WHO IS OUR ADVERSARY?

Often our understanding is very limited, but God wants to show us a better way. How do we see the battle?

Who is Our Adversary? (Matthew 5:25) says, “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.” Automatically when we read this, our first reaction is negative. We think of the adversary as being Satan and we say, “How can I agree with Satan?”

In (1 Corinthians 16:9) we read, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

Our adversary can be Satan, but can also be an angel— (Numbers 22:22). “Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him.” As Balaam was going to prophesy against Israel for fame, honor, and money, the Lord sent an angel to stop his donkey from proceeding on the journey. In doing this the Lord was saving Balaam from death, for the angel said “If she had not turned aside from me, surely I would also have killed you by now (verse 33)”. The angel, Balaam’s adversary, was also his savior and protector.

Sometimes God seems to be our adversary, but in fact, is protecting us from danger and evil, and even death. If we fight against the circumstances because we want it to be another way and force the issues, we choose to make God our adversary. Our own will can be the greatest weapon against God, if we do what we want without regard for His will. We also resist and grieve the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth.

Even Balaam was a prophet; he fought against the circumstances without realizing the Angel of the Lord was standing in his way. The “donkey” was able to see more than the prophet because he was going against what the Lord wanted.

We must learn to agree with our adversary if we are going to remain free inside. If we don’t, we will be handed over to the judge to be thrown in prison and will not be released until we have paid every penny (Matthew 5:26).

Our carnal thinking can become a fleshly tomb of death, and the resurrection power of Christ is not able to reach us. God wants to use the very circumstances we find ourselves in as a vehicle to release His power that we might have “the peace that passes understanding” and experience the victorious Christian life.

In His Love,
      Sigi

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