Know Your Enemy
Five hundred years before the birth of Christ, an ancient military strategist named Sun Tzu paraphrased a contemporary proverb about the importance of knowing what you are getting into. He said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles… but if you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose in every battle.” Now, Sun Tzu is not necessarily the model of faith or life which we would want to follow, but the wisdom of his saying here has withstood the test of time: “Know your enemy!”
If we are ignorant of our enemy, we are bound to fall into his hands. For the believer, of course, this is terrifying, if and when we realize that our enemy is none other than Satan himself. Now, on one level, Satan causes no fear for the believer—our salvation is secure in our Lord’s hands, and nothing can take us out of His protection (John 10:28; Romans 8:38f). Jesus has come for us, He has died for us, and He has conquered death for us. Though Satan may rage, there is nothing he can do about Christ’s finished work for you. However, he tries! And, it is here, in this earthly life, that knowing the Devil’s schemes will help us live a life of faith and trust in God’s Kingdom.
Knowing, for instance, that the Bible describes Satan’s work as the Tempter, the Deceiver, and the Accuser, prepares us for his attacks. He will tempt us. He will seek to deceive us. He absolutely accuses us. Forewarned, we meet his attacks in the strength of the Spirit, in the armor of God, aware that the Devil’s temptations, his lies, his accusations will not stand before the promises of our Savior.
Knowing, for instance, that only God is all-powerful, only God is all-knowing, only God is all-present, we realize that we face a foe, powerful though he might be; but we face a limited foe that is NOT the equal of our Lord. Satan is vindictive, opposes God’s work, and exercises great power and influence in this world. But, Christ is all-in-all! Christ is victorious, Christ is sovereign—Satan is not.
Knowing, for instance, that Satan’s ultimate enemy is God Himself, that we are merely pawns in his rejection and attacks against the Lord, reminds us that his wrath and ire fall, finally, not on us, but on Jesus. While it may very well feel like we are bearing the brunt of the Devil’s terror; in reality, the burden has already been carried—to the cross.
Knowing this and much more about our enemy prepares us for the daily experiences of temptation. Satan is active in this world—denying this or ignoring it will not help. Knowledge of his work, his attacks, and his purpose in opposing God enables us to faithfully meet those moments when the schemes of the Devil come upon us. And we meet them, not in our own power, but dependent upon the grace of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
As you prepare for worship this week, read Ephesians 6:10-18.
1. Look at the sections immediately preceding these verses. What is Paul’s point? Besides being the last topic in the letter, why else might he have said, “finally”?
2. What does it mean to be “strong in the Lord”? What might
that NOT mean? Where might such a notion be distorted?
3. “The armor of God.” Look at that “of”. What are the
options here in understanding what “of” means?
4. Why does Paul use the phrase “wrestle” to speak of our
battle against Satan? Why do you think he uses that phrase?
5. How does Paul describe Satan and his work in verse 12?
What does each one mean?
6. List out the different pieces of armor Paul mentions
here. What role does each play for the soldier? If I were to tell you that they
are not primarily defensive, but offensive, what would that mean?
7. The “shield of faith” extinguishes “all the flaming darts of the evil one” (vs. 16). What might those “darts” be? How does/might faith extinguish them?
