Don’t Be Ignorant of Your Enemy
ICS Daily Devotions
Ephesians 1:20-21(NKJV) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
When it comes to spiritual warfare, the problem with many Christians is that they are so used to believing what they see in the natural that sometimes they think their enemies are only flesh and blood. As such, they often fail to recognise that some of their life’s challenges are the devil’s work due to their ignorance that the spiritual realm can also influence people—unbelievers, and believers who walk in the flesh—to carry out evil works.
Lucifer wanted to be worshipped like God, and he and one third of the angels fell when God expelled them from heaven. Because he rebelled against God, all forms of rebellion, insubordination and division are the work of the devil, who strives to overrun the world with evil and deceive people into thinking that his evil acts are acts of God. Despite the hierarchy in the spiritual realm, we need to know that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places.
The devil’s work is to steal, kill and destroy the lives of man, including stealing our joy, peace, and the Word that has been sown into our hearts. He will also try to cause us to drift away from God by deceiving us into thinking that God is the source of our trials and tribulation. Therefore, we must have knowledge of the devil’s activities and schemes, lest we fall into his trap.
James 1:13-14 (NKJV) Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
On the other hand, we need to know that some of our troubles are the result of our own breach of the divine law or sowing into the flesh. According to Galatians 6:8, we will reap destruction if we sow into the flesh. Therefore, we must deal with the flesh and bring it into subjection to the Lordship of Christ daily until we leave this earth. We must also renew our minds so that we can overcome sin and temptation through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and have self-control in our lives.
There will be fiery darts that come our way in our personal lives, the lives of our loved ones, our jobs, attacks on our minds and bodies, but once we know that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places, we will be able to stand in a position of victory and authority.
Sermon Series: Believers’ Authority
