Tuesday; May 9

When Peter warns Christians of their adversary notice what he writes, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:8). Through the years we have accepted this as truth –we are in a spiritual war with satan – but I also think it is important to acknowledge what he doesn’t say. He doesn’t write that our adversaries are the next door neighbor who parks in front of our house … he doesn’t say it is our child’s teacher that seems bound and determined to flunk Little Johnny … he doesn’t say the adversary is a historic figure from two centuries ago or even a modern politician or political party. While we may not get along with these folks or even like what they do, they don’t fit into the category of our arch-nemesis. Sure, we are going to have conflicts with people, but I believe we do more harm than good when we perceive them as the “enemy”.

We must remember that we are in an all out war for our souls when we battle satan, but we mustn’t confuse the skirmishes and conflicts we have with others with the conflict that exists at the heart of the battle between good and evil. All of us do some things that alienate us from others, but it is our ultimate adversary that we must engage.

When we come together to wage war with satan we might be able to overlook some of our minor disagreements with others. When we do that, we will be more prepared to do battle with satan and more apt to make peace with one another.

Think About It!

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