Part of being victorious in any battle is knowing who your enemy is. That’s Warfare 101. The Bible is clear: Satan is absolutely our enemy. He stands in complete opposition to God, and by extension, to every believer. But here’s the thing—I think we sometimes give Satan more credit than he deserves while underestimating the unmatched power of God.
Our God is limitless. His power and knowledge are beyond measure, and they cannot be contained. This isn’t some nail-biter match between Rocky and Ivan Drago. The fight for humanity isn’t a close call. God has already won. The victory is His.
That said, spiritual warfare is real. If we were fully aware of the battles happening in the spiritual realm around us, we’d be utterly stunned. So yes, Satan is our enemy—he hates us because he hates God. But let’s be honest here. Sometimes our biggest enemy is…ourselves.
Our flesh. Our desires. Our unbelief. Our lack of faith.
These things can produce sin, doubt, and even rebellion against God.
The Battle Within
Let me ask us a difficult question, and let’s be real together: Have you ever approached Scripture looking for what you could get away with rather than what you could surrender to? I have. Guilty as charged. It’s far too easy to approach the Bible looking for loopholes instead of letting God shape us with His truth.
Paul gets it. In Romans 7, he writes, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Sound familiar? Until we’re glorified, we’ll wrestle with the brokenness of our earthly flesh. But here’s the beauty in that struggle: it’s an opportunity to see God’s power in our weakness.
Some of the most transforming moments in my life have been the “But God” moments. You know the ones:
I was this…but God. I struggle with this…but God.
Our weakness makes room for God’s strength to shine.
But here’s a truth we need to face: God won’t change an unwilling heart.
Do You Really Want Freedom?
Do you truly want victory over your sin? Don’t answer too quickly—really think about it. Do you want to be free from it, or are you clinging to excuses?
Let me share something personal. For years, I wrestled with pornography. I prayed for deliverance—prayed all kinds of prayers for freedom. But my breakthrough came when I stopped blaming everything else and realized something hard: I was the enemy.
James 1:14 says we’re tempted and enticed by our own desires. That hit me hard. I realized I would make excuses for falling again. Or oddly enough, I would make excuses so I could fall again:
“It’s just because I’m stressed.” “I’m away from my wife.” “At least it’s not cheating.”
I wasn’t just falling into sin—I was setting myself up for it. I was craving sin more than I was craving holiness. Saying that out loud still makes me cringe, but it’s the truth.
When we’re honest about our brokenness and willing to surrender our desires to Him, that’s when the shackles start to fall. And here’s the raw, beautiful reality: that’s the kind of honesty God works with. Sanctification isn’t about striving harder; it’s about walking with God as He transforms us. The pathway to holiness comes when our desire for sin is quenched by our desire for God.
It’s Time to Get Honest
So let me ask you:
What sins are you playing games with? Do you honestly want freedom? Or do you secretly find comfort in the excuses?
Friend, let me warn you—sin only leads to pain and heartache.
Let me talk with two different people:
To the unbeliever: I’m going to be blunt because life is short, and eternity is forever. Your sin will lead to death and eternal separation from a God who loves you more than you can imagine. His way is better. He desires to be your God and give you life, not just for now but for eternity.
To the Christian struggling with sin: I’ll be just as blunt with you. God has a purpose for your life, but you can’t step into it while clinging to sin. Jesus didn’t empty Himself of glory, suffer, and die just so we could flounder in the shallow end. He wants to give you more than progress—He wants to give you victory.
So perhaps, it’s time to get honest. Maybe it’s time to get serious about being holy. Maybe it’s time to confront the enemy.
From Talk Scripture: Confront the Enemy | James 1:13-15
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/confront-the-enemy-james-1-13-15/id1786264764?i=1000687454213
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ESV Study Bible. (2010). Crossway Books.