Know the Enemy

Last week, I was sharing the Word of God with a friend, with the objective to fuel his fire for the habit and discipline to read it more often. I started sharing with him, and the question that resounded was—what is this Word?

When men fall in love, it is entirely (or mostly) because of who the person is, and not what the person does—being & not doing!

Ugandan young adults today are obsessed with the iPhone, not because it’s user friendly (as the majority bear a different brand) but because of the flashiness & classiness aspects it bears. That’s what it is. When you have it, (here where I am speaking from) —’you must be rich’— is the impression everyone gets.

With that postulation, I was better guided in my sharing, to begin with what the Word of God is, and not what He does! (The Word is referred to as a ‘He’, but I’ll use ‘it’ to avoid minor confusion)

People don’t buy brands because of what they can do, but what they are! So what they are, should be the selling point; Why should one go with A as opposed to B.

This made the person fall in love with the Word of God in that they would not need to be dragged to read it, but to find a way of interacting with it on a daily basis! Why? I had sold to Him what it really was! The treasure it is today and how possessing it is as cool as owning the latest iPhone model. I just didn’t justify this by quoting random scriptures. I brought to the table, those that defined the Word. (For example John 1:1-3)

If I say a cloth does not need ironing, you’ll fall in love with it because of that aspect of what it is, and not what clothing does—which is covering your nakedness…

Am I talking at all?

With that discovery, and knowledge, my joy shot through the roof when I got to know the end of every human being’s enemy! Look at this;

Isaiah 14:12 says “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.“

The enemy is like that serpent. He’s fallen—on the ground. Imagine being attacked by a man who moves by his belly. There’s no chance he’s going to beat you, who’s able to jump and be sustained by your legs!

Isaiah 14:16-17 adds, “Everyone there will stare at you and ask, ‘Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?'”

This questioning leads to one conclusion; the peoples must be wondering how too small the devil was to have wrecked so much havoc on earth.

Now transfer that smallness from the end of time, and apply it to your now! The devil is too small & weak to cause you sleepless nights just like he’s being described from the future! His smallness doesn’t show up during judgement. It is so even now as you read this!

Revelation 12:10 says, ‘Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.‘

The devil is an OUTCAST. He is also a DOWNCAST. He’s lower than everything, and you’re above him. It’s then in your power to invite him to sit with you. It’s you to accord him power, but Ephesians 4:7 tells us not to give him PLACE!

Now that you know what the devil is—a downcast, an outcast, powerless, fallen, loser . . . SMALL, this places you far above his intimidation. Just like my friend automatically fell in love with what the Word was, we also automatically rise in victory having seen how inferior the devil is.

When he tries throwing disease at you, remember you’re seated far above for whatever he’ll throw to reach you.

He is not as mighty as he has been portrayed in the witchcraft themed Nigerian movies. He is not as scary as he has been painted in horror movies. That’s his agenda: to paint an entirely different picture of who he actually is. And humans, through the media he has taken over temporarily, have believed the exaggerated pictures he has showed.

Sadly, men have been deluded. They’ll hear rumors saying Jesus is Beelzebub. And they won’t bother to investigate the matter. Then the actual Beelzebub, will label himself the true light. He’s crafty that Lucifer, but we are not ignorant of his devices…

If indeed God’s people perish due to lack of knowledge, then the more knowing will lead to less perishing, until there’s none at all. If the devil is as small, even smaller than a germ, that means if he bites, his gnawing & nibbling will be too microscopic, that you can’t and won’t feel it!

That’s the image I have decided to carry on!

From now on, understand that the amount of access or damage the enemy will have on your life is dependent on what image of him you have. Jesus was without honor in his home town. They saw him as a mere carpenter. He wasn’t seen as Elshaddai. And the result of that, the scripture says … ‘He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:58)’

That’s quite unfortunate for the Nazerites who didn’t have the right vision of Jesus. But, it’s all written for our learning. If that happened to God, then it can happen for the enemy. Having known what will become of the devil, and how small he is, he, neither, won’t be able to do ‘mighty evil works’ in your life, because of your unbelief in how he has tried to portray himself in lies and movies and other avenues!

In a game called chess, there are basic pieces that are moved to help capture the opponent. The objective is to have the opponent’s king checkmated (having an inescapable capture). Among the pieces on the chessboard, there is the King (who moves one square in any direction) the Queen (who moves one square in any direction, so long as that square is not attacked by an enemy piece) the Bishop (who moves diagonally any number of squares) the Knight (who moves in an ‘L’ shape’) the Rook (moves horizontally or vertically any number of squares) the Pawn (which moves vertically forward one square)

Now it is said, kings of yore played chess as a strategy for battle. They imagined all possible moves of the enemy, and when they had assumed every move, yet still won, then they used that game’s movements to carry out battle.

Unlike the normal chess, God has made you a 6-piece in one—a King able to move any direction on His board displacing the enemy’s minions and lies until he is totally surrounded and checkmated. This can only happen when you know the enemy and have mastered his potential, plans, strengths and strategies.

God has just let you know about your enemy! His size—small! His potential and strength—none! His end—losing! You win! You have the victory. Don’t be deceived anymore!

Go on ahead and checkmate the devil!

You know a great deal more about him today than you did yesterday!

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Revelation 15:2 And I saw [something] like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the VICTORY over the beast, over his image and over his mark…standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.