The Real Enemy

Amazingly some Christians do not believe in the existence of evil or the fallen angel, Lucifer, i.e., Satan. Most Christians don't struggle in accepting the existence of Biblical characters like: Adam and Eve; Saul and David; the prophets; Paul, Peter, and the other apostles. We believe in Bible stories including: Creation, Noah's ark and the flood, Jericho, Passover, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, why do we struggle with the concept of evil, fallen angels, and the Devil. Perhaps, it's because such concentrated evil is inconceivable.

There are several names which describe this evil being:

• Satan
• Devil
• Prince of the power of the air
• Ruler of this world
• A disguised angel of light
• The evil one
• The serpent

There are several adjectives which describe him:

• Deceiver
• Seducer
• Liar
• Father of all lies
• Accuser of the brethren
• Enticer

Perhaps we choose not to believe in his existence because we give him too much power in our minds. Perhaps we forget that, "He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world."

Regardless, it is imperative for us to wake up to the schemes of the Evil one. His greatest tactics are: (1) to trick Christians into believing that God is not good; or (2) at the very least, that's God's goodness ebbs and flows depending on His erratic dispositions and our individual performances and short-comings; and (3) that evil does not exist, nor does Satan, himself, exist. All of these are lies!!!!

One of my favorite Murphy-isms is, "God is good, always good, and can never be anything but good." Another one is, "Either God is perfectly good, or He doesn't exist."

It is imperative that we settle who our spiritual enemy is.

How Do You See Him?

Some people see Him as their heavenly Father. He is the One who allowed His Son to leave heaven and dwell among men. He is the One who benevolently devised the plan of salvation. He allowed Jesus Christ to become the Lamb of God in order to take away the sins of the world. God is the beginning and the end; the Alpha and the Omega. He is good; always good; and can never be anything but good. He loves us perfectly and is Himself perfect love. He longs to bring us back into a right relationship with Himself. (Photo by MToerner; July, 2009)

Some people see Him very differently. To them, He is a distant, impotent deity who doesn’t care about the details of their lives. If He did care, wouldn’t He change their circumstances? Wouldn’t He intervene to relieve their pain? Since He does not intervene, these folks assume that He lives way out in space somewhere. He is neither real nor relevant; neither powerful nor present. These folks believe God to be more harsh than loving; more stern than personal.

How do you see God?

Having a personal experience with God reveals Him to be multifaceted, holy, forgiving, gracious, merciful, and righteous. He is the perfect Father. He is a most desirable Father; the kind of Father we all long for. He is real and relevant; powerful and present. He is always close at hand. He is our ABBA (which means “daddy” in Aramaic.) He promises to never leave nor forsake us. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

How have you experienced Him?

He wants us to see Him and know Him personally and authentically. He is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful. He is right here, right now. He is worthy of our worship, praise, love, and service. He is worthy of our awe, respect, obedience, reverence, and more.

How do you see God?

Is He the, “Man upstairs” to you? Is He a spiritual policeman waiting to hit you with His billet club; or is He a spiritual vending machine in the sky? Is He a stern-faced, mean-spirited Being who scares you into compliance? I hope not.

To get an accurate picture of Him, read through the Psalms and write down the various descriptions of Him. Read the Gospels and observe Jesus. He is the visible expression of the invisible God. Therefore, we can know what the Father is like by observing the behavior of the Son. Observe how Jesus treated His friends and His foes. How did He interact with those caught-up in sin? Did His teaching bring freedom or religious slavery?

How do you see Him?