Who is My Enemy?

Dear reader, 

This letter is for anyone who needs to learn who their enemy is. Which obviously is all of us if we are humble enough to admit it. If you aren’t willing to walk forward with your opinions and perspective in open hands you can proceed. If not, please go find something else that will tickle your ears.

When we think of the word ‘enemy’ what comes to our mind?

Maybe it is your opponent in your line of work or business.

For some of you, your memories of a bully or jerk at school or work came back to you.  

Perhaps it's a friend or a family member who has hurt you in unimaginable ways. 

Some of you probably jumped the gun and thought of people who oppose your views on politics or world views. 

Well, in the most loving way, you’re all wrong. 

In most stories, there is a clear antagonist. A monster or being that is set on the ultimate failure of the hero throughout the length of the story. 

I think we can all agree that our life is a story. And it’s being written as the days go by. 

I have an unpopular opinion though. We aren’t the hero of this story. 

We’re the Ron Weasly, Samwise Gamgee, or even Han Solo. We’re a side character. We exist to walk alongside the actual hero, not to help Him, we actually can’t benefit His life in any way. He has everything we need. We need the hero. 

This hero I believe is Jesus. 

A lot of people claim to be Christians (which actually means ‘little Christs’ it was originally a Roman slur.) Use the person of Jesus to attack any people who they disagree with in life. 

“Jesus would be Republican.”

“Jesus would hate other religions.”

“Jesus would persecute the LGBTQ community with me.”

“Jesus would hold this abortion sign with me.” 

Jesus______. (Fill in the blank with the other ones you’ve heard.)

An accurate description of Jesus should look more like this. 

He was the living, breathing, incarnation of God in flesh. He came to Earth, lived a perfect life, called people out on their wicked lifestyles, and gave them a way out, by dying for the sins of the whole world, He raised from the dead and conquered death. He ultimately modeled the life He called all people to follow, a life that clearly pointed back to His Father, God.  

He is the way.

He is the truth.

He is the life.

He is love. 

He is grace.

This is Jesus. 

Now there is so much there to unpack about who Jesus was, is, and is to come. But most people don’t view Jesus like this. They don’t view Him rightly. 

Now, this is where we need to discuss the actual enemy in the grand narrative of our life.

The deceiver. 

The snake. 

Satan. 

Most of us have heard of him, whether it be via horror movies mentioning him in order to scare us out of our skin or in media depicting him in various ways. Normally with red skin, a pitchfork, and some goat legs. 

A lot of people believe that he is the Lord of Hell and that he reigns supreme, others think that if you’re on his good side he will help you, or if you are a bad person you will go to hell and Satan will torment you for eternity. 

Well. 

There are a few things that must be stated first and foremost. 

I believe that the Bible was written for our good. It is to help us understand different things that God wants us to learn, and it is for our edification (big word meaning our instruction or improvement) and correction. Most of my understanding I have taken from what I believe is truth revealed by God (Not Google or Wikipedia) 

I will use a couple of different scripture that I have found helpful in acknowledging and understanding who our true enemy is in this life. 

Isaiah 14:12-15 lays out our enemy’s origin story. 

The Fall of Lucifer

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,

O 4Lucifer, son of the morning!

How you are cut down to the ground,

You who weakened the nations!

13 For you have said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

pOn the farthest sides of the north;

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,

I will be like the Most High.’

15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,

To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Satan wanted to be like God. 

That was his downfall. 

Satan has clearly not improved since then. God held the Angels to a standard of holiness if they chose to sin (Act out of imperfection) they were cast out of Heaven. 

Now. If you aren’t a church-ed person this may seem like a lot of hellfire and brimstone kind of talk. It may even go above your head a bit. Don’t worry. It still goes over my head when I try to pick it apart. Don’t beat yourself up about it. We’re in this together.

A couple more facts that need to be discussed are as follows.

Satan is not in hell yet. And he is not gonna be in charge when he gets there. 

Revelation 20:10

“And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

This passage is talking about the end times, (End of the Earth.) it’s prophetically talking about how Satan’s end is coming. He knows it. His fate has been sealed by The Maker of Heaven and Earth. And when he gets there he will not enjoy it. 

He is not for you. He wants you to suffer, he wants to deceive you and to have you follow him on the highway to Hell. 

2 Corinthians 4:4

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

1 Peter 5:8

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

John 8:44

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” 

That’s who God calls Satan. 

A liar. 

A murderer. 

A devil.

Satan did not create sin. 

Was he the first one to do it? I don’t know. I really don’t care. From that passage in Isaiah, it seems like angels would sin against God. I don’t think it’s important to argue this fact. 

Is Satan responsible for your sinning?

No. Your choice is your own. Any act that is in clear rebellion towards God is a sin. I can do that 200,000 times in a day if I wanted to. You can as well. He is a tempter and deceiver, and he wants us to sin against God as much as we can. But he cannot force us to sin. Throughout the story of Job in the Bible Satan has to ask God for permission to torment Job, and through it, all God gives Job the strength to make it through to the other side. Satan only has power that he is given, or allowed would be a better term. 

So what now?

Is Satan responsible for everything that we fight about in this life?

Not necessarily, but kinda. 

God has laid out many things in the Bible that He hates.

Murder. 

Rape. 

Adultery. 

Steal.

Lying.

So many things most of which our justice system was based on. To be clear. God does not hate people who do these things. He desperately loves them. He sent his only Son to die in an incredibly gruesome way as the penalty for everyone. Men, women, and children would inevitably do these things in their lifetime.  

We sin. We all do. I’m not saying that this reality is okay, and I won’t say to go continue to live in this way if you can help it. But our response is crucial. 

When Jesus walked the earth He lived in a very specific way. 

He would tell the truth. Tell people what goes against God’s design. And what the penalty is for those who decide to keep on keeping on in that lifestyle. He would love them in every way He could, not encouraging them to continue sinning but showing them the option that leads to life, not death. He did this due to His great love for them. He knew they would fail time and time again, but He kept saying what was true. 

A lot of ‘Christians’ would take what I’ve said here and go off on a rant about why we need to go out and force others to repent from their ways and get them back on track. 

I strongly disagree. 

That is not our role. 

We are to share what Jesus said to us, yes, tell them of a better life to come for those who toss off the weight of their sin. But we are not to turn them around before they burn. That’s not up to us. 

Everyone has a brain. Whether we want to believe that or not. We were all given our own perspectives and motives in this life. That’s intentional. 

I have dear friends that identify as LGBTQ. 

They know what I believe. I love them no differently than I do my close friends.

I hold closely two friends that are practicing Wiccans.

Two of the most caring people I’ve ever met and I enjoy all the memories I have with them, and hopefully more to come. Our different belief systems do not taint our relationship. I actually think it’s stronger because of it. They know I love them, nothing they say or could do would change that. 

I know people that support abortion. 

I think it’s wrong. But I am not going to scold women for doing so. I’m not going to riot abortion clinics and tell them that Jesus doesn’t love them for what they’ve done. 

There are so many different ways to approach the idea of who your enemy is. I am a firm believer that there is only one who wants to see you die a horrible death, and suffer all the way there. Everyone in this world sucks the same. We’re all horrible when you stop and think about it. We all need to show the same love that Jesus did. Whether you believe in His existence or not. He lived a life that put everyone’s needs above His own. We would all benefit from doing that for one another.

The Church gets a lot of this wrong. I’ve experienced it firsthand, and I know many many others have as well. Satan loves to help the church to fight with everyone. He gives everyone ideas on how to treat people badly, he tempts us and lies to us trying to get us to do God’s work while simultaneously flipping our birds toward God with our heart’s motives. 

Our approach needs to shift. Jesus said it best. 

John 13:34-35

“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  

So, please. Take this letter in stride. Remember the hero of this story, know the enemy and his tactics. And if you disagree, I hope you find the truth in this life that your soul is searching for. I have found nothing else fills the hole within me except for the hope that Jesus died for me. 

Sincerely Your Fellow Hopeful Peace Maker,

-Mitchell