Victorious...Knowing your real enemy.

I recently received a newsletter (included below) from Peacemaker ministries and found it to be a helpful reminder to our Victorious Series. We are in a battle and we have an enemy. When it comes to conflict in our lives, it is healthy to remember that our true battle is not against other people, but with a common spiritual enemy. Thanks be to our loving and graceful God, who has prepared us with the Armor of God.

This Sunday, we are looking at "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." Please take a moment to read the Peace Meal newsletter. I think you will find it helpful today (you can even subscribe if you want to receive it yourself). And, if you want more information, you may also want to read, "The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict." It is one of the more powerful books that I have recently read.

Evil Has A Name  "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) Satan prefers that we do not recognize his role in our conflicts. As long as we see other people as our only adversaries and focus our attacks on them, we will give no thought to guarding against our most dangerous enemy. Both James and Peter were aware of this danger, and they warn us to actively resist Satan's schemes (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). Paul gives a similar warning, reminding us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6:12). Food for Thought  "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight." -- C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters Who is your most dangerous enemy? Think about it for a moment. What would you say? Odds are that among both non-Christians and Christians, most of us would answer in terms of flesh and blood; in other words, someone or some group of people. But as Ken reminds us, that's just not the case. Three scriptural authors -- Peter, James and Paul -- all echo the reality that our most dangerous enemy in this life is Satan. There is an enemy out there and we're basically oblivious to his schemes - we're asleep at the wheel. We just keep on blaming each one another, a.k.a., flesh and blood, for everything that's going on. Ken says it well: Satan prefers that we do not recognize his role in our conflicts. If we have any intention of living as peacemakers, it's imperative that we live with an awareness of our most dangerous enemy. Now it is true that most of our struggle comes through flesh and blood, but we've got to be self-controlled and alert, remembering that it's not ultimately against flesh and blood that we battle. The Peacemaker:  A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict Ken Sande describes powerful biblical principles you can use to resolve everything from simple personal offenses to family and marital conflicts, church divisions, business and employment disputes, and complicated lawsuits. Includes practical illustrations and detailed application questions.  For more information or to buy The Peacemaker for $13.50 (bulk options available), visit our online bookstore or call our Resource Center at 800-711-7118. PeaceMeal is a weekly e-publication of Peacemaker Ministries (www.Peacemaker.net). All Rights Reserved. Don't forget to pass the peace! If you found this PeaceMeal helpful, please forward it on to friends. If you'd like to reprintPeaceMeal in your church bulletin or newsletter each week, see the guidelines at www.Peacemaker.net.