The Adversary

While we are all innocently sleeping at night, an enemy is slowly filling the skies. During the day, the trees are masquerading as beautiful flower-filled visions of loveliness. By night, they are spewing pollen by the bucket-fulls. I can tell, because postnasal drip never lies. This crafty enemy lurks in the air, wafting on the breeze, creeping in the windows left open a crack to let the sweet air flow inside. An invisible poison, bent on destruction, the enemy lays a nearly imperceptible layer on every surface, booby trapping the unsuspecting.

Deception. That soft yellow pollen looks so harmless...but all of us with allergies know better. Deception. I have been thinking a lot about the deception of the enemy of God. It is so easy to be lulled into believing that peace and tolerance must be of God...but I do not see that born out by scripture.

For example:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.(Matthew 10:34-36)

For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.(Romans 13:4)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.(I John 4: 1-3)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ...(Ephesians 6: 10-18)

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.(1 Peter 5:8)

We are to be crafty, discerning, and armed. The adversary will come masquerading as a spirit of God, but he is a wolf,  a lion, waiting to devour the unsuspecting. We are supposed to be suspicious, astute in our judgements, testing every spirit, and prepared to challenge anything that does not square with scripture. We are to be armed with prayer, truth, righteousness...and stand firm, ready for battle with a terrible enemy. I do not see this as a peaceful enterprise. I am not talking about physical violence, but it is spiritual warfare with a real and powerful enemy. We know in some portions of the world, physical violence IS used against those who believe in Jesus. The Bible warns us we are in a Battle, and one we must be prepared to fight daily in the "whole armor of God."

The pollen settles like a gentle blanket in the night while we sleep, but we with heightened allergic systems would be foolish to think it harmless, or think if we kindly tolerate its presence, it will leave us alone.