FTW: Know Your Enemy

For the Win 1

Know Your Enemy

By Daniel Carandang

Let's face it.

Most of us love watching superhero movies. Doesn't matter if it's Marvel or DC. Those guys in capes and those girls in sleek body suits are amongst the best of entertainment offered. 

Recently, the third installment of Iron Man was released and as expected, people rushed to watch. There's this undeniable surge of excitement whenever we watch Tony Stark dashing to his lab and donning his amazing red suit, becoming our iron hero in an instant. We love watching him win the battle against the villains. 

Sometimes, we can't help but think: 'Gee, it really must be awesome to be Iron Man. Facing battles and winning them!'

But you see, you and I are actually part of a battle. It may not be like the ones Stark faces (involving terrorists, weird robotic dudes, mind-controlling, etc.). In fact, it's much more than that. We are part of a spiritual battle between the forces of good and evil. Our mentor and guide on the good side is none other than our Heavenly Father, aided by His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Pitching for the opposite side however, is none other than the Prince of Darkness: SATAN. 

In every battle, it's vital for us to know our enemy. Have you ever seen any of the superheroes such as Batman or Iron Man not at least gather any information about the guys they're up against?

One thing we need to know about Satan, he is not the red, ugly-faced guy holding a pitchfork and sporting a sharp tail. In the beginning, Lucifer (as he is also known) was the best of God's angels. He was good-looking and favored, possessed the best of qualities. His name meant 'the morning star.' However, he wasn't contented with what he had. He wanted more...he wanted to be God.

But God did not allow Him. He was banished along with the other angels who followed him. 

It's vital that we know about our enemy so that we can defend ourselves! How can you rush into a battle when you do not know what you are facing?

Satan is a formidable enemy and he shouldn't be taken lightly. HE IS REAL. He should not be made fun of or else, we might suffer the worst of consequences.

Here's what we need to know about him:

1. He blinds unbelievers

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.^[a] He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

Ephesians 2:1-2

Satan is the leader of those who are disobedient. It's easy for Him to catch those who do not believe in God because they don't need as much persuading as Christians do. They are easily persuaded by this world and they need not refuse its whispers. They may not notice it but those who do not accept God and His ways, they follow the Prince of this World.

We have friends who are unknowingly being lead away from the Light by Satan. They are easily blinded by his lies. Knowing this, we should protect our friends who are still unaware of the truth and living to the ways of this world. We should enlighten them with the Word and keep them away from the reach of our enemy.

2. He lies and deceives

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44

Satan is the father of all lies.

Have you ever felt like you are nothing? That you're worthless? That when you've done something wrong, you have no chance to make it right forever?

THEY ARE LIES.

Satan whispers them in your ear so that you would be discouraged. When you are, you have the highest chance of drifting away from God because you believe the lie. He uses lies against us to make us believe that we are nothing in the eyes of our Lord, that we have no chance, that everything is hopeless. He wants us to feel weak and to depend on ourselves, to pull ourselves away from God. 

Don't let him get in your head. He has this uncanny ability to make us believe in what he says. He feeds on our disappointments and discouragements. Keep in mind that God is truth and Satan is all lies. 

These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 11:13-14

We are warned of Satan's false nature. Let's not kid ourselves! Stand firm in the truth by saturating yourself in the Word of God. The Bible is filled with truths from God. It's our defense from all the lies Satan is throwing at us. If we know better, then we do better. Don't allow the enemy to think of you as ignorant. Fight back with God's word.

3. He lives to destroy

Like all superhero villains (such as Loki, the Sandman, Penguin and all those other bad guys), Satan lives to destroy us all. Every plan he conceives is for our destruction because we are the Children of his number one enemy: God. So you can bet your life that he will never want what's best for you. 

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

The word 'prowls' is in indicative form. As written above, it means that you can be sure that he will never stop until he gets you. He and his minions are always on the lookout for souls that they can capture. That's why we should always be on guard. The enemy is always watching us. 

You can be sure that he's there, just waiting for you to stumble or fall.

Knowing all these traits, we should always be on guard. However, it's understandable if we feel vulnerable or unsafe. Satan is everywhere. But that doesn't mean that he can win easily. 

How can we defend ourselves?

Tony Stark has his trusted Iron Man suit to run to when things get tough.

We too have our own.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we^[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:10-13

The Armor of God is our best defense against Satan. The breastplate of righteousness. The shoes of the gospel. All the pieces making up the armor are our chances of winning the battle against the enemy. If we do not have the armor, refuse to wear it, we will find ourselves being beaten up by our weaknesses: more procrastination, seeking of vengeance, lying and all that. 

With the Armor, you are defended against Satan's ultimate weapon: LIES. The Bible holds the truth and is a part of God's armor for us. 

In this world, the enemy is everywhere. He is watching us from afar, whispering into our ears, hoping that we would fall in his trap. Don't take him lightly cause he means serious business and it's up to us if we're going to consider this as monkey business or genuine spiritual warfare. Now that we know him, it's up to us to decide on our next move. Are we going to allow him to trick us and be dubbed as weak? Or are we going to strap on the Armor of God and fight?

Get ready.

It's time to suit up.

Written by: Ashley Petallano (c) 2013