Who Is the Enemy, and How Do We Love And Live In A World Shaped By Lies?

Good Morning Friends,

Having just finished a study of the seven churches in Revelation it is clear that churches embrace lies that can destroy them. But it is also clear that if we truly desire a closer relationship with God that we need to develop the ability to respond to God in real time. We need to be led by the Spirit to experience meaning and purpose, forgiveness that removes shame, love and belonging,stability and protection, order, adventure and risk that leads to life and not to being led astray.  Some lies are loud. Others are subtle. But the most dangerous ones are the lies we believe without realizing it, ideas that sound compassionate, spiritual, or empowering, but quietly distort the gospel… lies we tell ourselves. False ideas rarely arrive as obvious heresy; they come as almost‑truths, close enough to feel right but far enough to lead us away from Christ. This is nothing new. C.S. Lewis focused on this in his Screwtape Letters. Most of the letters in the Bible address it. Our Confessions address it as well. Unfortunately lies are all too prevalent in society and in churches as well. Today’s question is simple but searching and relevant about this topic. It is related to whether we are walking through the right doors and whether we invite Jesus in when He knocks at ours. We ask, Who is the enemy, and how do we love and live in a world shaped by lies?

Scripture:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers of this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:44–45

Message: One of the lies Christians often absorb is that the “enemy” is a person, someone who disagrees with us, wounds us, or opposes our faith. But Scripture is clear: the enemy is never flesh and blood. The enemy is the deceiver, the accuser, the one who twists truth into confusion. We are in an ideological war whether we want to be or not. And the enemy is working to mold us through ideas that sound good but hollow out the gospel. When you hear things like  “Follow your heart.” “God just wants you to be happy.” “Your truth is the truth.” “Love means never confronting sin.” “If it feels spiritual, it must be from God.” Know that these are not neutral slogans. They shape how we see God, ourselves, and the world. They create a worldview where God becomes small, self becomes central, and truth becomes optional. So reject them but also know that the enemy is not the person who believes these lies. The enemy is the lie itself. And that distinction changes everything. When Jesus commands us to love our enemies, He is not telling us to love the lie, but to refuse to dehumanize the person who believes it. We are called to love those we consider enemies not because they are harmless, but because love is the weapon that refuses to dehumanize. Love does not surrender truth; it embodies truth. Real love is truthful, sacrificial, and patient. Christian love is the signpost of new creation.To love in a world of lies means: We refuse to treat people as the enemy. We confront falsehood without cruelty. We speak truth without superiority. We pray for those who oppose us. We remember that every person is someone Christ died to redeem. Love is not passive acceptance. Love is courageous clarity wrapped in compassion. Of course, it is beyond our ability to change the Worldview on our own. But with the Spirit we can. The challenge is that Christians believe that spiritual formation is automatic. It is not. Formation is intentional. Every day, something is discipling us. Perhaps it is culture, the media, fear, desire or hopefully Christ knocking on our door. Know that we are spiritually formed by: Scripture shaping our imagination. Worship reorienting our loves. Community  sharpening our discernment. Prayer and Fasting aligning our will with God’s. And, Obedience that trains our hearts in holiness. We cannot change the world’s worldview overnight. But we can be changed. And changed people change the world. 

And So, the Spirit forms us slowly, deeply, and beautifully until Christ’s character becomes our instinct, not merely our aspiration. Core beliefs anchor us. So to resist lies, we must cling to truth. Here are four core beliefs that shape Christian formation and can help us stay on track. First,    God is sovereign and good. Not everything is good, but God works through everything for good. Second, truth is objective and revealed. It is not “my truth” or “your truth” it is God’s truth. Third, human beings are image‑bearers. Every person has dignity, even those who oppose us. And fourth, Jesus is Lord over heaven and earth. There is no “spiritual” life and “real” life, only life under Christ.These beliefs anchor us in a world of shifting ideas. They give us courage to love without fear and clarity to discern without arrogance. They give us an anchor to keep us from drifting away from a relationship with God.

Pray we recognize the true enemy is not people, but the lies that distort God’s truth. Pray we learn to love with courage, clarity, and compassion. Pray we become spiritually formed by Scripture, worship, community, and obedience. Pray we resist the subtle lies that sound good but hollow out the gospel. Pray we anchor our lives in the core truths of God’s character and Christ’s lordship. Pray we become people whose presence brings light into dark places. Pray we trust that the Spirit can change us and through us, change the world. Pray we respond to God in real time, led by the Spirit to give our heart, mind, soul and body to the task we have been assigned.

Blessings, 

John Lawson