Today begins a journey into understanding the real enemies that followers of Jesus face and how to stand firm in the victory Christ has already won. Many of us are quick to identify enemies in our lives—people, circumstances, or even cultural forces—but Scripture reveals that our true adversaries are often unseen and spiritual in nature. Drawing from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we see that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. Paul identifies three primary enemies: the world, the devil, and our own sinful nature. Each of these will be explored in depth in the coming weeks, but today the focus is on the devil—our spiritual adversary.

The devil is not a myth or a mere symbol of evil; he is a real, created being, a rebellious angel who opposes God and seeks to destroy the good work of God in our lives. He is not God’s equal, nor is the outcome of this cosmic battle in question—Jesus has already won the victory through the cross. Yet, the devil is active, prowling like a roaring lion, seeking to devour, to sow chaos where there is order, division where there is unity, and despair where there is joy. His primary strategy is deception—he is the father of lies, and his greatest weapon is to get us to believe things that are not true about God, ourselves, and our circumstances.

The devil’s mission is to destroy, to steal, and to kill. He cannot dethrone God, so he targets God’s children, seeking to undermine our faith, our relationships, and our sense of purpose. His accusations and slander are meant to paralyze us with fear, shame, and doubt. Yet, we are not defenseless. Scripture calls us to be alert, to resist the devil, and to stand firm in the truth. Jesus himself modeled this resistance in the wilderness, countering every temptation with the Word of God. The truth is our weapon, and abiding in God’s Word is the path to freedom.

We are called to live from a place of victory, not defeat. The enemy has been disarmed and shamed by Christ’s triumph on the cross. Communion is a reminder that we sit at the table with Jesus, even in the presence of our enemies, declaring that the enemy is defeated and that we belong to the victorious King. Let us stop giving ground to the enemy, reject his lies, and draw near to God, who promises to draw near to us.

Youtube Chapters

[00:00 ] - Welcome

[01:10 ] - Knowing Your Enemy: Fun Examples

[03:19 ] - The Reality of Spiritual Attack

[05:45 ] - Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: Context

[08:09 ] - Our Struggle Is Not Against Flesh and Blood

[11:12 ] - The Three Enemies: World, Devil, Flesh

[14:05 ] - What Does It Mean to Stand Firm?

[16:24 ] - The Reality of Spiritual War

[19:12 ] - The Devil: A Real Adversary

[22:18 ] - The Origin and Nature of Satan

[24:08 ] - Pride and the Fall of Lucifer

[27:44 ] - Living in Enemy Territory

[30:07 ] - The Devil’s Mission and Goals

[31:56 ] - Jesus Exposes the Devil’s Character

[33:08 ] - The Devil as Liar and Murderer

[34:32 ] - The Enemy’s Strategy: Devour and Divide

[36:21 ] - How the Enemy Attacks: Lies and Accusations

[39:33 ] - Slander and False Accusations

[41:26 ] - The Subtlety of the Enemy’s Lies

[43:22 ] - Lies We Believe and Their Consequences

[50:24 ] - How to Resist the Devil

[51:32 ] - Drawing Near to God

[54:00 ] - Jesus in the Wilderness: Our Example

[58:30 ] - The Enemy’s Defeat at the Cross

[60:10 ] - Communion: Declaring Christ’s Victory

[62:00 ] - Stop Inviting the Enemy to Your Table

[63:00 ] - Closing Prayer and Benediction