The Enemy

If you’ve ever attended a church service, you’ve no doubt heard the preacher or someone else in the service refer to “the Enemy.” This enemy is blamed for the misery in the world, the strife in people’s lives, and all manner of negativity that affects us all. Who is this enemy though? People are usually referring to the Devil when they speak of the Enemy. He is well known in and out of Christianity as the avatar of evil, the world’s Big Bad. He is the enemy of all that is good and the cause for our struggles in the world. He’s supposedly held that role since humanity’s beginning. After all, he was the one that led Adam and Eve astray and introduced sin to the world.

Is Satan really “the Enemy” though? He is the adversary of humanity for sure, but is he the one to blame for all the troubles in the world past and present? Well, what does the Bible say? Satan was active throughout the it. His role in man’s initial fall was already mentioned. He tormented Job. He tried to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). He caused Judas to betray Jesus (John 13:26-31). He and his cohorts led the world to ruin culminating in the Revelation. He certainly does make the case for himself as an enemy. The problem is that when we look at his actions, his power is much more limited than many acknowledge. He didn’t force Adam and Eve to eat the fruit. It was their choice. He did make Job’s life miserable, but he could only do so with God’s permission. He tried to tempt Jesus but failed. He set Judas on the path to betrayal, but ultimately Judas followed through with it. He takes the world to the brink of destruction in Revelation, but he does so at a time when most of the people in the world had already rejected Jesus.

The truth is that the Devil does his best to ruin us, but ultimately he can’t do anything without help. It’s true that sometimes God is the one who allows the Devil to attack us, just like what happened with Job. However, we know that if God allows the Devil access to us, He won’t let the Devil bring any challenge our way that we can’t handle.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. - 1 Corinthian 10:13

It’s certainly possible that each of us will find ourselves in a position where we are the Devil’s target, but he is not our most troublesome enemy. Humanity’s own sinful nature is its greatest enemy. Sure, the Devil’s actions led to sinning by some of the people he encountered in the Bible. However, there were more examples of people falling short all on their own. Samson told Delilah his secret against God’s wishes on his own. David committed adultery and betrayal without any mention of the Devil. 

When the Devil does lead someone down the wrong path, ultimately, it's their choice whether to walk it or now.  The Bible even has an interesting story about another couple, Ananias and Sapphria.

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” - Acts 5:1-4

Because the Bible is inspired by God, we can assert that Peter’s statement was made based on insight given to him by the Holy Spirit, but even in that case we know that in the end, attempting to lie to God and His people was something that Ananias chose to do. As much as he may have been influenced by Satan, he also fell victim to his own greed or lack of faith. Sapphira knew what he did was wrong, but she chose to side with her husband rather than stand up for God. Their bad acts had deadly consequences. Their story like Adam and Eve’s shows that the Devil alone does not bring ruin to our lives. We always have a part that we play in our downfalls.

Luckily, the Bible makes things easy for us. Who our enemy is really doesn’t matter. Whether our enemy is the Devil or ourselves, the solution to overcoming the enemy is the same.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. - Ephesians 6:6-13

It may be beneficial to take a look at our lives to determine what is truly responsible for us straying from the righteous path. If we put too much time focusing on the wrong enemy, it's possible that we can miss the true threat to our lives and connection to God. However when it’s all said and done, regardless of the source of problems, God is the answer to overcoming them. God is greater than the Devil and he is greater than our own sinful impulses. If we learn to make God our greatest friend, then no enemy can stand against us.

Chris Lawyer and Everett Pope

Image courtesy of livescience.com