
Knowing your enemy is key to the spiritual battle we are engaged in, but for many people, including many Christians, the real enemy remains unknown. In our world, we can examine evil individuals from both the past and the present, but Paul reveals in Ephesians who the true enemy behind these people is.
Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. [1] The evil we battle in this world is demons whom our enemy, satan, controls. The devil has strategies against us and knows our weaknesses, seeking to lead us into sin and away from God. Like a hunter setting a trap or a snare, the enemy does the same to us.
Who are demons? They are fallen angels who joined satan’s rebellion against God and are the enemy of every believer. The terms ‘rulers,’ ‘authorities,’ ‘cosmic powers,’ and ‘spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places’ describe these enemies’ characteristics and their realm of activity. Although these beings are powerful, the good news is that God limits their power.
Gaining Perspective in the Battle
With an understanding of who our enemy is, we can prepare for the battle we are engaged in. In Ephesians 6:11, Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God because the enemy does not sit idle but continually attacks us to weaken our walk with the Lord. In essence, our armor is directly tied to our relationship with God. The enemy can easily conquer a starving soldier on the battlefield. Similarly, as believers, if we don’t feed our relationship with God through His word, worship, and prayer, we become spiritually weakened.
Our enemy is not fictitious but is a powerful being. The Ephesians practiced magic and witchcraft and were aware of the power of the kingdom of darkness. Acts 19:19 A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars.[2] Because our enemy is spiritual in nature, we must fight this battle in the spiritual realm. Although our enemy is powerful, he is no match for God, and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross defeated sin, death, and the devil.
Moving Forward in the Battle
As believers in Jesus, we are enemies of satan and his minions. Although we are assured of victory, we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns. In many ways, this pushes us to depend more on God and on our relationship with Him. We then begin to see our lives in the bigger picture of what God is accomplishing in and through us.
The enemy will try to convince us that we are alone and that God won’t help us in our time of need, but that is just a lie. The Lord is aware of the spiritual battle you are in and draws us into His word, prayer, and worship to strengthen us. In addition, the spiritual trials we go through refine us, which is another victory for God, not the enemy!
To learn more about knowing your enemy, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/02battle-11-01-26
[1-2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.








