Know Your Enemy

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

The word sober means, "to be well-balanced, calm, and collected." To think straight at all times is the idea. The term watchful has the meaning "to be cautious at all times." The word adversary speaks of an opponent, an enemy.

It is important to keep in mind that the devil has power to trick us. He is able to change himself into an angel of light. He has the ability to appear to be what he is not. Coming as an angel of light, he delights to deceive us and lead us astray.

The devil works against God and man in many different ways:

• Blinds to truth (2 Cor 4:4)

• Deceives his followers (2 Cor 11:13--15)

• Hinders and discourages (I Th 2:18)

• Promotes pride and hypocrisy (I Tim 3:6).

• Tempts (I Th 3:5)

• Encourages inconsistency (I Tim 3:7)

• Delights in gossip, envy, and lust (Jam 3:4)

Satan's two greatest goals are to blind the sinner lest he be saved and to cause the Christian to stumble so his service for the Lord will be ineffective. The devil travels constantly throughout the earth (Job 1:7).In his journeys throughout the earth, the devil is "seeking whom he may devour." Seeking means to search out in order to find. The devil does not give up easily.

The word devour means to swallow down, to destroy. One should never take the devil lightheartedly or joke about him. The devil is engaged in an all-out battle to deceive as many souls as possible.

These startling facts about the devil's activity should shock us into being more alert to Satan's work of blinding and corrupting.

Know our enemy by knowing his origin. He is a creature of God, a beautiful angel with great power and dignity. Since his original creation, Satan sinned against God and fell from his lofty position. His fall came about because he wanted to be like God. He desired God's throne. Satan, a beautiful angel, through sin, became the devil. (Col 1:16; Is 14:12-17)

Know your enemy. Be aware that he will be punished by the Lord. Judged at the Cross, the devil is now a defeated foe, awaiting the day of sentence. He will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

(Gen 3:15; John 12:31; and Rev. 20:10)

There is triumph over Satan through the finished work of Christ at Calvary. As believers, we gain victory when we put on the whole armor of God, when we submit ourselves to Him and when we resist Satan through the name of Jesus Christ.