When The Enemy Is Already Inside

Our message this week is titled, “When the enemy is already inside.”

Ephesians 4:27 says, “Neither give place to the devil.” It means that it is possible for somebody to allow the enemy into his or her life. And if you give place to the enemy, he will definitely stay. That is why the passage says, “Do not give place to the enemy.” Many people are looking for their enemies outside. Unfortunately, the enemy is already inside.

James 4:7 says, “Summit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” It means that if you do not resist the devil, he will stay with you. 2 Corinthians 2:11 says, “Lest satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” It means that if you are ignorant of the devices of satan, he will take advantage of you. Ignorance is no excuse in the spiritual world. If you do not have knowledge about the devices of the enemy, he will take advantage of you.

Going by current events, it is clear that our generation is living in the dark. We have many beautiful and powerful inventions but most of them are being turned around to destroy people, including those who invented them. It is clear the enemy has really worked hard to promote ignorance even in the church of God. Unfortunately, the words of Jesus are still ever true today: “Men love darkness rather than light, because their own deeds are evil” (John 3:19).

Nowadays, among Christians there are many prodigals who are living in the midst of swine. There is also a slow satanic brainwashing going on now among Christians. Many Christians are gradually getting used to darkness. Ignorance is being promoted. Little by little, many churches are making sin to appear very light. Gradually, things like fornication and adultery are being swept aside. There has never been so much darkness in the minds of men and women than now. Indeed, the end time is here. The crime wave is mind boggling. Television sets have introduced Sodom and Gomorrah into every sitting room. Many people who call themselves Christians are grieving the Holy Spirit because they do not want to offend the wicked. They do not want to be seen as peculiar and strange people. Many believe that merging with darkness can change darkness. If they are not careful, they will be the ones that will be changed. The early church did not dim their light to match the world in which they were living. A good study of the Acts of apostles reveals that everywhere Paul went, he was troubling the powers of darkness.

Beloved, in your place of work are you known as a Christian? Perhaps you know how to sing praise worship songs but your lifestyle does not portray Christ. It is a tragedy. We need to pray hard because many people are looking for their enemy outside but the enemy is already inside. When the enemy is already inside, many things go wrong.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GIVE PLACE TO

THE ENEMY?

1. To give place to the enemy means to give any sin a foothold in your life. Many years ago, a certain brother was brought to church for prayers. He had a very strange sickness. He fell sick anytime he got to the examination hall to write an examination. He could write any other thing without any problem but not examinations. When he was brought to me, the Holy Spirit said he had given a particular sin a foothold in his life. But if he confessed it, he would be free. I told him what the Lord said but he said, “No! No! By the grace of God, I am born again, sanctified, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and living a pure life.” I said, “That means the Holy Spirit is lying.” He said no. By the time we prayed, the Lord revealed what he was doing. He had a next door neighbour who was a fornicator. Anytime he was in the act, the brother would go to the keyhole and be peeping to watch him. I confronted him with that and he said, “Yes sir, you are right sir.” Here was a man who claimed to be born again and sanctified, peeping into the room of fornicators. But immediately he confessed the sin and got broken down in the spirit, his hands stopped shaking during examinations. Many people are looking for the enemy outside but the enemy has already entered inside.

2. To give place to the enemy is to allow the enemy to gain entrance into your life. For example, some sisters would see a saloon named, “Hot head or Mermaid” and would still enter there to do their hair. Later, they would be complaining of bad dreams. Of course they would have bad dreams. They submit their hair to people who would not ordinarily have access to their hair. And through that means, they steal their virtues and divert their glory.