Realize You Have an Enemy
6/16/2003
Don’t be ignorant of Satan’s devices! That idea is from the scriptures. We are not unaware of his schemes. In 2 Corinthians Chapter 2, Paul was talking about a guy that had done some awful things, and Paul thought that it was really important that this man should know he was forgiven. What do you think would happen if he didn’t know that he was really forgiven? What do you think satan could do with that? The man had made some bad choices. He’s sorry for what he did and he wants to turn it around, but he’s not sure if everybody has forgiven him. What do you think satan would do with that, if the man didn’t know that he was really forgiven by everybody? Do you have any ideas? The enemy would have shoved it in his face...again and again and again. “Now what I have forgiven - if there was anything to forgive - I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” Other translations say, ”We are not unaware of Satan’s devices.”
You’ve got to recognize that you’ve got an opponent. There’s an enemy. There’s someone on the other side who wants to prevent you from cultivating your own heart. He wants to prevent you from ever having a relationship with God and doesn’t want you to be a part of the Kingdom of God. He wants you to be a part of the kingdom of darkness. You realize that, don’t you? It’s very serious and you need to understand that. He’s going to do whatever he can - if he can make you ugly and belligerent, he’ll make you ugly and belligerent. If he can’t get you to be ugly and belligerent, because you know better than that, he’ll try to prevent you from having the highest kinds of attitudes. You’ll bury these attitudes of not being pleased about something with some grumbling in your heart. He’ll make you unable to see that what you’re doing is connected to something that you should be glad to contribute towards. You’re building a palace fit for a King, not just cutting somebody’s grass. It’s very, very important.
