Knowing Your Enemy

Back in my day, when dinosaurs roamed the land, young boys on a school bus would reach across the seat in front of them and flip the ear of whoever might be sitting there.  That person, thinking it came from whoever was sitting in the seat behind them would turn around and smack them.  While that would probably result in suspension, perhaps a visit by the police or maybe even a lawsuit for the emotional and physical injury, back then, it was considered great fun.

The idea was misdirection, getting the person two seats ahead to believe the person behind them was the antagonist.  You could play the same game in a crowded hallway.  You can also use this tactic to win elections such as the Democrats labeling the Republicans as racists when Democrats started the KKK and more republicans voted for the Civil Rights Acts (Do you happen to recall which party blocked the integration of schools here in Little Rock?  Democrat is correct).  And, after 50 years of the Great Society, poverty is the same percentage of the population and the Black community is still suffering a disportionate amount of poverty.  This is not to say that the Republicans are saints, they are, after all, politicians - jus' sayn that the Democrats have been better at misdirection.

There is a world-wide war going on.  People are being blown up, heads are being cut off, cities and even regions being taken over by force.  The politically correct are saying these groups have nothing to do wih Islam, that they have highjacked the religion as a front.  Well, they think they are Islamic, they have called for Islamic Jihad, they seek to establish Sharia Law wherever they go.  While their barbaric ways certainly do not resonate with all Muslims, they believe themselves to be Muslim.  Also, in less dramatic ways, Muslims are taking over communities and neighborhoods in various countires, even here, insisting on Sharia Law.   The Qu'ran itself calls for the violent subjegation of all non-Muslims or infidels.  In countries where Islam is the majority, there are no minority rights.

All of that is on a large country-wide and even world-wide scale.  Bringing it down to an individual or personal scale, we face an enemy that is a master at misdirection: Satan.  We are given to think that the person who offends us is our enemy when he actually is a prisoner of Satan, who is being used to work against you.  The individual needs your prayers for reconciliation rather than you power of retaliation.  Our "battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil..." (Eph 6:12).  The individual needs help not harm.  We are told specifically to "love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt 5:44).

It is important geo-politically to know our enemies and not be fooled by misdirection.  It is even more crucial that spiritually and personally we recognize the true enemy.  Jus' Sayn.