WHO IS OUR ENEMY

Who is our enemy? Is it the God hater? Is it the backslider, the atheist, the agnostic, the Jew, the Muslim, the Greek? Who is it? The "Christian" who looks like the world? Who is it and what does God say about them?

ENEMY in the OT Hebrew is oyeb. Refers to both individuals and nations (Genesis 22:17, Exodus 23:4) or enemy of God (Naham 1:2). Tsar means adversary, enemy, foe, a general designation for enemy. Or to twist it around, the Lord may also be the enemy of His sinful people as His judgment comes upon them (Deuteronomy 32:41-43, Lamentations 2:4). The word tsar has several synonyms: hater, persecutor, tyrant, oppressor.

In the NT it is echthros, an adjective, primarily denoting, hated or hateful. In the active sense, hating, hostile. A professing believer who would be a friend of the world thus making himself an enemy of God (James 4:4), men who are opposed to Christ (Matthew 13:25, 28, 22:44, Mark 12:36...etc..), or to his servants (Revelation 11:5). One who is opposed to righteousness (Acts 13:10). One who is unregenerate in their attitude toward God (Romans 5:10, Colossians 1:21)...the list goes on...

Is an enemy of God one who professes Christianity and does not hold to the precepts and doctrine of Jesus? One who professes with their lips that the end days are near but lives and acts like the world? One who says they love God more than anything but their life is lived in direct contradiction to His word? No trust, no faith, no obedience, no holiness, no righteousness. Taking the Word of God out of context to fit their sin and justify it. Trying every worldly thing to solve life's problems before going to God, when God should be sought FIRST in ALL THINGS, even the littlest thing (Matthew 6:33).

So many believers walk around with a cloud over them, a depressed spirit, a spirit of bondage. It is so sad to see. What is that? It is the enemy of our souls wining his battle for theirs. It is the believer not going to God with ALL things. Believers should have joy and love more often than not, despite and because of their circumstances. If believers let worldly circumstances take their joy, then they are not praying, fasting, reading the word and doing the work of the ministry enough. They just are not. i have been around many years and i know our God. The Spirit of God living in me leads me to life, to refreshing by peaceful waters, to strength, to joy, to the very throne room of God, regardless of my circumstances. Am i perfect, not by a long shot, only by the precious shed blood of the Lamb of God am i perfect in Gods eyes as i walk in righteous repentance each moment. Am i never sad, no i get sad, but my God is bigger than my sadness and when i bring it to Him, i am filled with joy. Am i never tested, frustrated, challenged, no these things come and pass as quickly as i offer them to God and He gives me the answer, the peace and the strength to move past it. God is the answer to ALL this worldly life's problems, challenges, and sins. A believer must set the Godly example in all areas of his life for the lost world and professed Christians to see. It is not a competition, it is a life or death race to eternity. We hold our hand out to our enemies in love with the words of Christ, words that have the power of life and death, and they are faced with a choice that will determine where they spend eternity. We offer the enemy the love of God. We offer them reconciliation to God, through the precious shed blood of the Lamb of God who is Jesus Christ, who is God.

i could quote scripture after scripture about what God says about our responsibilities to our homes, families, children, jobs, finances, the church, the lost, the body, each other, and on and on. But if God is not the first priority in a souls life, when one wakes, sleeps, and every waking moment, if God is not living in our lives and our heart is hard, then until the Fear of God (Romans 3:18) brings one to godly sorrow and repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), where God forgives sin (1 John 1:9) and one is born again, a new creature in Him(2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Where one knows that the sin they sin is against a holy and righteous God and him alone, and feels the sorrow of displeasing him, this conviction which leads to godly sorrow, to the moral dread of displeasing God again, to a new life in God, to new thinking, to obedience and freedom from bondage. Until then, they are lost in the world or their own hard heart. The cross changes everything...he left his place on high to come for sinful men to die...see it, believe it, live it.

For me, the professed Christian who pays God lip service but their heart is far from him, these are the greatest distraction because they know, they know what God says and they twist it around and take it out of context to justify the worldly life they lead. To justify the mood, the disobedience, the unholiness and unrighteousness in whatever area of their life they will not give wholly over to God. Sad.

God saved us and sanctified us, set us apart, by the precious shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ for His purpose and His will in this life. Not our will be done, but God's perfect will be done on earth as it is in heaven..amen.

Love and pray for your enemies...but do not be distracted by them. Offer them the saving blood of Jesus, if they reject it shake the dust off and move on....time is short and the urgency of the hour is upon us.

My Saviour loves, my Saviour lives, my Saviour is always there for me..
My God He was, My God He is, My He's always gonna be...amen, amen and amen.

Who is your God and Saviour...?