Today's reading

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. –Ephesians 2:1-2 ESV

March 28, 2024

Know Your Enemy

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. –Ephesians 2:1-2 ESV

You can’t win a battle if you don’t know who your enemy is. For believers, our three biggest enemies in life are the world, the flesh, and Satan. It’s pretty clear why the world and Satan are out to destroy us. But what does it mean that the flesh is our enemy? Is it our bodies, the actual skin we live in? Or does it have to do with our spiritual life? If we take the word FLESH, remove the H from the end and read the word backwards, the answer becomes abundantly clear. The letters that are left in this word when spelled backward become SELF. When we remove the H, we’re removing Him (God) from our lives. We become our own little god then. So, the definition of flesh is a life that lives without God and lives only for self. Therefore, our three biggest enemies are the world; self-centered, godless living; and Satan. Jesus came to put to death the power of the world, the flesh, and Satan. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, He defeated death, hell, and the grave. Daily, we can choose to put to death our self-centered nature; and, instead, bear the fruit of the Spirit. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Put Him back in the center and not self.

prayer focuses

Father, help me to always keep You in the center of my life and not self. Deliver me from any thoughts that lead away from You.

Thank You, Lord, for defeating the enemy for me by Your sacrifice on the Cross. He is a defeated foe and has no power over me.

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about the

Author

Brenda Beattie

Brenda Beattie is a retired letter carrier and an active Chaplain for the USPS. She and her husband retired to Bradenton because they loved their church, Bayside Community Church. She has self-published two books, "Finding Sacred Ground In The Daily Grind," and "The Case Of The Missing Letter." She is also a repeat author for "Chicken Soup For The Soul." Her articles appear monthly in the "Mountaineer," a postal publication. Her hearts desire is to encourage and to give hope.