The Greatest Battle Of All

The Greatest Battle of All

By Pastor Jim May

Who is your worst enemy? Is it Satan? He is a powerful enemy to say the least. But he isn’t your worst enemy. You can overcome him easily through the blood of Jesus Christ and by calling upon the name of Jesus. The Bible says that Satan will run from you if you will only resist him through the blood. He is the enemy of your soul and the perpetrator of sin and temptation upon the whole human race. But he isn’t your worst enemy.

Is your worst enemy someone that you work with, or some member of your family that is convinced that you have wronged them somehow? People bear grudges and refuse to forgive for things that they often don’t even remember. The fact is that even if the wrongs have been done and people have been hurt, none of those things are worth losing your eternal soul over.

I have seen so many people who won’t forgive and forget past hurts. The Bible is very clear about Christians who will not forgive those who have wronged them. It plainly says in Mark 11:25-26, "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." What part of that scripture do we not understand? Can we expect to enter Heaven or be taken in the rapture with unforgiveness in our hearts? The answer is “NO”. Unforgiveness is a sin, a willful sin, that will definitely keep us out of Heaven.

Is the loss of an eternal soul worth not forgiving someone for any wrong, no matter how bad it hurt, or what it cost us in the past? Do not allow past hurts to bring eternal pain in the future. It’s not worth the price! Forgive and then forget as much as is within you. In time the pain will cease to exist and all will be forgotten.

But if we keep bringing the past up time and again, that isn’t forgiveness. Every time we rehash old hurts and things that have been done to us that we feel are wrong, then it’s just like those pains have been refreshed each time. That’s not forgiveness. That’s holding a grudge.

Forgiveness means that I will never hold what was done against anyone ever again, and if I must stand before God this day and testify against those who wronged me, that I will not hold them accountable before the Lord, but will confess that they are innocent of all charges that I may have had against them.

Your worst enemy is not another man, nor is your worst enemy an evil archangel named Lucifer. Your worst enemy is yourself!

In the 32nd chapter of the Book of Genesis we can see where that Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, are finally coming to a showdown. It has been a long, painful journey for both of them.

If you recall, Jacob was a conniving individual with his heart set on obtaining the birthright from Isaac. He had put on a fur covering over his arms so that he would feel hairy and had tricked Isaac, who was blind into giving him the blessing of the firstborn, making him the first heir of the wealth and power of Isaac’s family. This was a blessing that only Esau was entitled to. But once the blessing was given, it could not be revoked. Of course this set Esau on a course of hatred and envy and threats were made.

It wasn’t all Jacob’s fault however. If you also recall, Esau didn’t think much of the birthright because he had sold it to Jacob already for a bowl of soup. His belly, and his hunger for the needs of the body of flesh were more important than the promises of God that would be received through the birthright.

There are two points to make right here that truly pertain to us. 1) There are still so many Christian who think so little of their birthright, as the Sons of God, that they are willing to sell their soul for the things that satisfy the flesh. Every day, people are dying and going into eternity without God, who once knew the Lord and had tasted of the Heavenly Bread. Their birthright to eternal life has been sold for a pittance.

History tells us that there have been some pretty good deals made in purchasing property down through the ages.

The Island of Manhattan, where most of New York City now sits, was purchased from the Indians for a few pieces of cheap jewelry worth only about $24.