In our daily lives, it’s easy to identify our “enemies.” They are the people we don’t trust, the ones who challenge us, and those who cause us pain. We spend an immense amount of emotional and mental energy focused on these human conflicts. But what if this focus is a misdirection? What if our real battle isn’t with people at all?
The first step in strengthening our spiritual intelligence is to correctly identify the real enemy. The true adversary is a spiritual force of deception. This enemy works through agents—he might use someone to steal your peace, just as he could use you to steal your-neighbor’s.
This is precisely why we are called to a higher standard. Jesus did not only love those who followed Him; He loved His enemies, His traitors, and even those who crucified Him. He died for everyone. In stark contrast, one of the clearest indicators that a person is being controlled by this spiritual enemy is the presence of hatred in their heart.
If the enemy’s identity is deception, his primary strategy is to create counterfeits. This deception is cunning. It can be so subtle that even the righteous need the power of the Holy Spirit to see it. This may be why we see so many churches acting as enemies to one another, despite serving the same God. This animosity is a tragic sign that they have lost their close relationship with God and have unconsciously become facilitators of Satan’s scheme to keep believers in spiritual darkness. Please do not be deceived here, some are hidden, direct agents of Satan, who know their mission is to delude as many as possible according to the plan of their master (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
He has deceived many into believing that God is a distant, uninterested deity. As a result, people may confess a love for God, but their actions reveal no genuine relationship. When confronted with a curse, they respond with a curse. When met with threats, they retaliate with threats. When gossiped about, they gossip in return. What, then, separates them from those who make no claim to faith at all? They are all walking according to the same destructive pattern.
This deception often hides in plain sight, masquerading as culture, tradition, or fashion—using them to increase pride, lust, and idolatry. People become ensnared by this deception when they use cultural excuses to disobey God’s word, when they claim obedience but still visit witchdoctors or fortune tellers, or when they refuse to change a dress-code they know attracts a spirit of prostitution.
The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness provides an insight into three focal areas the enemy targets:
- Provision (tempting Jesus with food)
- Pride (tempting Him to prove His status)
- Material Wealth (offering Him worldly kingdoms)
The fact that so much of our modern world is driven by materialism, pride, and greed shows how much people have fallen from the grace of God, and how massive the burden to save as many as can be redeemed.
So, how do we fight back? We must follow the example of Christ. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, overcame every temptation by using the Word of God. To overcome the delusions of our age, we must also be filled with the Holy Spirit, pray, and study the Word of God daily. This is not a passive defense. It requires us to actively “watch and pray,” not just for ourselves, but for our leaders, our nation, and even our enemies—praying that they too may be converted and find truth.
The Holy Spirit is the power of our Salvation. Without Him, we cannot be saved from our own stubbornness. But for those who have crucified their greed and pride, they will not be shaken. They have built their lives on a foundation the enemy cannot touch, for Christ dwells in them.
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