Do you know your enemy? Football coaches and players study the teams they are planning to compete with. Warriors send in spies to study the enemy and report back to make battle plans. Christians have a lot of information recorded for them in the Bible about who the enemy is and what he is up to. The Bible is a progressive revealing of Jesus, His will, and thanks to the enemy and our rebellion, God’s plan of redemption! None of this took God by surprise! He knew that when He created all the good, He was also creating evil (Isaiah 45:7, Ezekiel 28:13-19). New Testament believers get to begin with complete revelation literally at their fingertips!

Begin With the End in Mind!

As soon as I read or heard Revelation 1:3, I gobbled that book up. I want all of God’s blessings!

Blessed

Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand. (Revelation 1:3 KJV)

To “keep” simply means to hold or retain!

Although I had Holy Spirit, Teacher and Comforter (Luke 12:12, John 14:26, Act 9:31, 1 Corinthians 2:13), leading me all the way through, I didn’t and still don’t understand most of the book. But, I am fascinated with what I do get out of it. God can bring back to our remembrance everything that we consume to lead and guide us.

You Know All Things

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20 KJV)

Just as God can use everything for us (Romans 8:28), the enemy can use things against us. The word, “can” implies that it is really up to us! We are in control of ourselves, our lives, and how we influence everyone in our world.

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue [that] shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This [is] the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness [is] of me, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17 KJV)

The Word “Shall” Equals Choice

Again, the word “shall” in the Bible simply means that we can know God through His Word (Matthew 4:4) and walk in the abundant life that Jesus came for us to have. Or, we can choose to be stagnant and lazy and only listen to what other people have to say about God which will really jack you up! Even if you only listen to what one great teacher says about God, you are greatly missing out! God wants to speak to you, one on one, intimate fellowship (John 10:16, 27). You will never regret disciplining yourself to get into a daily Bible reading plan (2 Timothy 3:14-17). This is how God teaches everything including who the enemy is!

According to Blue Letter Bible Searches:

• The word, “Satan” occurs 56 times in 49 verses in the KJV.
• The word “devil” occurs 61 times in 57 verses in the KJV.
• “Devils” occurs 55 times in 48 verses in the KJV.
• The word “serpent” occurs 39 times in 35 verses in the KJV.
• The word “enemy” occurs 11 times in 11 verses in The New Testament in the KJV.

The devil is mentioned over 200 times in the Bible! Do you think that our loving heavenly Father wants us to be completely aware that we have an enemy and how to resist him? YES! Obviously, I cannot write on all of these verses right now, but you will want to read over them. The devil has to flee, but do you know how to resist him?

Resist the Devil

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 KJV)

That’s right. We are to resist the devil NOT ignore him! The enemy has no choice but to flee! How can we resist something we try to pretend doesn’t exist? If something or someone comes against you to steal, kill, or destroy, it is coming from the thief whom God has given you power and authority to resist (John 10:10), and has fully equipped you to FIGHT (Ephesians 6:10-18)!

Old Serpent, the Devil, and Satan

Revelation 12:9 reveals to us that the great dragon was cast out and also explains to us that the whole world has been deceived by its enemy, the “great dragon,” “that old serpent (Genesis 3), called the Devil, and Satan.” We also have the revelation here that “his angels were cast out with him.” That’s where we get the plural forms, “devils and demons.” Revelation 12:8 told us that there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

Now is Come Salvation

In Revelation 12:10, we are told, “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” That is a powerful verse filled with revelation knowledge that explains why the devil was able to present himself before God and accuse Job (See below). Finally, Revelation 12:11 tells us, the brethren, that we can overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony!

Devil is Kicked Out

Notice that Revelation 12:9-11 begins with “was cast out.” Then transitions to present tense, “Now is come salvation.” Then back to past tense (2 Peter 3:8-10). John was “in the Spirit” when he obtained this revelation of Jesus to be shared. Revelation 12:11 ends with “and they loved not their lives unto death.” Again, talking about us now but in past tense because this is a revelation of the future!

A Delight to Follow Jesus

This whole website, YouWillWantTo.com, is based on Psalm 37:4. We will want to follow Jesus even unto physical death! The problem in this nation’s watered-down “Christianity,” is that we are too busy being friends with the world that we are not delighting ourselves in the Lord! The Apostle Paul could boldly say and mean, “To live is Christ, to die is gain (Philippians 1:21-26).” No devil in hell can take us out (1 Peter 3:12-13).

Job Should Be Understood From Revelation

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. (Job 1:6 KJV)

And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. (Job 1:7 KJV)

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:8 KJV)

Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? (Job 1:9 KJV)

Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. (Job 1:10 KJV)

But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. (Job 1:11 KJV)

And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:12 KJV)

Old Covenant? New Covenant? Or NO Covenant!

I don’t think Job was under any covenant. The only person in the story with a Hebrew name was Elihu (BibleHub) Did Job even know that Satan existed? He thought that God was responsible for the giving and for the taking. Under the New Covenant, we know now that God is the giver and the devil is the taker (John 10:10). Job’s tragedy transpired before Satan and “his angels” were kicked out of heaven. He was roaming the earth looking for whom he may devour even back then.1 Peter 5:8 tells New Testament believers what the devil was “going to and fro in the earth” to do. We have the revelation knowledge to take ourselves OFF THE MENU!

God is Bragging on Job

Job 1:8 is so misunderstood! I read Job over a dozen times without realizing that God wasn’t pointing Job out to the devil. God had already seen Satan stalking Job. Satan is not omnipresent, omnipotent, or omniscient! Only God Almighty is!

Job 1:9-11 is the devil talking to God! The devil already knew that God had made a hedge of protection around Job and all his family and possessions! Satan had already been trying to attack Job, but couldn’t get through God’s defenses. Satan had deceived Adam and Eve to give up the authority and power that God intended for mankind to have from the beginning. In Job 1:12, God was just stating the fact that Satan had been handed over the power in the Garden (Genesis 3).

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:11 KJV)

Just like Job, we still live in a fallen world. There will be trials and tribulation because of sin and because the wicked refuse to seek God and therefore serve Satan. These people bring persecution! And when we don’t pray for God’s protection and provision or obey His loving instructions, we just submit ourselves and loved ones to the devil and limit God (Psalm 78:41).

We Cannot Remain Ignorant!

Who do you think would love for us to think that God would brag on Job to the enemy and then steal Job’s health, kill his children, and then destroy his possessions? Why would God put a protective hedge around him in the first place? Job didn’t cause his children to be killed because he needed to be taught a lesson by God! Job’s adult children were completely excluding Job and God from their drunken feast parties. The only fault I see in Job is that he was obviously giving them all the provisions to stay in their sin. He took all of the responsibility on himself instead of withdrawing all of his provisions and giving them the opportunity to take responsibility for themselves. His adult children paid the ultimate price.

But, like so many in the traditional American church today, Job was ignorant. Job wasn’t protected under the New Covenant. Actually, there is no evidence to my knowledge that Job was protected under any covenant with God. God was honoring Job’s righteousness just like Cornelius, the first Gentile convert in Acts 10. We are under the New Covenant in which Jesus fulfilled our end of the deal. It is finished (John 19:30)!

Discipleship

You will want to get into an excellent discipleship program! I spent twelve years, 2007-2019, allowing my relationship with Jesus to be adulterated with man-made religion and dead works through many various sources. Ephesians 4:14 explains (pretty harshly) that men can twist and tweak the Word to manipulate other people. Wesley and I are in the process of creating coaching programs to help flesh out ALL of the garbage.

Help!

The keyword here is HELP! We are still renewing our minds daily too. Always rely on God’s Word for the final authority! We do want to help get you on the fast track to see the born-again spirit inside of you that is sealed being revealed through the renewing of your mind, and manifest in your physical environment (1 Thessalonians 5:23). We are already booking free consultations! And we are preparing to write posts beginning with Jesus’ teachings. Please don’t wait for us to get it all together! AWMI.net and Terradez Ministries have many free but extremely valuable resources that have helped to transform our lives!!! Pastors Tafara and Chipo Butayi and their staff have awesome podcasts and videos too!