You Have an Enemy
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. — John 10:10 (ESV)
In the passage above, Jesus is speaking with the Jews and Pharisees, who did not believe He was the Son of God or that He had healed the blind man. In response, Jesus declares that He is the way, and that all others who came before Him were thieves and robbers. He goes on to explain that the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.
We must understand that when someone seeks to kill and destroy us, it is because of hatred—there is no goodness in their heart. Satan is that enemy. He is out to take your life and will use whatever means necessary to do so. In Greek, the word "hate" means to pursue with hatred; to detest. Satan is strategic, and he is after you.
In the natural, when we know someone is out to harm us, we take extreme measures to protect ourselves. We might contact law enforcement, file a report, or even hire private security to keep our families safe. How much more important is it to protect our spiritual lives, which are eternal? Yeshua tells us that we have an enemy who has been active for generations. If Satan cannot take your life, he will try to make it as difficult and miserable as possible.
But we are not defenseless. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we have power and authority. Scripture urges us: "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:13–18). These are the spiritual tools we must actively use to stay protected. Obedience to His commands is essential. If law enforcement or security experts gave us specific instructions for our safety, we would follow them without hesitation. How much more should we obey Yeshua—who created Satan and sees every scheme of the enemy before it is even formed?
Yeshua is omnipresent and omniscient. He has given us clear instructions for our protection: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11, ESV). To combat the enemy, we must put on the armor of God daily.
Key Takeaways:
Satan has a plan to take you down.
God has a divine plan to keep you safe.
Follow God's plan and live the abundant life.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11
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