Surrounded

Three Enemies

   God’s plan is for His children to live the victorious life of an overcomer.  Why do we so often experience the opposite?  In order to be protected from an enemy you must know who the enemy is.  It’s time to expose the enemies of our soul.  There are three.  I will list them in the order of their importance.

   The Flesh

   This refers to our sinful nature (or fallen human nature) inherited from our father, Adam.  Romans 8:8, teaches that anyone controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.  Your flesh will open a door for the enemy if it is allowed to control or make your decisions.  When you become a believer, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you to give you another option.  You become a new creation, also known as being ‘born-again’.  Once a sinner, now you are a child of the Most High God.  Because of the power of the blood of Jesus, you were not only washed clean from sin but the blood keeps on cleansing you day after day, changing you into His likeness.  You continue to have choices.  You can be led by the Spirit or you can be led by your flesh.  The flesh is at war against the Spirit.

   This can be one of the most confusing issues for young Christians.  I remember reading Watchman Nee’s, “Normal Christian Life”, and crying out to God for help.  My flesh was so alive!  I could not live for God the way I wanted to.  The war between flesh and Spirit was raging.  The enemy continually pointed his long finger of condemnation, exposing every wrong move I made, ‘causing me to even doubt my salvation.  I lived under a dark cloud in constant fear, cling to the few Scriptures I could remember:  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”; “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

   One night I had a dream.  In this dream I was hanging on a cross in an old unkept garden between two other crosses.  I struggled in my bed, literally feeling the pain as I slept.  I looked down toward the old iron-gate entrance to the garden.  Jesus was standing just outside looking toward me.  He lifted His hand motioning for me to come down from the cross and live with Him.

   Paul wrote to the Galatian believers, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  (Gal.5:24,25)

   Salvation is a continual transformation.  Our goal is to be like Jesus.  The key to defeating the enemy of flesh is to focus on Jesus and choose to be like Him.  The Holy Spirit is there to make this possible.  There is victory in Jesus.  He is the Victorious Overcomer and you are in Him if you have believed.  That makes you a victorious overcomer.