Monday, June 15, 2015

The Unseen Enemy (Part 1 of 2)

My aim in this writing is to turn the negative connotation of the above title into a positive, factual declaration of God’s omnipotent power regarding situation solving and intervention.

Try as I may to stay clear of antagonistic people and uncomfortable situations, inevitably they have a way of finding me, because Satan is the unseen enemy; the responsible foe that is seeking whom he may devour in any way he can. 

This nemesis of humanity wants to steal from us the joy, peace, and lasting contentment that are found only in Jesus Christ.  One of Satan’s major obsessions is to bring Christians to the same level of ungodliness as those without Christ in the world. 

Satan also wants to hide the fact from nonbelievers that God forgives sin and His love is everlasting and free to whoever calls on the Lord for forgiveness.  The devil deceives people, because he knows that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I am striving each day to maintain the vertical relationship in right prospective with God so that the horizontal dealings with people remain calm, while sustaining a Christ-like attitude.  When I am successful in doing this, life is less stressful and my comings and goings are blessed of God.

At times it is difficult to turn the other cheek, figuratively speaking, especially when people exude an unkind attitude, impatience, and rudeness.  The old ‘type A’ personality that I so foolishly displayed when I was younger; not serving God, wants to resurface and thunder to the forefront, thus, striking out with greater intensity than the other person may be showing, especially if they are trying to mistreat or speak cruelly to my wife in a vindictive manner.

I have been around the block a few times when dealing with contemptuous people, but I try to keep that old nature under subjection, because God set me free from this behavioral shortcoming when He forgave my sins.  But on occasion, the gruff personality and quick temper from my yesterday’s antics want to rise to the surface and step in front of better judgment to show his ugliness.

At these times I find myself at the level that I was prior to the hour when God released me from this unwanted personality.  At the moment of confrontation I am eye to eye at the same level as the person I’m leering at, which is the level and path that I once traveled before God delivered me from similar displays of anger.

The Holy Spirit is quick to remind me, just before the adrenaline rush begins to surge, that were it not for God’s grace I would still be a miserable person; cantankerous like the world around me or even worse.  I realize that others’ misfortune could be mine if the blessings and kindness that God imparted to me had not happened.  I am just a sinner saved by grace in a world of sinful people.  “There but for the grace of God go I.”

The words printed on my truck’s license plate holder make a profound declaration.  “Christians aren’t perfect just FORGIVEN” 

The unseen enemy is hard at work trying to steal Christian’s peace of mind and show them that they are no better than those that give them a bad time.  But greater is God within us than the unseen enemy in the world that wants to destroy our soul. 

When I listen to the Holy Spirit and restrain myself from my old way of dealing with impudence and the vulgarity of people, God gives me the strength to overcome and endure; without incident.  Notice that I said, “When I listen…”

I believe that when I sincerely try to maintain control of my emotions, God is quick to work in my behalf to fill my mouth with words that are not my own; calming situations that Satan orchestrated.  A kind word controls things from getting out of hand, because God is sovereign and His Word declares it so.

(Proverbs 25:11), “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

By giving God the opportunity to work out a problem, and us submitting our will to His, the end result speaks for itself—godly intervention.  The key to suppressing the unseen enemy is to walk in the Spirit each day so that we are emotionally equipped to yield ourselves to God’s way of handling things.

We need not lower ourselves to the level of the world’s standard of reasoning by displaying a belligerent attitude.  With the help of the Holy Spirit we can rise above the temptation to react negatively.  Giving the other person a piece of our mind or doing something worse is not the answer.

This philosophy for living is certainly easier said than done, but when we do it God’s way, we learn that His way is best, because the results are always positive in nature.  I am weak within myself, but I am an over-comer through Christ who strengthens me.


(1 John 4:4), “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Written by,
Papa Boyd


No comments:

Post a Comment