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“Know Your Enemy”

Ian Boike
02/09/25 - Sun AM

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I'm sure everyone here this morning has heard of the two major wars that are currently active on the globe.

And of course, I'm referring to the Israel and Hamas.

In the in the Ukraine versus Russia war.

And both of these wars have been raging on for a couple of years now.

But there's an important aspect of these two conflicts that I think is important to bring to our attention this morning.

And I believe it's important to know who your enemy is in these physical conflicts.

In the Israel and Hamas war, what Hamas has decided to do, the terrorist organization has decided to dress up their combatants as Palestinian civilians.

In order to fool the Israeli soldiers into not being able to know who they're shooting at or where to drop ordinance.

And according to the International humanitarian law, or as some of you may know it, as the Geneva Convention, we need to be able to make sure that combatants need to avoid harming civilians and destroying their property.

And this emphasizes that we need to be able to distinguish between innocent civilians and soldiers.

And sometimes this is relatively easy to do.

For example, in the uh Ukrainian Russia war, when Russian Russian soldiers are seen, they are easily identified by their white, blue, and red patches that are seen on their helmets or on their breastplates.

Signifying to their fellow soldiers and to the enemy who they are fighting for.

And then we have the Ukrainian soldiers who are easily identified by their blue and yellow patches on their helmets and uniforms.

And unlike Russia and Ukraine, Hamas has decided to camouflage their combatants as civilians, making it oftentimes very difficult to know who you're fighting.

And it's important to know who your enemy is, but it's also important to know something about your enemy.

The author of Art of War, Sun Si, once said, if you know your enemy and you know yourself, you need, you need not fear the outcome of 83 battles.

If you know yourself, but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will succumb in defeat.

And if you know neither the enemy, nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

And while this is not a religious text, I believe this is a critical idea that we need to understand.

In the stakes of physical warfare are oftentimes very high.

Many men and women who sign up to go to war know that they could, that it could lead to their death.

Or extensive injury.

And if they're not killed, there is a possibility of being captured by the enemy and oftentimes being tortured.

And thankfully, most of us won't ever have to fight on a physical war on a physical battlefield.

But all of us are involved in a different kind of warfare, a spiritual warfare.

If you would turn over to John chapter 18.

John chapter 18 and starting, we'll start uh verse 36.

And of course, in John chapter 18, we see the scene where Jesus has been captured by the religious leaders, and he is now being questioned by Pilate as to the validity of his kingship and what kind of king he is.

In John chapter 18 verse 36, Jesus answered him saying, My kingdom is not of this world.

If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I'm not, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.

But my kingdom is not from the world.

And I believe we know who the general of the opposing army is, and that's Satan.

And in general terms, we know who our enemy is.

And the stakes are so much higher in spiritual warfare.

The destiny of our souls is what hangs in the balance.

And unfortunately there are so many people who are captured.

And held hostage and don't even know it.

And if you would turn over to 2 Timothy chapter 2, I want to start halfway through verse 25.

13 Timothy chapter 2 starting halfway through verse 25.

Says, and God may perhaps grant them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will.

And even more unfortunate.

is the devil may have some of us captured even this morning.

And that's why this morning, I'm overjoyed to see all of you here this morning because this morning we're gonna talk about spiritual warfare, which is something that we are all involved in.

And this morning, I would like to start out with uh Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 12, if you would turn over there.

And I want to talk a little bit about explaining, well, what is spiritual warfare.

And what the scriptures tell us about spiritual warfare.

In Ephesians chapter 6, starting in verse 12, we're told, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, and against the cosmic powers over this present darkness.

Against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

So of course we can see that spiritual warfare is waged on a plane that we cannot yet see, and our enemy is the devil.

And of course, the scriptures tell us that the weapons used are not physical.

We don't have swords, none, guns or knives.

But Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 10, if you would turn over there.

2 Corinthians chapter 153, starting in verse 4.

Paul tells us in chapter 10, starting in verse 42 Corinthians, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

We destroy arguments in every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.

And take every thought captive to obey Christ.

And so Paul is telling us here that with our faith, scripture, and prayer, we as Christians can steer clear of the negative influences that will turn us and distract us away from our spiritual defense.

And now that we know what spiritual warfare is and what it entails, I believe it's important for us to recognize how we are to prepare.

Thank you so much, Mr. Adams for reading Ephesians 6.

I want to take it into uh to the whole context of putting on our armor.

So I'm gonna read it one more time here, just to put it into our minds.

Ephesians chapter 6, starting in verse 10.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might put on the whole armor of God that you may, may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you, you may be able to withstand in the evil day.

And having done all to stand firm, stand therefore having fastened on the belt of truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.

And as the shoes for your feet, having put having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

And uh, and in all circumstances, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish the flame, all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

And our armor is something that we need to put on daily.

The belt of truth stands for ground the grounding of our lives and God's unchanging word.

The breastplate of righteousness protects your heart.

By living the way that God would have you to live.

The shoes upon your feet give you the readiness to preach the gospel.

The shield of faith, the shield that guards against the fear and doubt that we will experience in our daily battles.

And then finally we have the sword of the spirit.

And as Christians, we need to understand that the, that God's word is our strong line of defense against false teachers.

And false doctrine.

And the identity of the pieces of armor, well, they demonstrate what we are fighting for.

And they identified that we are fighting a spiritual warfare and not a physical one.

And of course, we already read John chapter 18, but he says it twice, my kingdom is not of this world and it is not from the world.

And I believe that the pieces of armor are these pieces of armor are not the only way that we can prepare.

I believe that prayer is another way that we can prepare for battle.

Ephesians chapter 6 verse 18 at the very end of the scripture reading, praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication.

To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

And finally, the last tool that I want to bring to your attention is each other.

If you would turn over to Ecclesiastes chapter 573 with me.

Ecclesiastes chapter 4 starting in verse 9.

This is truly an encouraging passage for us as Christians.

Starting in verse 9 of chapter 4 and Ecclesiastes 2 are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil.

For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.

But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.

Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?

And if and if 2, sorry, excuse me, and though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him.

A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

And so when we have one another to lean upon, we are that much stronger.

And now that we know about the tools at our disposal, I believe that the scriptures tell us, knowing your enemy is half the battle, and we have already said that the devil is our enemy.

You would turn over to 2 Samuel chapter 3.

2 Samuel chapter 83, I'm gonna be reading verses 26 and 27.

And of course before this event in chapter 3 starting in verse 26.

We see that Abner, the general of Saul's army, Has killed Ashel Joab's brother.

Joab is the leader of David's army.

And when Abner came to King David with a treaty, they parted as allies.

And Joab did not like this decision, so he sent servants out to reach back out to Abner to bring him back.

And that's when he plotted to kill him regardless of the treaty that David and Abner had made.

Starting in verse 26 of 2 Samuel chapter 3.

When Joab came out from David's presence, he had sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back to the cistern of Sira.

But David did not know about it.

And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the midst of the gate to speak with him privately.

And there he struck him in the stomach so that he died.

For the blood of Ahael, his brother.

And poor Abner had no idea who his true enemy was.

And it cost him his life.

And after hearing that illustration of these men, you may be asking yourselves, well, Ian, how do I identify who our enemies are?

I believe there are 2 men in the New Testament who tell us exactly how to do so, Paul and Jesus.

And I will start with Paul this evening.

If you would turn over 2 Corinthians chapter 373.

2 Corinthians chapter 11, starting in verse 13.

Paul tells us, for such men are false prophets, deceitful workmen, distinguishing themselves as apostles of Christ.

And no wonder for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

So it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, and their end will correspond to their deeds.

And then in Matthew chapter 7.

Verses 15 to 20, Jesus gives a very similar dissertation on how we are to identify our enemies.

Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 7 and verse starting in verse 15, Jesus tells us, beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

You will recognize them by their fruits.

Our grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles.

So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Thus, you will know, you will recognize them by their fruits.

So here, we have a very clear answer from both Jesus and Paul on how we are to identify our enemies, and this is encouraging for us so that we are not blind to those who want to harm us.

And now that we understand how to identify our enemies, I believe it's important to recognize.

That our allegiance to the Lord is paramount in our spiritual battle.

If you would turn over to Exodus 20.

Starting in verse 393, God is explaining to the Israelites what he expects of them as his people.

And in battle we have to remember who we are fighting for.

And as Christians, we serve a God who is jealous, and one who demands loyalty to him, and only to him.

Starting in Exodus 20, starting in verse 3, you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not bow down to them or serve them for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.

Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the 3rd and 4th generation who of those who hate me.

And when we fight for the Lord, that means we must submit to his will.

Just as James chapter 4 and verse 7 and 8 tells us, he tells us, submit yourselves, therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you, draw near to God.

And he will draw near to you.

Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

And the Lord reminds us to be strong and courageous when we fight for him.

You would turn over to Joshua chapter one.

Joshua chapter 1, and I'm going to be reading verse 9.

God reminds his servant Joshua.

That he will look out for him.

Just as he will look out for us.

Joshua chapter 23 starting in verse 9.

Have you not, have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

And just as he protected Joshua in his day, he will protect us if we fight for him and only for him.

Now that we've done a little bit of a little bit of an overview of what it means to be involved in a spiritual warfare, why, why do we need to prepare?

Well, first, I would start off by saying that the stakes have never been higher, like we said earlier, and our stakes is what our souls is is what is at stake in our spiritual battle.

Ezekiel chapter 18.

Verses 3 and 21, I believe illustrates.

The ownership that God takes over our souls and what our souls mean to Him.

Ezekiel chapter 215, starting in verse 257.

God says, as I live, declares the Lord, this proverb shall be, shall no more be used by you in Israel.

Behold, all souls are mine.

The soul of the Father as well as the soul of the Son.

Is mine.

The soul who sins shall die.

And the devil is always trying to gain our souls by any means necessary.

He uses all the tools at his disposal.

In order to succeed in that task.

And sin, as we all know, can cause us to be lost.

And the soul that sins will die, as the scripture say in Ezekiel 28.

And one thing I want to make very clear is that the devil takes no days off from hunting us.

First Peter chapter 237 illustrates this.

This idea of who Satan is and what his goal is.

In the scriptures tell us to be vigilant.

In First Peter chapter 239, starting in verse 8, we're told, be sober-minded, be watchful.

Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

Resist him firm in your faith.

Knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

And the devil is always looking for ways to steer us towards temptation and towards sin that will separate us from God.

And that will, and that will allow him to claim us as one of his spiritual fighters.

In John chapter 226 verse 212, Jesus gives us a very vivid description of who Satan is and what he has been since the beginning of time.

And just as we said earlier in 230 Timothy chapter 2.

That God wants to grant those who have fallen away freedom from their captivity.

From Satan In John chapter 8, Jesus tells us you are of your father, the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires.

He was a murderer from the beginning.

It does not stand in truth because there is no truth in him.

And when he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

So we're told that Satan is a liar and a murderer who is consistently looking for those to capture and hold as his own.

And the scary part about this is that some of us may be currently held by Satan.

And not even know it.

And that is such a terrifying thought.

And finally we are preparing so that no weapon, no weapon shall prosper against us.

In our battle If you would turn over to Isaiah 54 and verse 17.

I believe the scriptures tell us that there are no weapons.

That will be able to be used against us as long as we have Christ on our side, we will prevail.

Isaiah chapter 54, verse 17 tells us no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed.

And you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication for me, declares the Lord.

And of course, in 123 Corinthians chapter 10, I'll read it very fast.

Paul tells us that no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.

God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.

But with the temptation, he also provides a way of escape.

That you may be able to endure it.

The Lord has laid out and given us every tool that we will ever need.

In order to succeed.

And some of you may be asking, well, why does this matter to me?

Well, our spiritual battle, all of our spiritual spiritual battles are raging on right now.

They are current.

And we need to prepare for the present dangers.

We need to utilize our armor, our faith and prayer, and each other.

In order to prepare for the worst that the devil can throw at us every single day.

And we are commanded just like Joshua to be strong and courageous in our daily battles because the devil takes no days off in hunting us.

And when we fight as the Lord has commanded us, He has promised us victory.

There is not one army on this earth that can guarantee victory.

God is the only one that has guaranteed his army victory in every battle if we do as he says.

And of course the most important reason is that we get, we are given hope.

First Corinthians 1557 and Romans chapter 8 are both Paul speaking.

And I'll read those very quickly, but in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 57, Paul tells us, but thanks be to God, who gives us the glory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your work will not be in vain.

And in Romans chapter 8 verses 37 to 39, know in all things.

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I'm sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation.

will be able to separate us from the love of God.

In Christ Jesus our Lord.

And these passages truly encourage me, and I think they should encourage you as well.

When it comes to thinking about what we are promised.

And when we fight, when we're fighting our daily battles, when we're in the moment and things feel like they're overwhelming.

Just remember that you're promised victory, if you do, if you, if you fight the way that the Lord would have you to fight.

And I hope that this lesson has been encouraging for you as it was for me.

And I believe that if you are fighting, that if you were alive, you're fighting right now.

If you're drawing breath currently, you are fighting a spiritual battle, but if you're not with Christ, you are on the guaranteed losing side.

Just a second, Timothy 2, we have, we've read that multiple times this evening, but I'll start in verse 26, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will.

That is the one good thing about those people's situations is that God is wanting to release them from their captivity.

And Christ tells us very plainly that you're either with me or you're against me.

There's no riding the fence in this war.

And Matthew chapter 12 and verse 30, Jesus tells us, whoever is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

And in order to have the opportunity to put on the armor of Christ, you must first be enlisted into his army and become a child of his.

And we have everything here ready this morning to make you a child of God and to enlist you into his army.

And maybe you're already enlisted in God's army.

Maybe you've been a Christian your whole life.

But maybe you haven't been the spiritual soldier that the Lord has called you to be.

Maybe you've struggled with being strong and courageous.

And maybe you need the prayers of the congregation of your fellow.

Soldiers And as Christians, we need to remember who we are.

We're told that very regularly.

Remember who you are.

And remember what is at stake in this battle that we are fighting daily.

If there's anything that we can do to assist you this morning, please come to the front as we stand and sing the song of invitation.