ENEMIES

What does it mean to love your enemies?

MATTHEW 5:43-44   Jesus said, "You heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for this who persecute you!" 

ROMANS 12:20-21   If your enemies are hungry, freed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads. Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Loving your enemies is always unreasonable unless you realize that you were an enemy of God unit he forgave you. When you love an enemy, you see him or her as Christ does a person in need of grace. Getting to that point takes prayer. You can't pray for people and not feel compassion for them.

MATTHEW 18:21-22    Peter...asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!"

Respond to your enemies with forgiveness no matter what they try to do.

Is it possible to turn an enemy into a friend?

ACTS 9:1-6   Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers...He wanted to bring them both men and women back to Jerusalem in chains. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, lord?" Saul asked. And the voice replied. "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

GALATIANS 1:23    People were saying, "The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!"

Every day enemies of God becomes believers in God! It is a mystery why he overwhelms some enemies, such as Saul (whose name was changed to Paul), so that they turn to his side and why he seems to leave other enemies alone, at least in this world. But in almost every church around the world there are believers who once actively opposed God, God's people, and God's way of living.

1 PETER 2:12   Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

There is nothing more powerful and effective than an enemy who has become a friend. With love, forgiveness, prayer, and kind words, you will be able to turn some of your enemies into your friends.

Are there really spiritual enemies powers of darkness trying to attack me?

DANIEL 10:12-13    The man in the vision said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me." 

MATTHEW 4:1    Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.

The Bible clearly teaches that human beings are involved in a spiritual battle. Far from excluding you from this spiritual battle, faith puts you right in the middle of it. You are in a battle for your very soul. You must recognize that and arm yourself or you will be defeated.

EPHESIANS 6:12   We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

The intense of evil is to defy God and wear down believers until they lead into sin. This gives Satan pleasure and greatest power. But God is a warrior. A battle rages in the spiritual realm, and as a believer, you are right in the thick of it. God is always ready to fight on your behalf, always ready to come to your defense. In addition, he provides you with armor so that you can fight alongside him (see Ephesians 6:11-18). But you must join God in the battle or you will be vulnerable and helpless to withstand the enemy. If you join, you are guaranteed victory.

Promise from God  2 THESSALONIANS 3:3    The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.