Rev. George Ellis
Pastor’s Corner
I told y’all last week, that “we are on the winning side!” That hasn’t changed from last week to this week.
Winners face their enemies. Winners never quit, because they know that they are going to come out on top. They don’t about-face and run away in defeat; rather, we make our stand in Jesus’ name.
Now, when it comes to enemies, we all know about them, because we all have had or do have enemies. The right kind of enemy can put fear in us, thus disrupting our everyday life. Aan enemy is one who opposes us; they want to bring bodily or emotional harm to us; they want something bad to happen to us; they want our demise.
Enemies, they plot against us; tell lies on us; they hate to see you blessed and they don’t want you to succeed.
Why do we have enemies? Where do they come from?
Let me say, first of all, that you don’t have to MAKE enemies; you don’t have to do anything in order to have enemies. Sometimes people will not like you for no reason; sometimes people will not like you because you carry yourself well and you want to be somebody — young people need to grab a hold of that. If you don’t go along with the crowd when they do wrong it makes them mad and they become your enemies.
Some, don’t like you because they see the Lord blessing you and you have the favor of God on your life; some don’t know why they are your enemies, they just don’t like you.
Enemies come in more than one way. Sometimes the enemy is within ourselves … the flesh, self is the enemy (Rom. 7:18); and we have to determine that this enemy won’t win either.
But external enemies, Satan will make sure if you are a Christian believer, that you will have somebody that will try to do you harm.
Let’s not be naïve today, God’s people are targets; we have targets on our backs. When you represent the cross and what it stands for, be ready. Folks see you coming and they go another way; they don’t invite you to gatherings … they all of a sudden forget to call you! They don’t speak to you and do devilish things against you. There’s a target; Satan hates God and he hates us! That’s why every negative thing that comes our way, he attacks; he attacks the mind; that’s why we Christians have to guard our minds and be anxious (or worry) about nothing … and God’s peace will cover our minds (Phil. 4:6,7).”
But you know community, enemies should not be our main concern today, because our adversary Satan hates God and us.
We will always have enemies, and for every enemy that you have, know that Satan is the influence behind it. It’s not them as it is so much him working through them. He wants to discourage you from serving the Lord, cause you to give up on God; he wants to make us ineffective. But we’ve got news for him: “He won’t win!”
Our main concern should be staying in the will of God. That’s the victory right there, because as long as we stay in the will of God we are promised the protection of God. The key to victory every time from those who would harm us, and even Satan himself, is abiding in the will of God.
A few weeks ago I talked about “Do the right thing” … if we do the right thing, keep God’s commandments, we have the assurance that no weapon formed against us will prosper (Isa. 54:17). So let’s quit worrying about who doesn’t like us! Quit worrying because nobody doesn’t’ want to be your friend … because they don’t speak to you; because they do not invite you to the barbecue — sometimes that’s a good thing!
Quit worrying because friends walk away; because you can’t miss a friend you never had! Quit fretting because nobody stops by your house … that’s a good thing! Less headaches, less heartache, less confusion, peace of mind.
And stop being anxious because you know somebody is out to get you. We are in spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:12); especially as we grow closer to the second return of Jesus Christ. The pressures to conform will intensify, and I’m not saying this to frighten us, but to inform us that regardless of whatever happens, or how it looks now, know that “the enemy won’t win!”
Why? Because Jesus Christ has already won!
Community, we’ve got it mixed up. We spend too much time worrying about what our enemies think and what they are planning to do. Y’all know some folks stay up at night worrying about the enemy; but that’s not our call. And my thing is this: “why should I lay awake at night while my enemies are sleep? They are the ones who should be woke!
In Christ we have a “stand your ground” law; we stand, and let God deal with our enemies; and if we do, the enemy won’t win. God told His people Israel, “The Lord shall cause your enemies that rise up against you to be smitten before your face: they shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways (Deut. 28:7).”
So regardless of what it looks like now, walk in your victory. “The enemy won’t win!”
The Rev. George Ellis is the pastor at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.