Who is the Enemy?
Last week we got started by talking about the importance of growing in our faith. Apologetics are an important component in understanding what we believe better and being able to make a defense of it when questions come our way. We talked a goo deal about welcoming the questions of the next generation - and how growing in our faith can have a huge impact on our kids, but what about when we face antagonists at work, school, or even at home?
In the above picture, there’s far more wrong than right with this portrayal! The devil certainly isn’t the puppet-master behind human evil - that would make humans not guilty of what they do. And “Satan” isn’t behind the actions of people you interact with. He could be involved in some way, for he is certainly real - but this idea of Satan invests him with God-like powers the Bible never says he has. But the picture symbolizes the struggle it is to figure out how human free-will and the schemes of the devil are both at work in the world, and how we are to understand the world around us.This week we’re talking about the experience of encountering opposition, and the importance of keeping straight just who the “enemy” is. Too often, we construe the people who disagree with us as the enemy, when they are in fact the people we are sent to serve, pray for, and show compassion toward!
Anchor Texts:
Acts 5:33-39 ESVUK - Opposition to the Apostles
1 Peter 3:13-17 ESVUK - Attitude toward Suffering
Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV - Our Struggle
Matthew 5:44 NIV - Love Your Enemies
Questions to Ponder:
Compare Ephesians 6:10-12 Matthew 5:44. In was sense are we interpreting “enemies” in each verse. Are people our “enemies” or not? In what ways are people our “enemies” and how do we say at the same time that our struggle is ultimately against spiritual forces?
When we encounter opposition to the faith from a person in our life, how do we see it as a “spiritual struggle”? Is there a risk of literally “demonizing” the person?
In what ways are the forces of evil listed in Ephesians 6 at work in the world today?
Do you sympathize with Gamaliel in Acts 5? Do you think he is acting with an open heart toward Christianity? Is there something good for us as Christians to learn from him for our own behaviour toward people we disagree with?
The Theme in Song:
Here’s a song about the deepest answer to the biggest questions we can ask - and it’s not an abstract concept - it’s a person. It’s Jesus, the living Son of God and saviour of the world!
The Theme for Kids:
Here’s a simple introduction to some of the BIG questions of life, for kids.