Spirtual Well Being Article By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

What is the first thing you do when you encounter opposition? Many people immediately develop a war mentality as they view the other person or problem as the enemy.

I have watched disagreements between believers develop and then denigrate into a war of words. The end result is two people perceiving one another as enemies.

I also have noticed Christians who repeatedly yield to temptation and sin, and then rationalize their behavior by blaming others for their circumstances. In reality, they are oblivious to Satan’s mission, which is to defeat, destroy and prevent them from living holy and pure lives before the Lord.

Churches and Christian organizations are not immune to Satan’s attacks. A church may be vibrant and active until one or more individuals begins to murmur against God’s vision and plan. Soon a group gathers and begins murmuring, which undermines the work of the Lord. Satan’s plots are real and they are dangerous. We must be aware of them or he will destroy our marriages, friendships and other important relationships.

Your Enemy Has a Plan

We must understand that we have a formidable enemy—one that has an ultimate goal of defeating and overthrowing the body of Christ.

Many believers are blind to the invisible war taking place around them. Consequently, Satan often uses born-again, Spirit-filled believers as his emissaries to do his bidding in order to destroy God’s work.

How can this happen? Imagine that you are facing a room with many doors. If any one of these is left unattended or open, the enemy can enter. These doors are labeled: hatred, bitterness, rebellion, jealousy, sexual lust, greed, false guilt and more. Doors that lead to dark attractions such as fortune telling, reading one’s horoscope, and becoming involved in the occult are there, too. If left unbolted, these doorways provide a passageway for the enemy to gain access to your life.

Take Heart: You Have the Victory

The way to victory over the enemy includes knowledge that he exists, awareness of the way he thinks and attacks, and remembering that believers are assured of victory even before the first shot is fired.

If you are experiencing defeat after defeat, it may be because you are not living a spiritually alert life. It could also be that you have chosen to ignore God’s instructions and commands somewhere along the way.

You may be thinking, “I am not afraid of the devil.” That is not the issue. The real issue is whether the enemy is afraid of Christ’s life in you.

Take a moment and ask God to reveal to you any doors in your life that you have left open to the enemy. Unless you deal with these, Satan will enter your life and steal your peace and joy. He will also hinder your relationship with the Father, and your relationship with others.

Be alert, self-controlled and daily put on the full armor of God (see Ephesians 6) so that you may stand against the enemy’s schemes and enjoy the victory you have in Christ.

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