The word enemy will almost always be synonymous with the word hater or someone who resists you, or better yet, one who is continually fighting against you.
It is strange for us to see those who hate us as a benefit to our lives. A significant mistake we often make with our enemies is to become enemies to them in return. By doing this, we create the perfect environment for a flesh-and-blood battle that was meant to be spiritual, and it will ultimately lead to our failure. God's word teaches us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12).
Principalities, powers, rulers, and spiritual wickedness are all spiritual entities (not physical) that influence physical beings (flesh and blood). So, the person or persons you have labeled as your enemy were, and if present, are only performers of the influence exerted on them by one or more of these four evil spirits that are aware of your future greatness.
Now, every enemy that you would encounter in your life has been strategically engineered and purposely allowed by God to enter your life. Surprise right? The reason for this is two-fold. A) God, in his remarkable wisdom, always empowers your enemy with the ability to see in you what you do not see in yourself. B) At the same time, you are being trained and developed through patience, only using the challenges that are continually arising against you to advance you to the next stage of your life.
I mentioned the word 'patients' because it's the only tool you have that can help explain why all this is happening to you. To clarify, let's examine the definition of patience. Patience is the ability to calmly tolerate delays, inconveniences, or annoyances without becoming angry or upset. Building on this critical point, consider what scripture says about patience and its importance. The Apostle Paul states, "Knowing this, that the testing of your faith is producing patience. Let patience do her complete work so that you could become complete lacking nothing" (James 1:3-4).
To better understand what I'm trying to share with you, it's helpful to see things from a spiritual perspective. Looking at it this way, you can recognize that biblical principles are your true strength, replacing physical weapons such as hate, envy, cursing, spite, and revenge. Even if you don't read your Bible regularly, a good guiding rule is to do the opposite of what your enemy is doing to you (Matt. 6: 27-28).
Another word that means the same as 'enemy' is 'adversary.' This word is interesting because one of its definitions is 'an opponent.' An opponent is someone on the opposing side of a contest or a war.
The truth is, you're engaged in a spiritual battle, often without realizing it. This conflict aims to distract, delay, destroy, frustrate, confuse, and ultimately wipe out all hope and evidence of the beautiful and purposeful future that God has already prepared for you.
Earlier, I mentioned that God has gifted your enemy with the ability to recognize qualities in you that you might not see in yourself. This suggests that their presence in your life is not accidental. I am about to share a biblical story that provides evidence of this significant revelation.
In First Samuel, chapter one, there is a story about a man who had two wives. One wife had children for him, while the other could not. The story says that when the man returned from his yearly worship, he would visit his wife with children and give her plenty of resources, then visit the barren wife and supply her with resources.
The story surprisingly continues by saying that the other wife, who had children for this man and clearly received more resources than the barren wife, became an adversary to her.
Before we continue, isn't it ironic that your rivals or enemies are often in a much stronger position than you—better jobs, more money, well-connected, higher status, or more favor? Logically, why would someone who surpasses you in nearly everything become your enemy? It just doesn't make sense.
Let's examine this more closely: could it be that they perceive someone with immense potential, someone capable of surpassing them physically and materially if given the chance? The term "embellish" means to make something appear more impressive than it actually is, or to enhance by adding details that create a more magnificent appearance. My point is that it is not your material possessions that make them your enemies. Instead, they see in you a greatness that surpasses how you see yourself, validating your future potential and greatness. When they view you this way, they are embellishing you. Unknowingly, this triggers their jealousy, prompting them to use every resource to oppose you.
The story continues with God blessing the barren woman's womb, resulting in her giving birth to Samuel, one of Israel's greatest prophets. During her adversary's taunts and mockery, she prayed more, sought God more, and grew more committed to Him—something she likely wouldn't have done otherwise. The very area where she faced opposition became the training ground God used to develop her for the next stage of her life. My God, I love this!
Folks! You need to understand this—please, do not, and I repeat, do not become an enemy of your enemy. This is why Jesus Himself said, Love those who hate you and do good to those who do evil to you. They are simply characters playing their role in your life to help you grow. You actually need your enemies!
Jesus Christ could not have been crucified without Judas betraying him. King David would not have become Israel's greatest king without Saul repeatedly challenging him. Joseph could not have risen to become second in command of Egypt without his brothers turning against him. Are you getting this, folks? Good cannot be achieved without opposition from evil; otherwise, we wouldn't understand what good truly is. There must be opposition.
Please stop fighting against your enemies and allowing petty conflicts to fuel your anger, bitterness, and frustration. By doing this, you are only prolonging your struggles. Interestingly, your enemies play a role in your future greatness; you cannot become the person God intends for you to be without facing resistance, including the challenges posed by those who oppose you. In fact, the Bible instructs us to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who mistreat us and speak ill of us.
Alright! If you're still not convinced, let's dig a little deeper. Remember, I’ve repeatedly mentioned that your enemies fight you because they see the potential for greatness in you. They might not tell you this, but they do see it. Even if you are broke, less educated, and among the least of your peers, they still find time to harass you.
Remember Joseph? The young man whose brothers sold him into slavery. The Bible says that his brothers were jealous of him. My question is, why, when they were in a better position than he was? Joseph, being almost the youngest, would have received the least of his father's estate if his father were to die. So again, why did they choose to be adversaries to Joseph?
The Bible begins to tell the story of a few dreams Joseph had. The first dream, Joseph said, was that he and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field, and suddenly, his sheaf arose and stood upright; then his brothers' sheaves gathered around his and paid respect or homage to his sheaf. The dream ended.
Carefully observe his brothers' response to his dream, and they said, "Shall you rule over us? Or shall you have dominion over us?" The Bible continues by saying they hated him even more.
Joseph never said he would rule over them. Nor did he say he wanted to have dominion over them. However, through his dream, they saw that Joseph was destined for greatness to the point that they could not keep the thought to themselves. Their hate for him made them verbally express what they really thought of him... Why are your haters always discussing you?
The scripture shows that your enemy sees in you what you don't see in yourself. God Himself orchestrated this because He needed to train and develop Joseph into the future leader and administrator He intended him to be. Evidence of God's hand is found in Psalm 105:17,19-20-21, which says that God sent Joseph ahead of them, sold as a servant, until His word was fulfilled; His enemies tested and prepared him for the next phase of his life. Then the king released him, making him a ruler. The second dream Joseph shared with his brothers involved the sun, moon, and eleven stars paying homage to him. He even shared it with his father, who rebuked him, asking if his mother, brothers, and he himself would bow to him. Think of your boss, spouse, or colleagues as the figures in this dream—those in your circle who have become, openly or secretly, adversaries. Despite Joseph never claiming superiority or ruling over them, they sensed his destined greatness. When you share parts of your life, haters often respond by rebuking or discouraging you to prevent your progress. It’s hard to accept, but everyone who achieves greatness submits themselves to hostile environments. Those opposing you won't fight forever; their opposition usually has a season. Your enemies exist in your life for a purpose: you can't become a world-changer without opposition. The relationship you're enduring, filled with shouting and conflict, persists because you refuse to submit. The key lesson is in your submission.
Stop expecting others or your environment to change; it's unlikely to happen. The change must start with you. In conclusion, the overarching principle that underlies everything I've shared with you is found in Romans 7:21: "I find then a law, that whenever I want to do good, evil is present with me." This means that evil has a legal right to resist your efforts to pursue good or greatness, so accept that reality.
Remember, there can be no goodness or greatness without the assistance that comes from the resistance of an Enemy.
By: Kevin L A Ewing
ewinglakevin@icloud.com
kevinlaewing.blogspot.com
www.kevinlaewing.com
