THE STRUGGLE OF THE BELIEVER AFTER ACCEPTING CHRIST

Once you become a Christian, you now have only one enemy, which is the devil. Every other person who acts as an antagonist is doing so as a result of problems. Looking at them as enemies won't enable you to love your enemies as Jesus commands us to do.

This wrong mentality has made us pray against people instead of the problem. Because when we say we are praying against the enemy, and a person's name comes to our mind, that shows you are no longer praying against the devil—you are praying against a person.

PART 1: IDENTIFY THE ENEMY

1. You identify the real enemy correctly

Theological Foundation:

The moment you got born again, there was a legal transfer of ownership. You were translated from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. (Colossians 1:13). Therefore, your conflict is no longer horizontal (man-to-man), it is vertical (spirit-to-spirit).

The Scripture in Ephesians 6:12 is clear:

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

What this means:

- Flesh and blood represents human beings. The Bible explicitly says they are NOT your enemy.

- Principalities and Powers are invisible hierarchies of darkness. These are your actual adversaries.

- The Devil is the commander-in-chief of this army. He is the only real enemy.

The Reality:

People are just vessels. They are either:

1. Ignorant Vessels: They do not understand what they are doing. They are blinded by "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

2. Oppressed Vessels: They are under spiritual influence, acting out of character.

3. Broken Vessels: They carry pain, trauma, and issues that make them act out.

So, when someone fights you, they are merely the finger pointing at you, but the hand controlling the finger is the devil. You don't fight the finger; you cut off the hand!

2. It explains the "Why" behind people's actions

People who oppose you are acting "as a result of problems." Theologically, this is called "The Law of Sin and Death" (Romans 8:2). Sin operates as a nature inside people, causing them to do things they sometimes don't even want to do.

- They act out of Jealousy: James 3:14-16 says that where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. Their confusion is not your fault; it is a spirit working in them.

- They act out of Insecurity: They feel threatened, not because you are bad, but because they feel small inside.

- They act out of Pain: Hurt people hurt people. They have been wounded, so they wound others.

The Example of Judas:

Judas betrayed Jesus. Was Judas the enemy? No. The Bible says "Satan entered Judas" (Luke 22:3). Judas became a vehicle for the enemy. Jesus knew the difference. He loved Judas the person, but He exposed the sin and the spirit behind the action.

Key Insight:

When you see people this way, your compassion rises. You stop saying, "Why is this person so wicked?" and you start saying, "Lord, have mercy on this person, they are under a stronghold."

3. It makes "Loving your enemies" possible

Jesus commanded us in Matthew 5:44-45:

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you... that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

This command seems impossible until you understand your teaching.

- The Mental Block: If I see you as the enemy, loving you feels like self-destruction. It feels like I am betraying myself.

- The Spiritual Reality: But if I see you as a victim, as someone who is sick spiritually, then loving you is not weakness—it is medicine. It is mercy.

The Theology of Redemption:

Jesus died for sinners. While we were yet enemies of God, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God did not love us because we were good; He loved us because we were lost.

- So when people fight you, they are technically lost in that moment. They are acting like the devil's children.

- Your job is not to destroy them, but to show them the nature of God.

Separation Principle:

You must learn to HATE THE SIN, BUT LOVE THE SINNER.

- You hate what they are doing (the lies, the hatred, the pain).

- But you love who they are—a soul created in God's image, for whom Christ also died.

PART 2: THE FRUITS OF THIS MINDSET

1. Your anger shifts from people to the real cause

Theology of Spiritual Warfare:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says:

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God..."

When you fight people, you are using carnal weapons—anger, words, revenge. These don't work. They only destroy you.

The Shift:

- Old Mindset: "I am angry at John because he betrayed me."

- New Mindset: "I am not angry at John. I am angry at the spirit of betrayal that is using John to attack my destiny."

Your Prayer Changes:

Instead of praying: "Oh God, deal with John! Punish him!"

You pray: "Father, expose the works of darkness behind this situation. I bind the spirit of confusion and hatred that is operating in this matter. Let light come!"

You stop fighting the symptom and start fighting the source.

2. It creates room for people to repent and change

The Nature of God:

God is longsuffering. 2 Peter 3:9 says He is "not willing that any should perish."

If you label someone as your enemy, you have passed a verdict on them. You have closed the door for God to work in their life.

But when you see them as a "project in progress" or someone going through problems, you give the Holy Spirit room to work.

Biblical Example: The Apostle Paul

Before Paul was saved, his name was Saul. He was breathing threats and murder against the church. He was their worst nightmare.

- Did the church pray for God to kill him? No.

- They prayed for him, and God encountered him.

- Today, we read his letters. Imagine if they had prayed against him and cursed him!

Your Grace gives them a chance to change.

3. You stop expecting perfection from humans

The Doctrine of Total Depravity:

The Bible says in Romans 3:23,

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

No human being is perfect. We all have flaws.

- Psalm 118:8 says:

"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

When you put your expectation in people, you set yourself up for disappointment.

- When they fail you, you don't get shocked. You say, "Okay, that is human nature acting. I expected it."

- You forgive faster because you know that only God is good. Only God is faithful.

4. It protects your own heart

The Danger of Bitterness:

Hebrews 12:15 warns:

"Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled."

Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

- When you see everyone as an enemy, your heart becomes hard.

- When your heart becomes hard, you cannot hear God clearly. Prayer becomes difficult. The anointing stops flowing.

The Protection:

When you walk in love:

- Your heart remains soft and tender.

- You walk in 1 Peter 3:8-9:

"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another... not returning evil for evil... but on the contrary, blessing."

You remain unpolluted by the world's hatred.

5. You become dangerous to the real enemy

The Strategy of Division:

The devil's greatest weapon is DIVISION.

Matthew 12:25 says:

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation."

- The devil wants Christians fighting Christians.

- He wants you busy fighting your brother so that he is free to attack your life, your business, and your family.

When you refuse to fight people:

- You break his strategy.

- You unite with other believers.

- James 4:7 says:

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

You cannot resist the devil effectively if you are busy fighting people. When you focus on the real enemy, he flees!

CONCLUSION

You basically said: "I will not fight the people, I will fight the problem maker." That is wisdom from above.

When you stop fighting people, you save so much energy, stress, and heartache. You can finally sleep well and keep your joy intact, no matter what people say or do.

It’s like you are wearing invisible armor—nothing they throw at you sticks, because you know exactly where it’s coming from.

Walk in love. Fight the devil. Bless the people. 🙏🔥

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