This bears repeating:
Our enemy is not the Democrats nor is it the Republicans.
Our enemy is not the liberal media nor the conservative media.
Our enemy is not the police nor is it BLM.
Our is enemy is not those who ascribe to socialism, Marxism, Communism, or any other ism.
Our enemy is not Caucasian, Negro, Asian, or Middle Eastern.
Our enemy is not Boomers, Millennials, or Gen X.
Our enemy is not sinners nor is it judgmental Christians.
Listen to what Paul writes: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”
Ephesians 6:12 CSB
And
“For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 CSB
We have one enemy. A league of fallen and humiliated angels. They have been defeated, disarmed, and stripped of all their power. Their job is to kill, steal, destroy, accuse, and divide. But they can only succeed when we give them our power and our authority.
How do we do that? When we believe their lies and partner with them.
“I’m a good upstanding Christian. I would never partner with the enemy!” Yes, you do. We all have.
Every time we post a meme that is intended to degrade others, we are partnering with the enemy who accuses.
Every time we refuse to forgive we partner with his desire to divide.
Every time we assassinate someone’s character through gossip and half-truths, we partner with the enemy. Because his job description is to kill.
Every time we define and reduce people to a derogatory stereotype – “All Muslims”, “All Asians”, “All Mexicans”, we steal their identity. That’s the enemy’s job.
When we put our needs above our sisters and brothers, when we fail to empathize with those who are hurting, when we love with conditions, we are partnering with the enemy and giving him our power.
Fortunately, we serve a God who freely forgives and allows us to begin each day with fresh mercies.
Let’s begin today by choosing to partner with God.
1. This morning, choose to “be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10-11 CSB
2. This morning, choose to “demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 CSB
3. Today, partner with God by speaking life over others. Encourage. Promote. And if you can’t say anything nice, it’s okay to say nothing at all.
4. Today, partner with God by being generous. Freely give your resources, your prayers, your kindness to those you love and those with whom you disagree politically.
5. Today, partner with God and build up. Build up those who are hurting, disenfranchised, disillusioned. Remind the sinner, he was invited to be a saint. Remind the unloved, he is loved. Remind the rejected he is accepted.
6. Today, partner with God and unite. Walk across an aisle to hear someone’s story. See life through someone else’s eyes. Choose to repair a bridge.
7. Today, partner with God and prophesy. Ask God to show you people not as they are behaving but as He created them to be. Then help them see themselves as God has called them to be.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, if you don’t like the division in our country today, choose to be a solution. Choose to partner with God. Choose to allow the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in your life. Choose to stop blaming and accusing. Choose to be the answer.