Week 45: YOU HAVE AN ENEMY

I was reading this morning a Voice of the Martyrs news article about the wildfire growth of the church in India. I thought about the intense persecution believers face in that country, and in spite of it all, several home churches have thousands of members. The unseen enemy is backlashing, causing destruction and attack upon churches, Christians, and Christian organizations. I have heard the church grows under persecution. But why?

Perhaps the best incubator for growth is realization that there is an enemy!  In our daily lives that enemy might not be so clearly seen. In the United States of America, he prefers to hide and whisper lies that attack our identity as children of the King or subdue and distract us with temporary pleasures. But I say no! 

In our relationships this also is true.  Do you find yourself fighting with those you love the most?  Why is that?  As John and Stasi Eldredge say in their book Love and War, “You have an enemy, and that enemy is not your spouse.”  It can certainly feel like it. So how do you realize the voice of the real enemy?  There is a scene in the Lord of the Rings trilogy where Gandalf, Aragorn, and company appear in the court of King Theoden, who is under a curse of an evil lie whisperer named Wormtongue. The King has been subdued, stripped of his authority by making agreements with the lies whispered in his ear. Once that enchantment is broken, the King can hear clearly again.

May we, Lord, look to You to reveal the activity of the enemy of our daily lives, that we might recognize any agreements we’re making with the liar and cast-off deception that keeps us from operating in our God-given identities. In Jesus’ name, Amen!