In Victory!Sample

The Opposing Team

Luke 22:31-32 "And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.'"

Sports coaches know well that the outcome of a game invariably depends on the performance and strategic choices of their opponents. As long as they are not alone on the playing field, it would be a grave mistake to ignore the opposing team.

The same goes for the heirs of Christ. Having the Holy Spirit does not mean that the opposing team cannot harm us anymore. Quite the contrary. The Lord Jesus warns us through Simon, renewed in the apostle Peter, that Satan tries to claim us on account of our old nature. Indeed, we can give in to his ways, and give him legal rights. Luckily, we can know his schemes.

The team of the evil one is organized, methodical, and determined. They know God, the gospel, the reality of the spiritual world. They also know the call on our lives, our struggles, our sins, and much more. Their intelligence system far surpasses our human intelligence, and their operations in the field are well-oiled. We also observe that they often do not need to make great efforts to subjugate men to their yoke.

To resist the wiles of the evil one, like athletes and their coaches, we must be prepared for this encounter. It is well known that coaches spend a lot of time studying their opponents: their strengths, their weaknesses, their strategies in previous games, the action plans in place, the partners, or even the stakeholders.

We, as Christians, must learn to do the same and study the tempter's tactics: the doors he takes, the lies he spreads, the identities he usurps, the hearts he corrupts. The Bible is both an offensive and defensive tool, and the devil's maneuvers are exposed therein. The Holy Spirit instructs us, often through the Word of God, on these subjects and helps us apply insights and teachings in our daily lives.

Brothers and sisters, the plans of the opposing team can and must be unmasked. Let us burn with the zeal of the Holy Spirit and together bring down these Goliaths.