“WHO OR WHAT IS THE ENEMY REALLY?”

Galatians 4:16  “Am I, therefore, become your enemy because I tell you the truth?“

PRE-AMBLE by Robert

Who really is the enemy we are talking about? Are they physical, spiritual or both? How do we see the enemy visually is he a horned individual. Or is our enemy on a spiritual plain as demons?  I have in past articles quoted Jessie Penn-Lewis (1861-1927) from her book “WAR ON THE SAINTS” which she first published in the early1900’s. In that book, I believe she forecasts the condition of the modern day churches quite accurately when we look back on it. I am going to open this article using that description because I firmly believe she gives us a firm explanation of who really is our enemy. 

Remember Jesse Penn-Lewis wrote these words some 110 years ago In Chapter 3 pg.46 of “War on the Saints” which is titled ‘Deception by evil spirits in modern times.‘ In the special onslaught of the deceiver, which will come upon the whole Church of Christ at the close of the age, through the army of deceiving spirits, there are some more than others who are especially attacked by the power of darkness. Who needs light upon his deceptive workings, so that they, may pass through the trial of the Last Hour, and be counted worthy to escape that hour of greater trial, which is coming upon the earth. (Luke 21:34-36; Rev. 3:10) 

For among those who are members of the Body of Christ, there are degrees of growth, and therefore degrees of testing, permitted by God, who provides a way of escape for him who knows his need. And by watching unto prayer, takes heed lest he falls (1Cor. 10:12,13). He is the Sovereign Lord of the Universe, and Satan is set his limit with every redeemed believer (Job 1:12, 2:6, Luke 22:31).

Some of the members of Christ are yet in the stage of babyhood, and others do not even know the initial reception of the Holy Spirit. There others, which may be described as the advance guard of the Church of Christ.  Who has been baptized with the Holy Ghost, or who are seeking that Baptism? Honest and earnest believers, who sigh and cry over the powerlessness of the true Church of Christ. And who grieve that her witness is so ineffective; that Spiritism and Christian science, and other “isms,” are sweeping thousands into their deceptive errors. Little thinking, that, as they go forward into the spiritual realm, the deceiver, who has misled others, has unique wiles prepared for them, so that he might render ineffective their aggressive power against him.

These are the ones who are in danger of the unique deception of the counterfeit “Christs,” and false prophets. And the dazzling lure of “signs and wonders,” and “fire out of heaven,” planned to meet their longing for the powerful interposition of God in the darkness settling upon the earth. But who do not recognize that such workings of the spirits of evil are possible, and so are unprepared to meet them?

These are the ones, also who are recklessly ready to follow the Lord at any cost, and yet do not realize their unpreparedness for the contest with the spiritual powers of the unseen world, as they press on into fuller spiritual things.

Believers who are full of mental conceptions wrought into them in earlier years, which hinder the Spirit of God from preparing them for all they will meet as they press on to their coveted goal. Conceptions which also impede others from giving them, out of the Scriptures, much that they need to know of the spiritual world into which they are so blindly advancing. Conceptions which lull them into false security, and give ground for, and even bring about, that very deception which enables Satan to find them easy prey. 

OPENING PRAYER by Robert.  

Heavenly Father I bow before your throne and pray for those preparing to enter Spiritual battle Lord. I would submit to you and plead for your filling them with courage, understanding, patience, open-mindedness to receive your spiritual knowledge. Continue Lord with discernment, and your armor outfitted with the Sword of Truth. Embellish on them Father through the Holy Spirit your experience of how to efficiently use the Sword of Truth which is supported with your heavenly gifts and words for prayer and the knowledge when to call upon your angels for covering, support and assistance in the heat of battle. Most of all Lord bring onto them a heart filled with your love and compassion remove all thoughts of vengeance, anger, confusion, myths and practical false teachings and especially any “isms.” And finally, Father, remove from them Lord any spirit of Martyrdom, in its place loose meekness and humility as they go forward. This I pray in your name Yeshua. Amen and Amen.

OPENING STATEMENT by Robert

Basically, Yeshua has called us into battle and has been preparing our walk for the inevitable future conflicts to come. Our preparation has brought us to a new level of understanding, discernment, and willingness to learn to be an active “Fisher of Men” entering into the Den of Wolves as wise Serpents. I believe we are about to receive information where the “Den” is and how to identify and deal with the Wolves within it. 

In an earlier article, I quoted one of the US Army’s most celebrated soldier “General McArthur.” I am paraphrasing here, in his quote, he stated “a soldier well trained and prepared would survive the battles they enter into.” I see our Father has prepared us and is now engaging in informing us who our real enemy is. 

My research shows and is verified by Jesse Penn-Lewis’s earlier report that the teachings most are receiving are insufficient to sustain today’s Christians when entering spiritual battle with our enemy. She Identifies how the enemy has infiltrated our ranks and has weakened the teachings.

Spiros Zodhiates (1922 – 2009) comments from the Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible. “The Apostle Paul ran into a similar situation with the early believers who lived in the Roman province of Galatia established in 25 B.C. This province covered the southern part of Asia Minor and encompassed the cities of Iconium, Lystra, Antioch of Pisidia, and Derbe. It is noted Paul visited these cities and believers twice. During his absence, teachers came from Palestine, called “Judaizers’, and insisted that these Gentile believers could not be true Christians until they submitted to the Jewish ordinance of circumcision. Furthermore, they maintained that the Galatians must adhere to the Law of Moses. These naive Galatian Christians accepted their teachings just as enthusiastically as they had Paul’s.“

Why have I related this information because in earlier articles the Father warned there would be False prophets and teachers who would enter into to our churches and bring false doctrines as part of their teachings. This has and is presently occurring, and Jesse Penn-Lewis has named who they are and what they are teaching as a doctrine of “Spiritism and Christian science, and other “isms,” which are sweeping thousands into their deceptive errors.”

Here is a powerful myth that many have fallen prey to which Ms. Penn-Lewis speaks to in her book “War on The Saints” Chapter 3 pg. 47 the question she addressed was “Can ‘Honest Souls’ Be Deceived?” “One prevailing idea, which such believers have deeply embedded in their minds, is that “honest seekers after God” will not be allowed to be deceived. That this is one of Satan’s lies, to lure such seekers into a false position of safety, is proved by the history of the Church during the past two thousand years. For every “wile of error” which has borne sad fruit throughout this period, first laid hold of devoted believers who were “honest souls.”   

“Wow,” I’m sure many are going to say are you kidding me? Really, how can you honestly say these things and expect anybody to believe them? Well, my answer is please do not shoot the messenger and take the time to continue learning what you are about to deal with. Remember the previous article was a warning of what is coming and we are now getting the information of what and who we are going to be dealing with. Our enemy is the one who is most familiar with our surroundings and teachings. If you had thought or believed it was a physical movement passing itself as a religion, you are only half right.

This war is being waged on “God’s Call” to find and return “His lost sheep,” and He is placing those with a fervent heart and walk as faithful, dedicated servants willing to get down and dirty as His Army (2Tim.2:21). He is going to teach and equip us to go out and one by one return those Lost Sheep to the Flock (2Tim.2:7). The choice to answer His call is yours and in no way effects your walk within Yeshua’s Salvation and Grace. (2Tim.2:1-2)

I can assure you the depth of your walk is going to be ultimately deeper as will your discernment understanding and wisdom (2Tim. 2:7). Will your life be a peaceful walk as those who journey behind the lines assuredly not yet rest assured as the Lord has stated  (2Tim. 2:3, 2:6, 2:10, 2:11-14).

I am wondering if our modern day churches with their “isms” are not suffering as did the Galatian churches did believing as they do that the work of Yeshua is insufficient for salvation. Spiros Zodhiates (1922 – 2009) sheds further light on what Paul did to correct this situation. Perhaps through this commentary, we can gain the information needed for us to proceed. Now, remember we are going into the Den of Wolves, and they will know scripture and in some cases will rebuke your position with Yeshua. ” The first way Paul chose to do this was to disprove the Judaizers claim that Paul was not a real apostle, they maintained that since he was not one of the twelve original apostles. Paul showed he was equal to the original apostles because he received his doctrine from a revelation straight from Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:11-19). He had even rebuked the Apostle Peter when there was a dispute over whether he, as a Jew, should be allowed to disregard the Mosaic Law. Once he had established his Apostolic authority, he proved that men are justified by faith in Christ’s atoning work rather than by the works of the Law (Gal.2:15 – 4:15). This leads to his final topic of being led by the Spirit. (Gal.5:16 – 6:10). 

Here we can see our walk is like Paul, we received our doctrine through the Holy Spirit’s leading. Teaching us His principles bringing us into a personal relationship with Yeshua as His modern-day disciples and warriors. Here is Matthew Henry’s (1662 – 1774) commentary giving us a further look at how to deal with this situation within the den of Wolves. “But observe, first grace, and then peace; there can be no true peace without grace. Christ gave himself for our sins, to make atonement for us: this the justice of God required, and to this, he freely submitted. Here is to be observed the infinite greatness of the price bestowed, and then it will appear plainly, that the power of sin is so great, that it could by no means be put away except the Son of God be given for it. He that considers these things well understands that sin is a thing the most horrible that can be expressed; which ought to move us and make us afraid indeed. Especially mark well the words, “for our sins.” For here our weak nature starts back, and would first be made worthy by her own works. It would bring him that is whole, and not him that has need of a physician. Not only to redeem us from the wrath of God, and the curse of the law; but also to recover us from corrupt practices and customs, to which we are naturally enslaved. But it is in vain for those who are not delivered from this present evil world by the sanctification of the Spirit, to expect that they are freed from its condemnation by the blood of Jesus.”

“Those who would establish any other way to heaven than what the gospel of Christ reveals will find themselves wretchedly mistaken. The apostle presses upon the Galatians a due sense of their guilt in forsaking the gospel way of justification, yet he reproves with tenderness and represents them as drawn into it by the arts of some that troubled them.

In rebuking others, we should be faithful, and yet endeavor to restore them in the spirit of meekness. Some would set up the works of the law in place of Christ’s righteousness, and thus they corrupted Christianity. The apostle solemnly denounces, as accursed, everyone who attempts to lay so false a foundation. All other gospels than that of the grace of Christ, whether more flattering to self-righteous pride, or more favorable to worldly lusts, are devices of Satan.  

 

CLOSING PRAYER by Robert

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. This we pray in the name of Yeshua. Amen and Amen. (Matthew 6:9)

CLOSING COMMENTS by Robert

Our Lord Yeshua has I believe prepared us, informed us, equipped us, and is now sending us into the den of Wolves to perform in His Fathers name to find and return those who have strayed from the flock. Keep in mind this is for Yeshua as modern day disciples going forward as “Fishers of Men” casting our nets into the darkness.

As I opened with a quote from  Jessie Penn-Lewis (1861-1927), I am closing with some information from her book “War On The Saints” Chapter 3, pg 49. The topic is deception, and how she defines it for us to recognize even as fully prepared warriors, we must know how the enemy will try to”DECEIVE” us. 

“Deception” has to do with the mind, and it means a wrong thought admitted to the mind, under the deception that it is truth. Since “deception” is based on ignorance, and not on moral character. A Christian who is “true” and “faithful” up to the knowledge he has, must be open to deception in the sphere where he is ignorant of the “devices” of the devil (2Cor. 2:11), and what he is able to do. A “true” and “faithful” Christian is liable to be “deceived” by the devil because of his ignorance.

The thought that God will protect a believer from being deceived if he is true and faithful is in itself a “deception,” because it throws a man off guard. And ignores the fact that there are conditions on the part of the believer which have to be fulfilled for God’s working. God does not do anything instead of a man but by the man’s co-operation with Him. Neither does he undertake to make up for a man’s ignorance, when He has provided knowledge for him which will prevent him being deceived. Yeshua would not have warned His disciples “Take heed.. be not deceived” if there had been no danger of deception, or if God had undertaken to keep them from deception apart from their “taking heed,” and their knowledge of such danger.

What I believe was conveyed from her writings was “do not become complacent” in your walk or confrontations. Be in prayer meditation at all times and put all things before the throne of God and wait for an answer in all that we do from here forward. God’s blessings are with you and remember He will not put anything before you that you cannot handle or endure, be sharp and always alert. 

Remember these articles are the work of a humble servant doing the bidding of our Lord. I am only the messenger sounding the Trumpet revealing the warnings or biddings of our Father. May our Fathers blessings be with you.

 Robert