THE ENEMY does not come after you because of your past. He comes after you because of your future.
He tries to steal your hope and get you into despair.
When the CHILDREN of ISRAEL bought his lies, God told Moses that as they had spoken in his ears, he would do. (Numbers chapter 14, verse 28)
Whatever lies he's told you, replace it with the truth. That's how you unmask the enemy.
Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee. (James chapter 4 verse 7)
THE ENEMY tried it with Job when he killed his children.
However, rather than lose hope in God, he said: Even though he kills me. I will trust in him. (Job 13 verse 15)
Job faced his future with resolute hope.
THE ENEMY saw JOSEPH’s hope, so he had his brothers sell him into slavery.
When he couldn't stop him from progressing, he tried to tarnish his testimony through Potiphar’s wife and wanted to silence him when his master put him in prison.
However, God knows the end of everything from the beginning. (Isaiah chapter 46 verse 20)
God’s dreams and plans cannot be stopped, and His voice cannot be silenced.
JAMES 3, verse 16 says: “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [unrest, rebellion] and every evil thing and morally degrading practice.”
HAMAN was jealous of the Jews when he came up with a scheme to eliminate them.
But he was impaled on the gallow that he set for Mordecai. (Esther chapter 8 verse 10)
When SARAH couldn't conceive, she gave her servant to Abraham. But when Hagar conceived, she despised her mistress.
One of the tactics of the enemy is to divide and destroy relationships.
When God told Abraham to send Hagar and her son away, he unmasked the enemy. (Genesis chapter 21, verse 14)
God will tell you what to do, but he will not fix your relationship for you.
God is the person to go to when nothing makes sense
TO SUCCEED, you must know your enemy.
David gets into a dialogue with Saul, who wants him dead.
He asked, Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, or what evil is in my hand? Please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant.
If the Lord has incited you against me, let Him accept an offering [from me]; but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, because they have driven me out this day to keep me from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods. (1 Samuel chapter 26 verses 19-20)
JESUS unmasked the enemy when he told Peter that Satan had planned to sift him. But he had prayed for him. (Luke chapter 22, verses 31-34)

In prayer, you can discern.
Oswald Chambers said:
God does not exist to answer our prayers. But by our prayers, we come to discern the mind of God.
ANOTHER WAY the enemy gets to you is to confuse you.
When you are scared, you become confused.
Confused, David tried to make a pact with the Philistines, but they saw him as an adversary. (1 Samuel chapter 29 verses 4-5)
When he returned to Ziklag, he found his camp plundered and the families of his men taken.
He and his men wept till they had no strength.
His men were so discouraged that they planned to pelt him with rocks, but David encouraged himself in the Lord.
He asked Abiathar to bring the ephod and inquired of the Lord. (1 Samuel chapter 30, verses 1-8)
God is the person to go to when things don't make sense.
ADVERSITY triggers season change.
When you face adversity or opposition, it's about your future.
For example, Daniel prayed when he saw Jeremiah’s prophecy. He knew he had to contend for anything to come to pass.
You will have to do the same because life is spiritual.
After praying for weeks, an angel of the Lord told him that his prayers were heard from the first day.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood in opposition for twenty-one days. Then, Michael came to help. (Daniel chapter 10 verses 12-14)
Discernment unmasks the enemy.
PAUL was on his way to prayers when he met a slave girl who had the spirit of divination [a demonic spirit claiming to foretell the future and discover hidden knowledge].
She brought her owners a lot of money through fortune-telling.
The girl followed Paul and others, shouting, "These are servants of the Most High God." She did this for several days.
Paul was annoyed and commanded the spirit to come out of her. (Acts chapter 16:16-18)
He could tell because he had the gift of discernment of spirits. Paul could tell that she was a counterfeit.
To unmask the enemy, you must know the genuine from the counterfeit.
Bringing it Together
IF YOU do not want to fall prey to the enemy, you must know the truth. It begins with hiding the word of God in you.
There are many wolves in sheep’s clothing. And the devil parades himself as an angel of light. (Matthew 7:15 & 2 Corinthians 11:14)
The place of prayer is your place of discernment.
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