True Enemy

Our daughter had gotten into trouble for something—though the exact reason escapes me now. What I do remember is her dramatic outburst after being punished. She looked up at me and shouted, “I hate you!” In her eyes, I was the enemy for taking away her TV time. It’s a classic reaction of blaming the person enforcing limits. I chuckled and said, “Oh honey, you’ll get over it. I’m actually your best friend.” Though she didn’t see the humor, my intent was to show her that I wasn’t the enemy—the rules were there for a reason. It was a small lesson in recognizing who’s truly on your side.

Understanding your real enemy is crucial, especially in spiritual warfare. David, while fleeing from King Saul, exemplifies this. Despite being relentlessly hunted, David never saw Saul as his enemy. Even when he had the chance to kill Saul, he refused, saying, “I will not lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” David understood that Saul was not his true adversary.

In 1 Samuel 27, David’s situation becomes intriguing. Hiding in Ziklag, a Philistine town, he befriends Achish, the king of Gath—the very Philistines he had once fought against. When Achish invites David to join him in battle against Saul, David agrees, but the other Philistine rulers distrust him and send him back to Ziklag. Returning, David finds his town in ruins and his families captured by the Amalekites. His men, devastated, turn against him.

In this crisis, David doesn’t succumb to despair. Instead, he seeks God’s guidance. God tells him to pursue the Amalekites, promising recovery of all that was lost. David follows this direction, and his faith is rewarded with victory. Saul meets his end in battle, clearing the way for David to become king. David’s real battle was against spiritual forces, not flesh and blood.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” David understood this and fought accordingly.

In the garden, as the guards came to arrest Jesus (Luke 22:50-51), He knew His true enemy wasn’t the men before Him. Peter, seeing only the immediate threat, struck one of the guards. But Jesus, recognizing the larger spiritual battle, told Peter to put his sword away and healed the man’s ear. Jesus understood that the real adversary was the spiritual realm, not the flesh and blood before Him.

Similarly, in Acts 6 and 7, Stephen faced an angry mob ready to stone him. Instead of responding with anger, Stephen prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” He saw beyond their actions to the spiritual forces at work and chose compassion and forgiveness, reflecting the heart of Christ. Before antibiotics, bacterial infections were often fatal. Medical professionals struggled to combat infections effectively because they didn’t always identify the true enemy. The breakthrough came in 1928 when Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, a mold that killed bacteria. This revolutionized medicine by targeting the real cause of infections rather than just treating symptoms.

Jesus assured us in Luke 10:19 that we have authority over the enemy. James 4:7 encourages us to resist the devil, who will flee from us. We are empowered to confront spiritual forces with divine authority. David Livingstone’s life is a testament to this. His missions in Africa, fraught with peril and illness, were driven by unwavering faith and a sense of divine purpose. Even amid dire challenges, Livingstone’s resilience highlights the importance of recognizing and confronting the real adversary.

As believers, affirm your authority in Christ daily. Address the spirit of fear with 2 Timothy 1:7, the spirit of discouragement with Psalm 42:11, and the spirit of sickness with Isaiah 53:5. Remind these forces of Christ’s authority as Philippians 2:10-11 states, and rest in the confidence of Romans 8:37 and Exodus 14:14. Stand firm, knowing that with Christ, you are equipped to overcome any challenge and defeat the true enemy.