“You cannot win a battle you don’t know you’re fighting.” This idea is a core part of the reason Penny and I wanted to start Live Life in the Spirit. We know so many people personally, and see so many things in this world, that show there is a battle being waged all around us every day. And so many are unaware of it, and thus are completely ill-equipped to fight. There are also many who deny the enemy even exists, which is even worse, because that gives fuel and power to our enemy. Stick with me and keep reading, and I’ll show you both how we know the enemy truly exists, and how to equip yourself for battle!
What’s in a name? A name can have such a huge impact on a person, whether it be a given name, an earned nickname, a chosen artist name, a first name, a last name…the list goes on and on. Hearing someone speak our name can bring so many emotions; joy, excitement, fear, loathing, laughter, tears. There really is no end to what hearing our name by the right (or the wrong) person can do. Even seeing our name, in everything from a newspaper article to a handwritten card from a loved one, can really get us in “all the feels.”
One of my favorite sermon series Penny did was on the names of God. When we step back and look at the sheer number, and then the deeper meaning of so many of those names, it gives us an incredible glimpse into the beauty and power and nature of God. Each name reveals something else about His character. Here are just a few:
Elohim – God, Creator, Mighty One (Genesis 1:1)
El Roi – The God Who Sees Me (Genesis 16:13)
El Olam – The Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33),
Go’el – Redeemer, Kinsman Redeemer (Job 19:25)
Rock – Unshakeable Refuge (Deuteronomy 32:4)
Yeshua (Jesus) – The Lord is Salvation (Matthew 1:21)
Yahweh-Rapha – The Lord who Heals (Jeremiah 30:17)
Parakletos – Comforter, Advocate, Helper: the Holy Spirit (John 14:16)
Abba – Father (Romans 8:15)
Yahweh-Yireh – The Lord will Provide (Exodus 15:26)
Each piece gives us another part of the puzzle that we, as humans, will never be able to fully see or understand. But each one gets us a little closer to seeing and understanding God.
If you’ve gotten this far, hopefully you have no problem believing what the Scriptures tell us about the nature of God through the names of God. As Christians, one of our foundations is that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and we can trust it to be true. What does the Bible have to say, then, about the enemy?
Between the Old and New Testament, satan, the devil, and demons of various forms are mentioned well over 200 times. If it was important enough for God to allow it in the Bible that often, and for Jesus himself to talk about it, then as Christians it is NOT something we should ignore. Just as the names of God show us who God is, the various names given to the enemy do the same.
Satan – The Adversary (Job 1:6)
Devil – Slanderer (Matthew 4:1)
Lucifer – Day Star or Shining One (Isaiah 14:12-14)
Tempter – Entices people to sin (Matthew 4:3)
Ruler of the World – he influences entire nations, not just individuals (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Prince of Darkness – he does not work alone, but is the leader of dark forces (Ephesians 6:12)
Accuser – seeks to weaken believer’s confidence and influence (Revelation 12:10)
Father of Lies – deception is in his nature, at his very core (John 8:44)
Do you know what the enemy’s biggest deception, and his biggest victory in the physical world is? Convincing people that he does not exist. Why? You might ask. That takes us back to the opening line of this blog, “You cannot win a battle you don’t know you’re fighting.” By convincing people that he doesn’t exist, he can work in all the ways his names suggest with very little resistance. Let’s look at that a little more closely.
The Adversary: he is opposed to everything God has made and said is good, and sets out to defile, change, or destroy it. He sets out to derail God’s plans and purposes, both in individual lives and in families, nations, and the world. For example, God sent his Son to die for our sins. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead. This gift of salvation has turned many to Christ. In the end times, the enemy sends the antichrist to “save” the world, and in some way he will survive a mortal wound. Because of this, many will worship the beast.
The Slanderer: he tries with everything he has to divide people by making false accusations and destroying reputations, eroding people’s trust in each other
The Day Star or Shining One: while the name lucifer is only used once in the Bible, I include it in this discussion because it points out that the enemy often presents itself in a bright, shiny package. I think people think they will know evil because it will look evil, but often it looks quite appealing. This is also a reminder that this is a fallen angel that God himself created, so at one time he was quite beautiful.
The Tempter: he makes sin look so appealing and minimizes the cost of our sin.
The enemy tells us, “Worship me and I will give you the world.” He tempts Jesus with this in Matthew 4, which might sound like an odd temptation. But he was really offering Jesus a way out, saying he didn’t have to die to get all of the people in those kingdoms. Satan would just hand them to him if Jesus would only bow down and worship him. Jesus of course stands firm, and in verse 10, “Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
If you think the enemy is bold enough to try and tempt the Son of God, but not bold enough to try and tempt you, think again. Every time you are tempted to say or do something you know you shouldn’t, that’s the enemy (probably one of Satan’s minions, and no they aren’t adorable little yellow characters) whispering in your ear.
Ruler of the World: while God is the Lord of all, Satan certainly has power and influence on the earth. And he does not think small. He helps influence movements, perspective shifts, cultures, and more to move entire nations and civilizations away from God. And he is working harder than ever before, and more out in the open than ever before, because he knows time is running short.
Prince of Darkness: the enemy does not work alone. While the entire hierarchy isn’t spelled out, we know that fallen angels, the Nephilim, the little “g” gods of other civilizations, and demons, to name a few, all work together in a hierarchy under the leadership of “The Satan” (probably a title, not a specific evil, but that is a blog for another day). And they all use the same tactics, and have the same goal, to pull as many people away from God as possible.
Father of Lies: This one sums up the very nature of the enemy, and is a part of every other name. Deception, trickery, lies…they flow in and around everything the enemy does. He seeks to destroy our peace, make us feel like we have lost our salvation, and tell us that what we know from God is a lie. People falter. Faith falters. And where doubt creeps in, an opening is made for the devil to come and destroy. People, families, marriages, careers, lives…he wants chaos and destruction.
So what do we do to fight this adversary, this father of lies? God gives us all we need!
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; 11 put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, 12 for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day and, having prevailed against everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand, therefore, and belt your waist with truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness 15 and lace up your sandals in preparation for the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, (Ephesians 6:10-19)
An entire blog could be done for each of the pieces of armor, and Penny and I may do just that. In the meantime, though, you need to know two things. One, first and foremost, you need to pray. Without ceasing. While that sounds impossible, what it’s really referring to is just being in constant contact with God. Always seeking his guidance, being aware of his presence, and living your life as close to God’s will as you can. Everything else comes down to Jesus Christ, our Yeshua. All of the other pieces of armor come in and through Him. While the battle certainly isn’t easy, with the full armor of God, it’s one we can always win!
*If you want a great book that really helps you dig into each of the pieces of armor, Priscilla Shirer’s “The Armor of God’ is fantastic.
