Church and its leaders
Elected officials
If we can direct our anger, our energy, and our words toward a counterfeit enemy, the real enemy can prowl around unnoticed, growing all the more powerful as we become all the more blind. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have antagonistic people, legitimate conflict, and tangible forces working against us. We do. But consider the real enemy before you waste all your energy going to battle against a puppet or a distraction.
My enemy can look like a million different things, depending on the day:
It looks like 3 dented cars in my driveway.
It looks like someone I’m angry with.
It looks like the cancer that’s making my friend sick.
It looks like certain circumstances that will never change.
It looks like a nation viciously divided.
It looks like abuses of power and heartbreaking victimization.
It looks like poverty.
It looks like wealth.
It looks like the internet.
It looks like rejection of truth and beauty and peace.
I don’t know what enemies you face today. But my prayer in writing this post is that you may have the pause, the grace, and the wisdom to discern how to approach your own enemies.
My husband and I are no strangers to conflict, but several years ago we began reminding ourselves of this truth: We are on the same team. In a way, it’s just another way of saying, “Remember who the real enemy is.”
It doesn’t always solve the problem, but it does remind us to stand beside one another in solidarity against the actual enemy of our marriage, instead of facing off against one another as counterfeit enemies.
Real life is full of enough threats to our security, our peace, and our perspective. Let’s not make our own team members part of the opposing side.
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I was reminded a few days ago that God doesn’t tell us to wait for the enemies to be vanquished before we receive our own lives with trust and gratitude.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies. {Psalm 23:5}
I’d honestly never noticed this before. This is a Psalm about being led by still waters and having a Shepherd who quiets our souls. It’s a song about goodness and love and being anointed with oil and having a cup that overflows.
All while enemies are still present.
As we remember who the real enemy is, may we also remember who the real Savior is. {Hint: It’s not us.} Jesus is both a warrior and a shepherd, a king and a servant.
He deals powerfully with our real enemies even as He cares for our wounded and weary souls.
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For further reading, Psalm 23
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This article originally appeared at MarianVischer.com.
