Do you believe the DEVIL exists? (Part 2)

Maybe we DON'T really believe we have an enemy, a real spiritual and personal enemy!  If we did, it would change how we view our lives.

Apply these assumptions to a human war:

· "We don't need to look for our enemy behind every rock."

· "We don't need to focus on our enemy.  After all, through democracy, we already have the victory!"

· "We'll deal with our enemy IF WE ENCOUNTER HIM."

· "We should RULE OUT every other possibility for this landmine being here before we ASSUME it was put here BY OUR ENEMY."

Perhaps human warfare is too far removed from us as Americans.  Perhaps when Peter warns believers to be sober minded and alert because of our adversary “prowling like a roaring lion, seeking to devour,” this too is far removed.  We don’t encounter lions at all…except at the zoo!  So we don’t know the very real alertness necessary to avoid being their prey.  And we live in relative peace in America, as far as war goes.

But we are aware of terrorism!

We do know what a terrorist is!

Terrorism: 1. The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes. 2. The state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.

Terrorist:  a person who terrorizes or frightens others.  Dictionary.com

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  Hebrews 2:14-15 NIV

The devil is the ultimate terrorist!

Now what do we do as Americans, indeed what are we doing RIGHT NOW, when there is a threat of terrorism?  We put ourselves on high alert!  Code red!  Because we believe there is a real enemy, perhaps behind A ROCK if one is big enough to hide him!! We believe he is on the prowl and seeks to attack when and where WE LEAST EXPECT!  So we, like Peter said, must be SOBER MINDED AND ALERT!

Since this is the case for a human enemy, one who is visible and tangible, one with a nature and mind like ours, how much more is it the case for an invisible spiritual enemy, thousands of years older than us, much more powerful than us?