WEEK 1
THE NATURE OF THE ENEMY
One of the foremost rules of warfare is: know your enemy. The more you know about your enemy--how he thinks, what motivates him, his intrinsic nature--the better you are able to devise a means of counteracting his moves and defeating him. To overcome the enemy of our eternal spirit, the devil, the first thing we must know about him is his nature.
Peter decribed the devil as a "roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour"(1 Peter 5:8). Most big game hunter consider the lion the most dangerous of animals. It is extremely powerful and can move very fast and very low (out of sight in tall grassland areas). It has great ability to track its prey, being stealthy in its maneuvers and deceptive in its motives. A lion's awesome roar instills fear that often paralyzes its prey, making conquest all the easier.
Peter accurately identified all of these characteristics with the devil. The devil is powerful, deceptive, secretive, and can act swiftly if given an opportunity to attack. Hi roar against us can cause us to quake in fear. Peter was writing to Christians who were enduring great persecution, and they readily understood this graphic image. The enemies of Christianity in both the Jewish and Roman communities often operated secretly, and while the early Christian knew they had enemies waiting to pounce on them for their faith, the identity of their enemies was often unknown to them.
Peter said that the devil shows no favoritism when he attacks: "The same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (1Peter 5:9). The devil acts like a roaring lion toward believers and unbelievers alike. His behavior doesn't change according to his prey; it is his nature to be like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. A lions actions are consistent, whether its prey is a wildebeest or a young zebra. A lion acts like a lion...always.
The devil is often depicted humorously as a little imp with a pitchfork sitting on a person's shoulder and whispering naughty thing into a person's ear. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The devil is always seeking our destruction. He is forever on the prowl, never satisfied with his most recent kill. It is his nature to destroy, to kill, to maim, to devastate. Jeus said that the devil comes at us with the purpose of stealing anything of material value from us, killing our relationships, and destroying our physical and emotional health and ultimately, our lives (John 10:10).
The devil is a fierce opponent, a deadly enemy. There is nothing funny or humorous about his tactics or his intent, and there certainly is nothing to laugh about if you are his intended victim. We do ourelves a serious disservice if we discount his existence, take him lightly, or believe that we are capable of defeating him in our own strength.
OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ENEMY
Peter called the devil an "adversary" (1 Peter 5:8). An adversary is someone who opposes you. An adversary may oppose what you say or do, or he may be hostile toward you for no other reason than because you exist. A real enemy is someone who doesn't like you simply because you were born. It doesn't matter what you do or don't do--an adversary will take a stand against you. His goal is to defeat you because he wants to defeat you. He takes personal pleasure in doing so.
This means that we don't have to do anything to earn the devil's disapproval and hatred. Certainly, there's nothing we can do to earn the devil's approval! He is opposed even to those who give in to him and serve him. He entices and then kills his victims, often with the very thing he used to entice them. We see this all the time in our world today. People are enticed to use drugs and alcohol, and may of them die from disease, accidents, or overdoses related to drugs and alcohol. Others turn to occult practices, only to become victim of those same practices. Many people are drawn to crave material goods, and then pay a high penalty for stealing or embezzling the material good of another person or a company.
Some people believe that the devil likes particular people and gives them certain powers or charms. The devil has never liked any human being. Every human being is a potential threat to him. The devil likes people about as much as a cat likes a mouse that the cat is temproarily playing with--just prior to eating it. The devil may enjoy sporting with a human being, but that should never be confused with approval or a willingness to share power or give favors.
The devil has disliked you from your birth, solely because you are a creation of God designed with a specific purpose, one that is ultimately for your good and God's glory. The devil doesn't want you to bring glory to God or to live a life that in any way points toward God's love or God's goodness. He is your adversary, and he will never cease to be your adversary.
The Bible has other names for the devil, all of which describe various aspects of his evil nature: Thief (John 10:10); Father of lies (John 8:44); Beezebub, which refers to his being the ruler of the maggots or any agent of decay (Matt. 12:27); Deceiver (Rev. 12:9); Tempter (Matt. 4:3); Satan, which is a term that refers to his bringing continual accusation against those who have faith in God (Matt. 12:26). Not one of these descriptors for the devil is flattering! There is not one ounce of good in him. He is evil to the core.
Questions:
1. What does the Word say to YOU in each of these passages? John 10:10; John 8:44: Rev. 12:9
2. What new insights do you have into the nature of the enemy of your soul?
3. How do you feel about the fact that you have such an enemy?
4. In what ways do you feel challenged to engage in efforts to overcome your enemy?