisible like ghosts. “So how do you see something that is not there or hear what is not said” you ask? With your spirit eyes and ears! Your spirit man (inner man) hears and sees in the spirit realm and will convey the information to your natural man. Through careful study and experience, you learn God’s ways and character, so you know what “is not” His doing. Just like someone working for the U.S. Mint studies a real $100 so thoroughly, they can easily spot a counterfeit. If we would intently study God’s Word, we would know if something is contrary to it. You know God so well, who He is and what He stands for, how He does things, that you know if something lines up or not. And of course practice makes perfect. The more you run into certain spirits like manipulation, self-pity, lying, pride, witchcraft, etc. you can spot them quicker.
So get busy tearing down strongholds the devil has built in your life and in our communities and nation. The Bible says, “If one can chase 1,000, two can chase 10,000” (Deuteronomy 32:30, Joshua 23:10). “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31)?
Together, we can bring this spirit of division down!