Enemies - Part 3 - Enemy Love Series

Enemies

Pt. 3 – Enemy Love

I. Introduction

I have tried to inform you over the last two weeks that we are at war! Ecclesiastes makes it abundantly clear that there is a time for peace, but there is a time for war. We are in that time!

And yet, one man said, “We have lost our militant mindset and so we have lost ground and the wherewithal to train, prepare, arm and engage in warfare. We have become the comical, but deadly sight of the man who brings a knife to a shoot out!”

We must change this! Our mind must be shaken from its slumber of assumption that everything is for our good and that everyone loves us. The truth is the enemy of our soul has assigned certain things and certain people to destroy us. So I told you we must not become comfortable with our enemy. What are you tolerating that you should be killing? What enemy appeals to you? If you weren’t attracted to it it wouldn’t be as deadly as it is to you. What you refuse to destroy will ultimately destroy you! I told you that we must become wiser than our enemies. We have been instructed to live wise as snakes and harmless as doves. So we can’t be paranoid or untouchable. We must be wise. We have to know that our enemy is trying to get close to us because it is the close quarter strike that is most devastating. We need to know that there will be wolves who will dress up like sheep in order to get close. We can spot them because they will prey on the weak. Wolves divide and conquer. Wolves run in packs. Wolves fight for control. Wolves howl and bite. The only safe way to deal with wolves is to stay as close to the Shepard as possible! We must run to the sheepfold because the Shepard has placed His body between us and the wolves. So I challenged you to become a LAMBO – a sheep that will fight for other sheep.

So I wished Jesus hadn’t sent us into hard, dangerous, and hazardous situations? Why can’t we just coast? Why can’t we just live a protected, safe, no risk life? Why not meet Jesus and sit on a couch and relax until He comes back. Besides, if we have been guaranteed victory, deliverance, and we are already designated as an overcomer, then why is it even necessary to be involved in daily fights and skirmishes? If no weapon formed against us has any chance of prospering then why do we need armor and why do we have to be trained for battle? The answer is that our enemy serves a purpose! We must understand that our enemy has specific GOD GIVEN purpose in our life. In fact, we quote and I even read to you out of Matthew that Jesus said that we should love our enemy. I know what He meant, but I also want you to know that you should love having an enemy because of what they do for you! You should make it your homework assignment this week to thank your enemy. Just walk up to them or it and say thank you then turn around and walk away. It will drive them crazy and it will cause you to smile and see things correctly!

To understand this we need to go back and reread a very familiar enemy story! I know you know this story, but we need to look at it again and learn some valuable truth about our enemies.

TEXT: 1 Samuel 17:4-7; 11; 20-27; 33-37; 45-47, 2 Samuel 18:6-9

4-7 A giant nearly ten feet tall stepped out from the Philistine line into the open, Goliath from Gath. He had a bronze helmet on his head and was dressed in armor—126 pounds of it! He wore bronze shin guards and carried a bronze sword. His spear was like a fence rail—the spear tip alone weighed over fifteen pounds. His shield bearer walked ahead of him.

11 When Saul and his troops heard the Philistine's challenge, they were terrified and lost all hope.

20-23 David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the army was moving into battle formation, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines moved into position, facing each other, battle-ready. David left his bundles of food in the care of a sentry, ran to the troops who were deployed, and greeted his brothers. While they were talking together, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stepped out from the front lines of the Philistines, and gave his usual challenge. David heard him.