Face to Face With The Enemy
Why are we so afraid to be alone?
Our fear is a very real one: We come face to face with the enemy, with spiritual forces that are set on hindering our spiritual formation.
Matthew 4:1–11 (NLT)
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.
3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”
11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
The place of solitude isn’t a place of weakness but a place of power.
We go into the eremos (desert or wilderness) to fight.
¿What do we go to war against?
The world, the flesh, and the devil.
Ephesians 2:2–3 (NLT)
2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
The World - The systems and ways of thinking that are contrary to the ways of God.
The Flesh - The animalistic desires and instincts that are dishonoring to the to the way of God
The Devil - The very real evil being that is at war with everything good, beautiful, true, and Godly.
The Strategy of Jesus?
SCRIPTURE - The word of God.
When we enter the silence and solitude with the understanding that the truth of the scripture is our weapon to wage war with the enemy, we will see victory over the enemy.
1. We bring rebellious thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), Bringing them under the control of Christ.
2. We resist the devil, and he flees. (James 4:7)
Empowered for the Work Ahead
Luke 4:14–15 (NLT)
14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to mage war on the enemy.
Practice for this week:
*Filling our Minds with the Word. *
1. Read
Read a passage from scripture slowly. In prayer, God will speak to you through his word. Pay attention to the words and phrases. Notice where there may be repetition or things that stand out.
2. Reflect
Reread the passage again, this time lingering over words or phrases that you may have highlighted or that stuck out to you. Think about those things. Reread it and think of What God is communicating to you. Take into consideration the context of the passage, the original audience, what they were going through, or what the author wanted to communicate.
3. Respond
As you think about what God is communicating in the passage, pray back those impressions to God. Just talk to him about what the scripture says. If there is a command in there as God for strength to carry out that command. If there is a promise as God for strength to remember and believe that promise.
4. Rest
In God’s loving word to you. Rest in his presence and peace. Give him thanks for that love.