Becoming a Battle Ready FatherSample

Knowing the Real Enemy

Some days the world seems like it’s against you. Your wife isn't firing on all cylinders, your kids are unruly, the dog doesn't want to fetch and your car breaks down (again). As men, we tend to become angry; so, we neglect our wife, holler at the kids, and kick both the dog and the car.

However, if we take a step back, we realize that our battle is not with flesh and blood (or aluminum and steel). As the Bible says, our battle is against the principles and powers that rule this world - Satan and his minions. When we fall to our knees and ask God for His help in being faithful and loving amidst the chaos, He often reminds us that we have wrongly identified the enemy. We think it’s our family or our boss or our in-laws - but, in truth, we are in a spiritual battle and we do well to recognize the real enemy.

Here are some questions to help you determine if you have rightly identified the enemy:

• When your wife is unloving, do you become angry with her and think, "Here we go again." Or, do you realize that your enemy is the one who would seek to destroy your marriage? Are you an instant critic or an immediate intercessor?
• When your children are ungrateful or disrespectful, do you lash out at them, hurling insults or raising your voice as you remind them of their continued failing? Or, do you help them see that they are succumbing to temptation as you guide, encourage and pray for them?
• When your coworkers throw you under the bus, do you become hardened and seek an opportunity to beat them at their own game? Or, do you realize they need Jesus and through your loving service you hope to open a door that could change their lives?

Our wives, children, in-laws, bosses and colleagues are not "the problem." The problem is the father of lies who is whispering in their ears, trying to "kill, steal and destroy." He relentlessly seeks relational destruction. Instead of wrestling with each other when stress rises, let us commit to serving and praying for others as we strive for relational peace.