Knowing the Enemy
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
In the landmark work on military tactics, The Art of War, Sun Tzu compels his readers to know the enemy. Imagine the advantage you might have if, when going into a battle, you already knew the enemies tactics. How different would the current conflict in Ukraine be if the Ukrainian defense forces knew where and how the enemy was going to attack next. In World War II, a major strategic advantage was gained when the Royal Navy captured the German U-boat U-110 and recovered a German Enigma machine. This machine allowed Allied forces to break the German communication codes and know their tactics and plans. Many suggest it turned the tide of the war. There is no doubt that information about your enemy provides for a stronger defense against them.
The same is true spiritually. We are in a spiritual battle. Satan seeks to wage war against God’s people.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB95). The more we know about him and his tactics the stronger our defense will be. In the book of Job, we see an interaction between God and Satan in which we learn a number of things about Satan himself and some of his key tactics.
Satan is not omnipresent. When God asks Satan where he has been, he responds “roaming about on the earth” (Job 2:7). Clearly, Satan is a located being. He cannot be everywhere at once. Unfortunately, that has caused some to suggest “what are the odds that Satan is anywhere near me at this moment in time?” This relaxed posture can become deadly and is exactly why Peter states “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). You may not see the lion hiding in the high grass, but assuming he is not there can get you eating. Protect yourself by being on the alert.
As the discussion with God continues in Job, God asks Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?” Satan’s answer tells us a great deal about how Satan works. His answer tells God (and us) that indeed Satan had already considered Job. “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not built a hedge about him and his house and all he has, on every side?” (Job 2:10). Satan revealed that he looked at three aspects of Job’s life - he looked at him (Job himself, his character), his house (Job’s family and close relationships), and all that he had (Job’s possessions). In each situation he looked for a break in Job’s hedge so that he might find a way into Job’s life. Instead he found that Job’s dedication to God and his commitment to serving the Lord had created a strong defense around him. What will Satan find if he considers you?
Satan looks at your character. Just like Job, Satan is going to examine you - yourself - your character. Is there a break in your hedge? Is there some weakness in your character that he can exploit in you? Is there some weakness of character that Satan can use to drive a wedge between you and your Father? John tells us that worldly things like “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” are tools Satan can use against you (1 John 2:16). It is said that character is how you act alone in the dark when no one can see you. Are you guarding your hearts and minds in those situations? Are you ensuring that Satan cannot find a break in that hedge that he can use to devour you?
Satan looks at your family and relationships. The people that are closest to us this world can have a tremendous impact on our spiritual lives - both for good and for evil. It should be noted that when Satan destroyed Job’s family he left Job’s wife. Satan used her to continue to discourage Job (2:9). Do the relationships in our life provide the weapons Satan needs to defeat us? Do we value those earthly relationships more than we value faithfulness to God? Family and relationships can exert tremendous pressures on us. Jesus was clear, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and yes even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). It should be noted here that the use of the word “hate” does not mean the same as the way we use that word today. He simply means we cannot love our family more than we love Him and still be His disciples. Paul told us that “bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Satan will use people we care about against us if we let him. Have you checked to make sure that the hedge around this area of your life is strong and secure?
Satan looks at our possessions and worldliness. Does our worldliness give Satan an opportunity to pry us away from our Father. As rich as we are, especially in our culture, worldliness is a significant tool in Satan’s attacks. We like our stuff. We like our money. We like our freedom. We like our lifestyles. When God’s commands and expectations conflict with those things which one wins? James reminds us that the rich man must humble himself because “in the midst of his pursuits, he will fade away” (James 1:11). Will we die pursuing God and His holiness or will we die pursuing larger houses and larger bank accounts and more stuff? Satan can and will use our desire for worldly things as a way to separate us from our Father. Are we committing adultery with the world? “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?” (James 4:4). Have you checked to make sure that the hedge around that area of your life is strong and secure?
In the end, Satan is a coward. James reminds us that if we resist him, he will flee from us (James 4:7). But we can resist by ensuring that we are shoring up the hedge around our character, our relationships, and the way we see material possessions. Let’s make sure that God is shaping us in these areas - that His hedge about us is full and secure. Now that we know how Satan works we have the advantage in the battle.
Peace be to those who are in Christ (1 Peter 5:14).