When we join any army during a time of war, the first thing we will encounter is training; training to defend ourselves; training to overcome the enemy; training to recognise the enemy. When we become Christians, we not only did we join His Church, the Body of Christ, we also are enrolled in the Army of God. Like it or not, when we take a stand for God and with God, we immediately become a target of God’s enemies. If it were not so, we would not be specifically warned of this in First Peter 5:8

“Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour.”

It has been this way since the beginning and the times of Eden, as God said in Geneses 3:15 that he would put enmity between Satan and Eve. Enmity, means hatred, bad feelings, antagonism and hostility. This enmity has continued against mankind ever since.

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Emphasis added).

Jesus warns that Christians will struggle and be persecuted, because, as He said in John 15:8, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” Jesus uses the word world (Greek κόσμος or kosmos) here in its widest interpretation to include the government, constitution, all worldly affairs, the earth, all mankind; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ. He expanded on this in John 15:20 warning His followers:

“Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept My saying, they will also keep yours.”

Without doubt, we have been warned. Only one of the original twelve Apostles died a natural death, John, whom they tried to kill by boiling him in hot oil, but whom they eventually drove to exile on the island of Patmos. All others became martyrs and the days of early Church were times of non-stop persecution by God’s enemies. You may read more on this in “The Early Christians – in their own words” by Eberhard Arnold.

As we progress further into the end times of the Church age and close in on the second coming of Jesus, we can be assured that the attacks on, and the persecution of Christians will escalate. However, we should not in any way lose heart or feel defeated or defeatist. At all times, let us remember that Jesus died to cancel the works of Satan in this age and in doing so, gave Christians full mastery over his works, when we use the name of Jesus. Read with encouragement the following bible verses which are provided for our education on this issue:

Colossians 2:13-17 “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
Having stripped rulers and authorities, He made a show of them publicly, triumphing over them in it.
Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or in respect of a feast, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths. For these are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.”

First Peter 2:24 “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.”

Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give to you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the authority of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father.”

Mark 16:17-18 “And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will be well.”

But there is more. Jesus wants us to be ‘overcomers,’ for as Revelation 3:12 offers us:

“Him who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will go out no more. And I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name.”

This should stir us to be the best soldier for God as we can be! Jesus overcame and He has given us the same ability. Remember, Jesus did not leave us alone or defenceless. God has provided a written and God breathed guide to life for Christians: The Holy Bible. Not only that, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. As Second Corinthians 6:16b tells us: “For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'” First John 4:4 confirms our status as overcomers reminding us that “You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

To overcome our enemy, we need to be able to recognise him and his works. The Bible has provided us a list of 25 works of the enemy, of which we need to be aware. However, before we look at these, we need to recognise that because Satan and his minions are defeated, they only have claims against us when we, or others, grant him the legal right. When we sin, we open the door for the enemy by giving him a right to claim us against that sin. If we have no sin, Satan has no rights over us. There is one other important legal point which Christians constantly overlook and that is the effects of curses. Yes, curses exist, curses work and curses are alive and well even today. If we curse another person, we give Satan the legal right to claim that person. Similarly, if we curse ourselves, knowingly or unknowingly, we grant Satan the rights to claim us.

Christians need to take and keep control of their tongue and their language. Though we and others may live out sin free lives, one moment’s loss of concentration and the utterance of an improper word, may instantly undo all our efforts, not only or ourselves, bus other too.

Deception, is the way in which Satan mainly works against mankind. He augments with direct frontal attaches upon those who pose a real threat and upon whom it is worthwhile to allocate special resources. Deception worked against Eve in Eden and he has been using it ever since. As Jesus warned, a little leaven worked into dough will soon infiltrate the whole batch. The enemy works the same way, and a small lie against a Pastor, can be used to destroy both that Pastor, his church works and his ministry.

If we think that because we are in Christ the enemy will not attack us, we are kidding ourselves and leaving ourselves open to attack. Unless of course we are not doing anything for God and are Christian in name only: e.g. a Christian ‘CEO'(Christmas and Easter Only). If the enemy is not hunting for us, it means we are either powerfully walking with God and know whom we are in God – in which case he will attack our family, our job; in any indirect way possible. Or it may mean that we are of no threat to him or his plans and he is not even bothering to marshal resources against us; in other words we are all talk and no action. James 2:20 explains this asking “But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” We each have to decide what kind of Christian we are, if the enemy is leaving us alone.

Let us now look at the 25 works of the enemy so we can understand the works and tactics which he may deploy against us and our dear ones:

Accusing the Brethren:

Revelation 12:10 “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.'”

Agitating lusts:

John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

Causing Infirmities:

Matthew 8:17 “so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘He took on Himself our weaknesses and bore our sicknesses.'”

Luke 13:16 “Shouldn’t this woman, a descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Acts 10:38 “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil.”

Causing Lunacy and Mania:

Matthew 4:23-24 “Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people. His fame spread throughout Syria, and people brought to him everyone who was sick—those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralysed – and he healed them.”

Matthew 17:14-21 Click to open a link to Matthew 17:14-21

Mark 5:1-18 Click to open a link to Mark 5:1-18

Causing Sickness and Disease:

Matthew 4:23-24 “Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people. His fame spread throughout Syria, and people brought to him everyone who was sick—those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralysed – and he healed them.”

Matthew 9 :32-33 “As the men were going out, a man who couldn’t talk because he was demon-possessed was brought to him. As soon as the demon had been driven out, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!'”

Matthew 15:22 “Suddenly a Canaanite woman from that territory came near and began to shout, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed!'”

Acts 10:38 “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil.”

Causing Storms:

Job 1:18-19 “While this messenger was still speaking, another came and announced, ‘Your children were celebrating in their oldest brother’s house when a strong wind came straight out of the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people, and they died. I alone escaped to tell you!'”

Ephesians 2:2 “that you once practiced as you lived according to the ways of this present world and according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now active in those who are disobedient.”

Deceptions and False Religions:

Second Corinthians 11:14 “Did not even Satan marvellously transform himself into an angel of light?”

First Timothy 4 Click to open a link to First Timothy 4

Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Executing Death:

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children have flesh and blood, he himself also shared the same things, so that by his death he might destroy the one who has the power of death (that is, the devil) and might free those who were slaves all their lives because they were terrified by death.”

Hindering Prayers:

Daniel 10:12-21 Click to open a link to Daniel 10:12-21

Lying and False Prophecy:

First Kings 22 Click to open a link to First Kings 22

Matthew 24:11 “Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”

Matthew 24:24 “because false messiahs and false prophets will appear and display great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

Second Corinthians 11:13-15 “Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah. And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom will match their deeds!”

Opposing the gospel:

Ephesians 6:1-18 Click to open a link to Ephesians 6:1-18

Oppressing men:

Acts 10:38 “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil.”

Persecuting Christians and warring on Saints:

Ephesians 6:10-18 Click to open a link to Ephesians 6:10-18

First Peter 5:8-9 “Be clear-minded and alert. Your opponent, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.”

Promoting counterfeit worship and miracles:

Second Thessalonians 2:8-12 “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

First Corinthians 12:20 “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.”

Propagating False Doctrines:

First Timothy 4 Click to open a link to First Timothy 4

Second Timothy 4 Click to open a link to Second Timothy 4

Second Thessalonians 2 Click to open a link to Second Thessalonians 2

Revelation 13 Click to open a link to Revelation 13

Ruling Nations:

Matthew 4:8-9 “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Daniel 10 Click to open a link to Daniel 10

Sin – Rebellion:

Genesis 3:2 “We may eat from the trees of the garden,” the woman answered the serpent.”

Second Corinthians 11:3 “However, I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from sincere and pure devotion to the Messiah.”

Matthew 13:19 “When anyone hears the Word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown by the wayside.”

Sowing tares: Tempting and sifting saints

Matthew 4:3 “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’”

Matthew 13:25 “but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.”

Luke 22:31 ” And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.'”

Spiritual Blindness:

Second Corinthians 4:4 “in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving ones, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (who is the image of God) should not dawn on them.”

Stealing the Word of God:

Matthew 13:19 “When anyone hears the word about the kingdom yet doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”

Supervising Demons, fallen Angels and fallen man:

John 12:31 “Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”

Revelation 12:7-12 Click to open a link to Revelation 12:7-12

Ephesians 2:2 “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.”

First John 3:8 “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

To Kill and Destroy:

John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Urging Suicides:

Matthew 17:15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.”

John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Works of Darkness: Including moral seduction and sexual perversions.

Ephesians 5:11 “and have nothing to do with the unfruitful actions that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are.”

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against human opponents, but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers in the darkness around us, and evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.”

Acts 26:18 “in order to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the authority of Satan to God, so that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”

Romans 1 Click to open a link to Romans 1

Works of Wickedness:

Colossians 1:21 “And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.”

Amen and Amen and Amen.