The Enemy in the Camp: Part 1

As I begin this series of writings I want to start with this statement, “An enemy in the camp is not a possibility, it is a guarantee for the believer!”

But do not be deceived, even if you are beginning to reach toward Christ by reading the Bible, talking to friends about God, listening to sermons of people speaking the Word of God, I promise you the attacks will and have already begun.

There is always the enemy in the camp! Satan cannot own your soul; the adversary is the enemy of God and seeks to rob God of you by destroying, misdirecting, deceiving, and confusing anyone seeking God. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

I’ll reiterate, this is not a might be or could happen—it is going to happen, and the closer a person gets to Christ, the more it will become evident. We are told to put on the whole Armor of God, but we were never told to take it off! I believe this is because the attacks from the adversary will come at all times, and I will say especially in your sleep. Any weakness or vulnerability the adversary can exploit will be utilized and it will be utilized often and repeatedly.

Job 1:7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” Satan was searching for people to attack to devour or drown in confusion, and he and the unclean spirits he commands are relentless in their efforts. Remember that Satan is not alone. Revelation 12:4 explains that a third of the hosts of heaven were swept away by the tail of Satan. Now we have no idea what that number is, but it is evident it was a large number.

These unclean spirits are everywhere and in every place, including in our places of gathering. If we could see with spiritual eyes while we sat in our churches, we would see demonic spirits clinging to people speaking wickedness in the ears of believers and causing unrest.

Some of you may not believe what I have just stated, and that is exactly what the unclean want you to believe. C.S. Lewis once said the greatest trick the devil ever accomplished was to convince the world that he didn’t exist.

If a believer thinks that there is anyplace they can go to be free from the fallen, then that person has been fooled completely in that area. Yes, even in prayer we are not immune to the forces of darkness. I would say that during prayer the evil ones are greatly diminished in their power but they are never gone.

This must always remain in the forefront of the believer’s mind: Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. And this never changes!

Much of the Christian’s life is spent wading through the mire placed there by the unclean spirits that they intended to divert our focus and service to our Lord.

In this series, we will revisit some of the scriptures I included in this first chapter and elaborate on some things never contemplated. We as Christians are sojourners through this world, and this world for us is a battlefield of spiritual wickedness.

I encourage you all to follow along in the Word as we traverse this series of writings and pray about and contemplate these topics. The Word of God is the truth we have, it is the standard to which all things must be measured—including ourselves. There really is only one or the other: it is good or it is evil, and there is no grey area where we can stand.

By reflecting on the sanctity of God’s name, the flames of spiritual ardor are fanned in our souls. - R.C. Sproul