How to Stand Strong in the Face of the Enemy

The Bible is full of questions… questions from the eternal God to you and me.

 

And He’s not asking those questions because He doesn’t know the answer. He’s asking because He wants to lead us along a pathway of discovery. He wants to stimulate us to work out the answers.

 

One of those questions is found in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes was written by a pretty smart guy by the name of Solomon. In fact, Solomon was one of the wisest men to ever walk the face of the earth. And through the words of Solomon, God asks a pointed question:

 

But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:10-12).

 

Did you catch God’s question there? It’s found in verse 11: “How can one be warm alone?” The purpose of this question is to reemphasize our need for companionship and fellowship.  

 

And in these verses, God helps us discover several reasons why we need to pursue fellowship and companionship. One of which is that we are in a battle zone!

 

Many Christians walk around dazed and confused, saying, “I don’t understand what’s happening to me; it’s almost like I’m under attack or something.” 

 

Friend, we are under attack! We’re in a battle. And we really do have an enemy.

 

This enemy is the adversary of your soul. He wants to destroy your family and your spiritual life. He wants to rob, steal, and kill. (How else does a minor argument with your spouse over who left the peanut butter out escalate to “I want a divorce!” ten minutes later?)

 

The atmosphere we live in today isn’t just natural. As believers, we have an adversary. And if we’re ignorant of it, he will manipulate us and steal from us. Read these verses from Ephesians 6 in the Living Bible:

 

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all the strategies and tricks of Satan. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies, the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world (Ephesians 6:11-12).

 

In this great epic spiritual battle we’re engaged in, God has made it so that we are dependent upon one another. Let me give you one example from the Bible that shows why this is so important. 

 

In Judges 18, there is a story about a group of people who “had no ties with anyone” (v. 7). As the chapter records, an enemy came in and killed them all. The Bible tells us the reason they were destroyed was because they had no ties with anyone. There was no one close enough to deliver them.

 

Friend, you and I need to have ties. We need friendship and companionship. When we assume the posture of, “Hey, if the devil fights you, he’s got to fight me…and if the devil fights me, he’s got to fight you,” we’re getting somewhere!

 

The amazing thing that happens when we as Christians bind ourselves together is that we bring a third Person into the bundle (Ecclesiastes 4:12). And who is this third cord? 

 

It’s Jesus.

 

Our decision to be unified brings the presence of the Lord in the time of battle. And the devil hates that.

 

In Matthew 18:20, Jesus says, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” When we gather…when we have fellowship and friendship with one another in His name…when we bind our lives together…when we decide to fight for one another…Jesus is right in the mix, strengthening us! That’s a cord that won’t be broken by the enemy!

 

Today, I want to challenge and encourage you not to be an island to yourself. Tie yourself in to other Christians who’ll share life and the battle with you. Because none of us is strong enough to go it alone!