Know Your Enemy

My heart was pounding....really fast...actually racing!  I was angry at the devil.  To be sincere, I was just flat angry.  ANGRY about everything!  And with all that, I was exhausted!  I felt as if my strength had taken a long vacation.  I had prayed so much that I couldn't find any more words.  I began to cry out, "Lord!  What in the world is going on? ....I feel that there is a wall in front of me that is blocking my forward progression! I need a strategy from heaven!"

 

Ever felt like that?  I'll just bet you've experienced something similar to what I was experiencing. You see, dear one, most of us know that we are fighting a spiritual battle in the spirit realm.  And, yes, we DO have an enemy!  Whether we refer to him as the devil, Satan, the Accuser or the evil one, he is the enemy of God and our own souls.  However, many believers do not understand his strategies and tactics and how he operates.  But, if we want to defeat him, we must know how he works against us.

 

 

Where is the Enemy?

 

Just before Joshua led Israel into battle, Jesus appeared to him and said:

      And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked; and behold there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand:  and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

     And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.  And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

     And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thous standest is holy.  And Joshua did so.

     Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.  (Joshua 5:13-6:1).

     Then, Jesus gave Joshua very explicit instructions concerning how to take the city of Jericho.  Take a few moments and read Joshua 6:2-5.  In that passage you will find directives given to Joshua such as how many  times and how many days to march around the walls that fortified Jericho, how many trumpets the priests were to carry and blow. Every directive had to be followed exactly as God said or else whenever they shouted the wall would not fall!  Yes, the Bible says that when Joshua did exactly as God commanded, the wall of Jericho fell completely flat!  Most of you know this entire story and the great victory which occurred because they were given a divine strategy for warfare. 

Jesus Has Crushed Our Enemies!

 

     God has victory planned for us as well.  Thank God, Jesus is our captain also and He knows exactly how to defeat the enemy on our behalf because He has already crushed the enemy at the cross and resurrection!    Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:19-22 that Jesus overcame death and was raised up and seated "far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named."  That means that whatever name the devil has, each of those names is defeated because of what Jesus accomplished!  Jesus is our mighty warrior who has defeated all of his enemies (and ours as well) and has "..put all things under His feet!"

The Wall that Stands Before You

 

     Joshua understood that the wall of Jericho was merely a key that would unlock the entire city of Jericho.  He understood that the promised victory of taking Jericho was behind that wall....the  wall was the problem!  Dear one, each of us has a wall that attempts to block our promise!  The enemy loves to block our vision with walls.  But we must remember that behind every problem is a promise waiting to be actualized.  We can't allow any problem to hinder us from possessing our promises! 

The enemy would like for you to focus on the magnitude of the wall, but we must remain focused on the promise.

The Mountain That Is In Your Way

 

     Some of you may relate more to a mountain that seems to block your vision and victory.  However, just like He did for Joshua in giving strategy to possess Jericho,  the Lord gives us strategy concerning moving those mountains.  Jesus said to speak to the mountain and it would move.  Why don't we follow instructions sometimes and instead of fretting and worrying about the mountain, simply have the faith that if we speak to it and command it to move, it will! (See Mark 11:23) And then we can move forward once more and possess the promise that lies behind that obstacle! 

Sure, if you know the enemy, you will also understand that he will attempt to cause you to focus on the problem with that mountain being in your path.  But we must remember that the problem is the key to unlock the promise behind it. 

You've Got to Fight!

 

     Believer, we are involved in spiritual warfare.  Warfare means that we must  fight!  When Jesus tells you how to unlock a promise, you will have to remain engaged in spiritual warfare.  Speaking the Word, declaring your prophetic promises, renewing your mind to the truths concerning your promised victory are all strategies to gain victory.  Yes, there will be a struggle whenever you possess a promise.  The children of Israel had to go to war to enter into their Promised Land.  Do not become paralyzed with fear or become discouraged by obstacles that stand in your way.  Instead see every obstacle as a key that will unlock your promise behind it!  If we do this, we will remain encouraged and focused on the promises of God rather that the problem.  Hallelujah- now that's a victorious strategy isn't it?