Enemy: a person who hates another and wishes to injure him; also, one hostile to an idea, cause, etc.; foe. (Webster's New World Dictionary 1968 Edition )
I don't think I had any enemies growing up. I may have had some people that just didn't like me, but none wanted any harm to come to me. Looking at cable news, you would think a large percentage in this country hate each other. By definition, if you hate someone and you want harm to come to him/her, then you are his/her enemy.
I do have one powerful enemy today. I can't see him. I can only see where he has been. He and his angels represent all that is evil. He and his angels were cast out of Heaven. He hates us and accuses us before God day and night. (Revelations 12:10-12)
Why is the Devil (Satan) my enemy?
1. He wants to injure me spiritually. In the beginning God created Adam and Eve, placing them in a paradise called the Garden of Eden. They could eat of every tree in the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they must not eat. If they did eat of it, God said they would surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)
One day Satan was alone with Eve at the tree and posed this question. Has God said, you cannot eat of every tree in the garden? Eve responded saying, they could eat of every tree, but the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, you shall not eat it, lest you die. Satan immediately responded with, You shall not surely die, which is the first and the most damaging lie he has ever deceived man into believing. (Genesis 3:1-7)
Eve dropped her guard of keeping God's only command. She let doubt creep in, slightly opening the door of her heart. With the door barely open, Satan was going to appeal to Eve's pride. He already knew God's thoughts on pride. Pride was the reason God cast him and his angels out of Heaven. (Isaiah 14:12-14) Pride is one of the 7 abominations the Lord hates, listed in Proverbs 6:17.
Notice it is number 1. A proud look. (Some translation have, "a haughty look")
He said in Genesis 3:5, For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. I will be like God. (Pride)
Then Satan used his tools of temptation as he did with Christ in the wilderness. These tools are the same used on us today. They are defined in 1 John 2:15-17 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Eve saw the fruit was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate it. (Genesis 3:6)
Eve's first mistake was to believe another over God's word. She wanted what Satan said to her to be true, because it fit what she was thinking and wanted. Satan used a serpent to deceive and lie to her. He uses man to do the same today, twisting God's word to say what he wants it to say.
We also read this was the first opinion drawing man from God's truth. In her opinion, it was a good looking fruit, very tasty and would make you wise. Evidently she expressed her opinion to Adam. He ate the fruit. A magnitude of consequences immediately followed.
If I know what God's word says, I can defeat Satan with them. Christ resisted his temptations in the wilderness with God's word.
To be continued...
Everything evil comes from Satan and every good and perfect gift comes from God.
This is the first in a series of identifying our enemy, showing how he deceives and tempts us, messing up our lives in this life and possibly eternity.
Please send your comments to rhepler52@gmail.com . Go to www.amazon.com to purchase my books: The Heart Behind the Stone: Develop a Giant Slaying Heart and 123 Tips for My Grandchildren and Yours .
Thank you.
Rick
