Chapter 1: Why does God allow enemies in our lives?
The Enemies That God Allows Into Our Lives Why did God allow Elijah to be hunted by the evil Queen Jezebel? Why did God allow the three Hebrew boys to be thrown into a fiery furnace? Why did God allow David to come up against a giant warrior like Goliath? Or why did God allow Daniel to be thrown into the lion's den?
In fact, as Christians, we can be forgiven for asking, why does God even allow us to have enemies? Well, to tackle this question, let's briefly look at the relationship between David and Saul. Then we'll look at Nehemiah, Elijah, and Jezebel, and Joseph. King David Typically, any rivalry that we see today in movies, TV shows, books, and comics all have two main characters that hate each other.
Although all the rivalry stories today pale in comparison to the rivalry of King Saul and David, there was such a brutal tension between them. However, there is a major factor that makes this rivalry different. With King Saul and David, the strife is completely one-sided. Throughout the story, Saul is absolutely obsessed with killing David in cold blood.
David wishes to avoid this conflict, but just cannot seem to get Saul off his back. David wishes to be at peace with Saul, but is not able to obtain peace. In 1 Samuel 18, verses 6-9, we see where Saul begins to hate David and become his enemy. David and Saul, along with the army of Israel, return from a great victory against the Philistines, as seen in chapter 17.
David accomplishes the mighty task of defeating Goliath. This is one of the most iconic and celebrated stories that we Christians cherish today. People in the city were so happy they were singing songs. This is where things go sour for David. Saul becomes enraged with jealousy.
The ladies of the city come out singing a song of triumph and say this, Saul has struck down his thousands and David his ten thousands. David is accredited with slaying 10,000, while Saul only thousands. In my opinion, Saul has still made it. He has plenty to be content with.
He is the king, beautiful women are singing songs about him, and he gets credited for being a mighty warrior responsible for killing thousands of the nation of Israel's enemies. Not bad at all. And yet, verse 9 tells us from that moment forward, Saul eyed David. The following events consist of chapters and chapters of Saul doing everything in his power to eliminate David.
We see many Psalms come from this time period.
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Chapter 2: What can we learn from David and Saul's rivalry?
David is constantly running on fumes, just trying to escape death at the hands of King Saul. God may allow our enemies to have the upper hand at times, But ultimately, our life is still in his hands. David prays, runs, and hides. But what else does he do? David, although already secretly anointed king, although he is well within his rights to defend himself, David chooses to wait on God.
We see that God eventually does step in to rescue David from Saul and ends up using David to accomplish mighty things. David becomes one of the most important characters in the Bible. Nehemiah Is there a worse time to have personal enemies than when you are in the midst of a hard project that must be completed? No, not really. These kinds of battles make accomplishing your tasks so much harder.
This was the situation Nehemiah found himself in. To make matters worse, he had many people relying on him and looking to him for direction. Nehemiah was a leader, and he had a mission which was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. But he had enemies.
See you next time. Hey, what's up now? You're driving our van on a Saturday morning. Well, I can't always drive our company's van. But why are you always in our yard? Well, look, I was also coming in to hang those flower benches, so here at the same time this is going. What do you mean? No, no, no, look, no worries, because in fact. In fact, there are profitable tools in Biltema.
It was a question of your or a friend's project.
He had opposition. His enemies used various ploys in their attempt to disrupt Nehemiah's work. But the man of God stayed strong, and fortunately, God helped him to stay strong. His enemies, Sanballat and Tobiah, aligned themselves against Nehemiah as he labored tirelessly to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which was in ruins.
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Chapter 3: How did Nehemiah face opposition while rebuilding Jerusalem?
However, God was right there with him the whole time. we must always remember that enemies typically come at the most vulnerable times. Even so, in our vulnerability and our weakness, God is strong. Elijah. Not only do enemies often come at times of our vulnerability and weakness, They also can come after times of major success.
Enemies of God's people love taking us from the mountaintop of success into a valley of darkness. The key is allowing God to lift us out of that valley. The key is listening for His voice through the pain and suffering. An example of this is found in the book of 1 Kings. Ahab, perhaps the most wicked king that the nation of Israel had, was already an established enemy of the prophet Elijah.
However, the story takes a unique twist when we find out that even more wicked than himself is his wife Jezebel. She also is no fan of God's prophet Elijah. Elijah is placed in Jezebel's crosshair after he accomplishes a mighty work for God in 1 Kings chapter 18. He defeats 450 prophets of Baal, This story is such a highlight of the Old Testament.
It truly is an encouragement to our souls when we feel like we can't overcome obstacles. God delivers Elijah by showing up with fire sent down from heaven, devouring the sacrifice prepared by Elijah right before everyone's eyes. He then goes on to slay those terrible prophets. This enrages Jezebel.
In the following chapter, 1 Kings 19, verses 1 to 2, the Bible says, Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.
The satisfaction of a job well done quickly fades away when Elijah receives this message. What an enemy Jezebel must have been. She must have sent shivers down the spine of Elijah. 450 prophets of Baal, aligned contrary to Elijah, did not persuade him to move an inch. He mocked them, laughed, and defeated them with ease by God's hand. However, she was on another level.
We see in verse 3, Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
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Chapter 4: What challenges did Elijah encounter from Jezebel?
Elijah flees, fearing for his life, into the wilderness to be alone and hide. Yet, even in this time of fear and anguish, even with death looming at the door, at the hands of a psychotic enemy, Elijah is comforted by God. An angel is sent to provide him food, water, and encouragement. God speaks to Elijah and lets him know that his mission is not over and to not give up.
My friend, please never give up. You still have a life worth living and God will call you home in his perfect timing. If you are still alive and breathing, there is still hope. And finally, let's look at Joseph. This is another fascinating story of how God allows enemies into the life of his people.
We already see tensions rising with Joseph and his brothers, but where the trouble really begins is in Genesis 37, where his brothers sell him into slavery. Considering the fact that their first idea was to kill him, I suppose being sold wasn't so bad.
Although this story ends in God guiding Joseph to excel to the top, second only to the pharaoh of Egypt, there are fewer things more depressing to think about than your own family wishing to harm you. I know this is a sad reality for many people in the world today. Many people are harmed even by their own family members.
Sometimes God allows these enemies to oppress his people, even though they are meant to be the closest relationships a man or woman can have in this life. I will submit to you that even in these dark realities, God can use it for good. God was with Joseph every step of the way, and God is with us every step as well.
God was able to use the horrible situation Joseph was in and accomplished amazing things for his people through Joseph. God allowed the short victory Joseph's enemies had over him to shape the course for the children of Israel for many years to come. Perhaps there are enemies you have personally had that may have even been your own kin.
Perhaps God will use these events to help others in the future. I would never downplay or condone something evil that a person has gone through, from even their own family. But I do want to provide hope that God is present through it all and can use it for good.
Have you ever faced a situation that was bigger than you? Something completely out of your control? I mean, a situation so big, you just couldn't seem to look beyond it. A problem so stubborn that it just wouldn't go away. And in this situation, day after day, it feels as though the devil is constantly reminding you of how impossible it is. or how you'll never overcome what you're facing.
But you see, this is a scheme from the enemy.
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Chapter 5: How did Joseph's brothers become his enemies?
The devil is working to distract us. The enemy wishes for you to magnify the problem and belittle God. He wants you to meditate on the difficulty instead of the word of God. And he does this to get our attention, to change your focus, to get your focus on the size of the problem so you'll forget about the size of your God.
However, one of the best ways to ignore the devil's voice and remain focused on the Lord is to look back at what he has already done. We need to look back at all of our victories in the past and remind ourselves that no matter what giant raises up before us, our Lord has already defeated it.
When David was getting ready to face Goliath, he said, The Lord delivered me out of the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear. He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And so now I want to encourage you and tell you that you are more than a conqueror in Jesus. I want you to know that greater is he who is in you than the one who is attacking you.
Now the Bible in 1 John 5 verse 4 says, For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. What's the name of the enemy you're coming up against? Is it depression? Is it some sort of addiction? For some, the enemy they face is called lust. For another, their enemy is anxiety.
You haven't been defeated by the situation, but you are not walking in victory either. Whatever it is you're coming up against, I want to remind you that you are an overcomer in Jesus Christ. So rebuke it in Jesus' name. An enemy isn't just someone who opposes you. It can also be a sin you're struggling with.
It could be something within you that you need God to take care of, like jealousy, bitterness, or pride. And let me tell you something. Where God is at work, the devil will also be at work. But he's working in opposition to the Lord. He'll be working to try and disrupt or discourage any move of God among his people.
You see, when we set about to fulfill God's vision for our lives, and all of the enemy's external plots have failed, all of his external attacks have been blocked, what do you think happens when all of the devil's external plots have failed? He attacks from within.
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Chapter 6: What internal struggles do we face as Christians?
Now, there's not such a thing as big sins and little sins. All sin is sin in God's eyes. But guess what? Even what you consider to be a small little sin, those little sins will lead you to commit that which you consider to be the big sin. This type of thinking causes you to cross one line and then another and another until we've become someone we never intended to be.
I'm proud of myself for getting a promotion. I'm proud of my ability. Did you see that? I did that. That's all me. Then the next thing you know, the spirit of pride has a door to creep in. Instead of saying, thank God for my promotion, instead of saying, I did that by the grace of God. Do you see the difference? The devil will try and plant a seed within you when he can't affect you physically.
That's what I'm talking about when I say, name your enemy. Take a good, honest look at yourself. What is the devil trying to use to distract you from being an effective Christian? What's he using to discourage you? Doubtful thoughts? Thoughts of insecurity or inadequacy? Name your enemy and rebuke it. And we all have one.
No one is so holy, so saved, that they have no internal, private things they're dealing with. The Bible says, Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. That verse is all about identifying that sin within, that ungodly desire, that unhealthy passion, and then saying no to it.
Get to the point where you say, my love for God is greater than my love for anything else. That's how you crucify your flesh. So if your enemy is bitterness, it has to go. If it's unforgiveness, that has to go. If it's low self-esteem, stand for it no more.
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Chapter 7: How can we overcome the enemies we face today?
I encourage you to do three things if you are to overcome the enemy. Firstly, take your eyes off the problem and focus your eyes on God's promises. Magnify God instead of your problems. Secondly, change your words from talking about defeat and begin to speak God's word over your situation. Begin to speak God's promises over your situation.
And finally, call on the power that the name of Jesus Christ offers.
Our part is to have faith that God means what He says, and He says what He means. If he says all things will work together for my good, then my part is not to ask how, but it's simply to trust that God honors his word. If the word of God tells me that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all, then my part is to hold on by faith to his promise.
With the eyes of faith, you can see the hand of God, the goodness of God in every situation, regardless of how painful. Through faith, you can begin to consider if you've been placed in that set of circumstances for a specific reason or specific purpose. A purpose such as unlocking a stronger desire for prayer in your life.
A purpose such as awaking a hunger for righteousness and holiness like never before in your life. Or perhaps the purpose of such a test is to expose the gifts and the calling that lays dormant inside of you. Too often, because we're focusing on the negative, we don't see the positive in that situation, and we don't see what God is trying to do.
Could it be that the reason for this difficulty is God wants to reveal to you who He really is? Perhaps this is a test where God wants to demonstrate himself to be Jehovah Jireh, your provider, or perhaps he wants to demonstrate his strength and kindness to you. Whatever the purpose of this trial that you're in, I encourage you to do your part. Your part is to hold on in faith and look to Jesus.
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