Know Your Opponent.

Christians throughout the world are being persecuted because of their belief in Jesus Christ.  Many Christians are being mistreated, tortured, and killed because of their faith in Jesus.

I coached basketball for many years. Most coaches understand that the more you know about your opponent, the more likely you are to experience success.

As Christians, the more we know about the enemy, the less likely it is that we will be defeated by the enemy.

Who is the enemy?  Where will persecution come from?

If you have not read Persecuted For Your Faith (Part 1),  Persecuted For Your Faith (Part 2), or Persecuted For Your Faith (Part 3) you may want to read those posts before proceeding with this current post.

Persecuted For Your Faith (Part 4)

Who is the enemy? The initial answer is obvious.  Our enemy is the devil. Our enemy is Satan.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 ESV)

Be careful.  Satan is extremely clever. “…for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. …. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15 ESV)  Satan makes himself look good and he makes his servants look good.  Satan and his demons, disguised as angels of light or servants of righteousness, will try every trick in the book to convince you to submit to Satan’s ways.  Satan cannot take away our relationship with Christ, but he can make us an  ineffective ambassador for our Lord and Savior.

Read the following scripture passages to see who it was that persecuted Christ and the early Christian church.

Individuals or groups who persecuted Jesus:

• The high priest, chief priests, elders, scribes, and the council (The religious leaders)

 And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. (Mark 14:53 ESV)

 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. (Mark 15:1 ESV)

•  Religious leaders in conjunction with supporters of Herod

 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. (Mark 3:6 ESV)

 

Individuals or groups who persecuted the early Christian church:

•  The high priest, priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees (The religious leaders)

 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. (Acts 4:1-2 ESV)

 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. (Acts 5:17-18 ESV)

•  A scholar of the Old Testament

 (Saul) circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;  as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:5-6 ESV)

 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. (Acts 8:3 ESV) 

• Saul supported by the High Priest

 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1-2 ESV)

• The government

 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. [2] He killed James the brother of John with the sword, [3] and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. …. (Acts 12:1-3 ESV)

 

Who did the persecution?  The “religious” leaders, the government, and “religious” zealots were responsible for initiating persecution against the early church.

What was their goal?  Suppress or eliminate Christianity.

ARE THINGS ANY DIFFERENT TODAY?

Challenge:

Be strong in the Lord.

Know the truth.

Know the enemy.

Put on the whole armor of God.

Stand firm.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11 ESV)

 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12 ESV)

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