Dealing with Enemies
I remember my first enemy. We moved from Austin to a small country town, and I joined a second grade classroom midway through the school year. Bubba didn’t take kindly to strangers, and he enjoyed tormenting me daily, calling me “Shrimp”, presumably because of my size, not because of my tough exterior. I can still almost see his plaid shirt, blue jeans, acne and mustache.
I also remember the feeling of dread before going to school each morning, worried about what Bubba would say or do to me. As a six-year-old I was experiencing Psalm 6:7, “My eyes are swollen from grief; they grow old because of all my enemies.”
But I’m grown up now, and until recently, I could probably have counted the number of enemies I’ve had in my life on two hands. Well, today I have lost count, and my eyes are swollen again. For the last two months, I have been the target of a multi-faceted attack by former employees trying to destroy my business. They are posting hateful social media posts and reporting false allegations to our state authorities. I’ve heard rumors of class-action lawsuits and threats to take down all the companies I manage.
I should clarify that an enemy is not just someone who doesn’t like the cut of your jib. It’s someone who is actively working to destroy or take away God’s blessings in your life. Your enemies have declared war on you, whether you like it or not. Many of the Psalms describe this, including Psalm 35. Here’s a snippet from verses 11&12:
Malicious witnesses come forward; they question me about things I do not know. They repay me evil for good, making me desolate.
The Psalms are also filled with curses and prayers for vengeance upon the enemy. It is tempting to imprecate with the psalmist in 35:26, “Let those who rejoice at my misfortune be disgraced and humiliated; let those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and reproach.”
Yet, Jesus gave us a better way. Jesus said to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. He taught that the new kingdom operates with us turning our cheeks, relinquishing our coats, and walking extra miles.
We also learn in Ephesians 6 that our enemy is not the “malicious witnesses” from Psalm 35. My enemy is not named Bubba, and the people in my life who steal, kill and destroy are the ones I should be praying for. My true enemy is actually something more sinister and oppressive, and to compete, I have been given impenetrable spiritual armor, which allows me to stand invincibly against the evil one.
Many of you, like fellow soldiers, have come to my aid recently. Your prayers have strengthened me, and your words of encouragement have enabled me to persevere through my current ordeal. Your support reminds me of God’s promises of deliverance, which I need daily.
CityAlight sings a beautiful song called, “Jerusalem” that describes Jesus’s suffering at Calvary. The lyrics remind me that when the enemy attacks, I am near to my Savior. Jesus was despised and insulted by people he knit together in their mothers’ wombs. Would I rather be on the side of the road spewing hatred? Of course not! I choose each day to be on the path with Jesus, no matter what the enemy throws at me. Like Paul’s words in Philippians 3:10, “My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death.”
Somehow, I have found an inexpressible joy in my solidarity with the Son of God, and it gives me courage to love and pray for my enemies. I still long for justice, peace, and reconciliation, but my hope in Christ carries me through my trial.
As I think about my enemies in light of the road to Calvary, my attitude changes from vengeance to sadness. My Psalm 6:7 “eyes swollen with grief” become tearful instead because my attackers are “enemies of the cross of Christ”, as Philippians 3:18 describes. I envision them teetering on a fine line between objects of destruction and precious lambs in the arms of the good shepherd. May they choose the arms of Jesus over the grasp of the enemy.
I wonder what ever happened to Bubba. Did he continue to torment people like me? Did any of his victims ever show him the love of Christ? Was he surrounded by people who truly love him? Was he prayed for? Did he experience the joy of knowing God? I hope so, and I hope to embrace him in heaven as a brother, not an enemy.
