“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6).
Nothing hurts deeper than having someone deceitfully compliment you and talk about how they love you in the Lord…and then find out they were stabbing you in the back the whole time. Their loyalty was only to soften you up so they could do what they wanted to do. Those are the kisses of an enemy.
But a real friend will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. A friend will speak the truth even it hurts us. A friend is more concerned about our well-being and what God wants than making us smile. So, a real friend may wound us, but is always faithful.
Tags: enemy, friendship
When World War I broke out, the war ministry in London dispatched a coded message to one of its outposts located in one of the most inaccessible areas of Africa. The message read, “War declared. Arrest all enemy aliens in your district.”
The war ministry received this message in reply: “Have arrested ten Germans, six Belgians, four Frenchmen, two Italians as well as several Austrians and Americans. Please advise immediately as to whom we are at war with.”
If you’re not sure who you are at war with, you tend to expect an attack from anyone. We Christians need to understand that we are not at war with other Christians, but with Satan. Our enemy is spiritual in nature and we must stop warring with our own side. It exhausts all our spiritual energy and leaves no strength to stand up to Satan when he tempts us.
Make peace with your brothers (and sisters) because you may need them defending you one day.
Tags: enemy, spiritual warfare, World War I
The big news right now is whether or not to release the gruesome photograph of Osama Bin Laden with a bullet hole in his forehead. Many Americans seem to think it will make us feel better if we see him mutilated a little since his plan mutilated so many on 9-11, and there are radical Muslims who are saying Bin Laden is still hiding out there someplace and the US is lying. On the other hand, there are those who believe such a humiliating photo would incite retaliation from radical militants around the world, making us look even more like bullies, since Bin Laden was confirmed unarmed when he was killed.
This is an awesome opportunity for us Americans to reflect on our values. After World War 2, the US and our allies pumped millions of dollars into Germany and Japan to rebuild the infrastructure of those nations, until they both became major competitors in the world marketplace. That’s the way Americans do things. When we go to war, we destroy our enemy. When we make peace, we bless our enemy.
What do you think the US government should do with those photographs of Osama Bin Laden, and why?
Tags: enemy, World War II
Oral Roberts used to tell the story of a football game between the big animals and the little animals. At the start of the second half the big animals were ahead and they gave the tiger the ball. When he reached the scrimmage line, down he went. He hobbled back to the huddle and the big animals asked him, “What hit you?” The tiger said, “That centipede.”
Next they gave the ball to the lion. With a roar he ran to the line of scrimmage, but down he went. The other animals asked him, “What happened?” The lion answered, “It was that centipede!” Next they gave the ball to the rhino. When he too tumbled to the ground at the scrimmage line, they asked, “What happened?” He said, “It was that Centipede!”
“Where was that centipede in the first half?” the big animals asked the coach of the little animals. “Putting on his shoes,” the coach said.
Sometimes our enemy looks so big we’re sure he’ll get the victory over us. But we’ve got powers through the Spirit that Satan can’t conquer. Consider:
- Angels protect us (Psalm 91:11).
- The name of Jesus is above every other name (Philippians 2:9).
- The mighty Holy Spirit lives within us (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Don’t let little centipedes trip you up. You were created to be a winner.
Tags: enemy, little, obstacles, shoes