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Peace over your enemy
“Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and He shall save thee”
(Proverbs 20:22 KJV)
There is something important that we all should know and understand about an enemy. Our main enemy is Satan, and we can’t see him and his demons. Their work is manifested through individuals like you and me. And a lot of times we fight ourselves to death against our fellow human beings. Sadly the result is mostly a disaster. We hurt them and they hurt us. And in many cases it leads to death. And what happens to those souls? If they have Christ while alive, then they are in heaven, if they have not accepted Christ and have no personal relationship while alive, then their souls are bound for hell. And this is a very sad fact.
In my experiences dealing with people, there were many occasions when my life was not only mistreated but also was in danger. Some people would wish you harm and even death. I humbly dealt with those situations trusting God for solution and safety, instead of facing it on my own and making a big fight. I knew then that I could not win those battles on my own, because I knew who my real enemies were. I had to pray and trust God to turn the situation around and deliver me from evil.
When mistreated, we must not take vengeance into our own hands. Rather, we must take our suffering to the Lord and entrust ourselves to our faithful God. He will in His own time avenge the injustices experienced by the righteous who cry out to Him day and night. So to have peace over your enemy let me give you this encouragement from the Word of God.
People are not your real enemy
So again it is important to understand that even though the real enemy works in their forces behind human beings, we are not to avenge on our own. We are to put our trust in God to deliver us. Just like King David, who was pursued by Saul and all his enemies cried out to God for help. In the Book of 2 Samuel 22:2-4 KJV- “And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer. The God of my rock; in Him will I trust: He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior; thou safest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”
I remember on one occasion when my life was in danger that I hid myself in the shadow of God’s power and care. I kept reading the Book of Psalm 91. It was such a great comfort for me. And while I was being comforted by the Word of God, He was at the same time working the details of getting rid of my enemies. I was just simply trusting God and in constant prayer for help. God in His own timing avenge not only my life being threatened but also the death of someone else.
Friends, the battle belongs to God. We are not meant to fight on our own and alone.
Learn to trust God completely and you will be safe
God promises to be with us and He will fight for us if we just acknowledge His power and presence in our lives. God is real, and His power has no limit. As we realize who our enemies really are, we must consider fighting not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual principalities.
The Book of Ephesians 6:10-18 KJV tells us how we should prepare ourselves for spiritual battle. It says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
Jesus already won the battle
When Jesus went through all the suffering and was hanged on the cross, died and rose again, He had won the battle for us. It was not just for the sake of showing God’s power, but to mainly conquer the battle that otherwise you and I have to carry alone. Because of what He did on the cross, we don’t have to carry our burdens alone and fight alone. He is alongside us, helping us every step of the way if you have put your faith and trust in Him. He willingly went through all the suffering so He can show us how much God loves us.
Jesus encouraged His disciples in the Book of John 16:33 KJV- “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jesus wants us to know that, through Him we can be victorious, we just need to put our faith and trust in Him.
Friends, I want to encourage you also, that it is only because of my faith and trust in the Lord Jesus that I am still here sharing my stories. My victories were due to the amazing love and grace of Jesus in my life. What He did on the cross I hold dearly in my heart. If you can just understand that His love for us is so strong that He was willing to take the insults, the beatings, the crown of thorns on His head, and the nails on His hands and feet, literally bled to death. Yet, He did not stay in the grave, He arose and now is preparing a place for us in heaven.
Indeed, Christ Jesus is worthy to be praised. He is our light, and our salvation, we should not be afraid. When the enemy comes to attack us this is what we should do in the Book of James 4:7 KJV- “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This means that we don’t fight the enemy the way he wants us to fight, but to surrender, to submit to God’s ultimate power which already conquered the schemes of our enemies.
Remember, we don’t fight against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces. Therefore we need God to fight for us, and we just need to put our faith and trust in Him. “The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). When believers earnestly pray, they can be assured that God will protect them from Satan. God will strengthen them to face any temptation that may assail them and will protect them from the powerful forces of the demonic.
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 KJV). Absolutely nothing and no one can fight against God and win because God is powerful than anything and anyone in the whole universe. And if you have God fighting for you then you are already a winner and your enemy is already defeated by the work of Christ on the cross. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4 KJV).
Our warfare is against spiritual forces of evil. Therefore, worldly weapons such as aggression, violence, political solutions, human ingenuity, talents, wealth, organizational skills, eloquence, propaganda, charisma and personality are in themselves inadequate to pull down Satan’s strongholds. The only weapons adequate to destroy the fortress of Satan, unrighteousness and false teaching are those God gives such as the blood of Jesus, the authority of Jesus’ name, the power of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
These weapons are powerful because they are spiritual from God. Elsewhere Paul lists more of these weapons-commitment to truth, righteous living, gospel proclamation, faith, love, hope of salvation, the Word of God, and persevering prayer. By using these weapons against the enemy, the church or the people of God will emerge victorious.
God’s presence and kingdom will be powerfully revealed in order to save sinners, drive out demons, sanctify believers, baptize in the Holy Spirit and heal the sick. The people of God today are often tempted to meet the world’s challenge through the world’s weapons, in other words, through humanistic wisdom, philosophy, psychology, exciting attractions, entertainment based church performances, etc. These often serve as a substitute for the basic New Testament practices of intense prayer, uncompromising commitment to God’s Word, and proclamation of the gospel in power.
Worldly weapons cannot bring about the Kingdom of God, for such weapons cannot possibly destroy sin’s strongholds, deliver us from Satan’s power or overthrow the evil passions running rampant in the world today.
If we use the world’s weapons we will only secularize the church and separate it from the power of the Spirit of God. Tragically, the church or the people of God itself will then be overshadowed by the power of darkness and its families thrown down and taken captives by the world’s forces.
