Who is the enemy?

One of the major land mines in bible teaching is how to decipher the proper interpretation of Old Testament terms in the light of the new in christ .

Jesus had to do this severally in the four gospels.
Luke 24:25-27 KJV
[25] Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26] Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
[27] And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

He had to interprete words and actions and events for and to them .The original words here means to interprete across board .

Luke 24:44-45 KJV
[44] And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45] Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

He opened their thinking ,into properliness of bible interpretation .
The use of temple ,house of the Lord etc in the Old Testament was a building ,which was figuratively of the church today .

John 2:19,21-22 KJV
[19] Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
[21] But he spake of the temple of his body.
[22] When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

His body ,the church ,the new creation is this temple
It will be crass ignorance to thus pray with David's psalm of hope

Psalm 23:6 KJV
[6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

David was definetly not referring to a temple he could not and did not build .
He was looking forward to being in Christ,the new creation
We are the Temple today.

1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV
[16] Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Collectively .
1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV
[19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Individually .

He also spoke a psalm concerning Gods presence and praise .
Psalm 22:3 KJV
[3] But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
This isn't true today .
He now inhabits us.

Ephesians 2:22 KJV
[22] In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The praise comes from His house .

1 Peter 2:5,9 KJV
[5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
[9] But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Virtues and Verities of deity .

That said.
The concept of enemy or enemies has also been badly interpreted by some .

Psalm 68:1 KJV
[1] Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
His enemies were seen as men .
Psalm 35:1,4-5 KJV
[1] Plead my cause , O Lord , with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
4] Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt
. [5] Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them .

Moses too
Deuteronomy 30:7 KJV
[7] And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.
They were cursed .

Even the Prophets too
Micah 5:9 KJV
[9] Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
These were men without illumination .
They had little light .
John was the greatest of their breed .

Matthew 11:11,13 KJV
[11] Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
[13] For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
They were seeking to see and know for four thousands years .

Matthew 13:17 KJV
[17] For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Such limited information and so couldn't decipher the devil .

Jesus clarified issues for us all more importantly after His resurrection ,in the epistles .
Hear him in the four gospels .

Matthew 5:43-45 KJV
[43] Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Love your enemy !
Pray for your hater! be kind to them .
David couldn't see this ,and he hasn't / hadn't sinned treating men as such ,but it will be foolhardy for him to be leading us in his psalms .
It's like the blind leading those with sight.
Tragedy .
Jesus had to rebuke his disciples .

Luke 9:54 KJV
[54] And when his disciples James and John saw this , they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Like Elisha ?
Call down fire and destroy people in your family and office .
Elisha wasn't born again and was spiritually impaired ,sight wise.

Jesus spoke in hard terms
Luke 9:55-56 KJV
[55] But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. [56] For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them . And they went to another village.

Yes,to destroy the works of the devil not men .
Sickness didn't come from a family member ,it's the devil holding two people in delusion including you if you believe such,including his agent or vessel

Acts 10:38 KJV
[38] How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

We aren't to treat men as david or any of men of old did .

Romans 12:20-21 KJV
[20] Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21] Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

David didn't have this ability .
It's found in eternal life ,In christ .Available only at the resurrection of christ .

Ephesians 6:12 KJV
[12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places .
He uses flesh and blood but we mustn't be deceived into seeing them as the enemy .
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV
[3] For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4] (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds
[5] Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

This refers to preaching the gospel .
We don't try using PR strategy ,fleshly tools.
We preach the Word.
In handling men he uses we set them free by the name of Jesus .

Acts 16:16,18 KJV
[16] And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
[18] And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Not destroy men.
Such teachings cause divisions and strife in families and neighborhoods.
Where they choose to oppose the gospel too.

We don't seek their death .
Acts 4:29-30 KJV
[29] And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
[30] By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
Boldness and signs and wonders .

Romans 15:30-32 KJV
[30] Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
31] That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;
[32] That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

Access to preach .
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 KJV
[1] Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
[2] And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

Deliverance from the evil plot
2 Timothy 4:17-18 KJV
[17] Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
[18] And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Same .
Philippians 3:18-19 KJV
[18] (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
[19] Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

False teachers ,will see judgment at the end .
Not death

We are to love men Satan uses whilst we resist him in faith .
1 Peter 5:8-9 KJV
[8] Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
[9] Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Don't be found praying against some person for them to die or be harmed .
You are yielding to Satan .

Our enemies are spiritual
Ephesians 1:21-22 KJV
[21] Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: [
22] And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Spiritual entities .

1 Corinthians 15:25-26 KJV
[25] For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet
. [26] The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Death is spiritual .not a colleague or family member
He never put men under us,but spiritual realities ,which influence men .

We are to set such men free by the gospel,resist him ,ask to be delivered from their plots where they are obstinate .

I found out many churches don't teach the love walk hence their ignorant forays into the Old Testament to find excuses to destroy men's lives ,albeit via the devil .
Stay in the truth revealed in the epistles and walk in love towards men ,yet staying in faith ,in the spirit to put Satan and his ilk under your feet,subjection .

Romans 16:20 KJV
[20] And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Hope this is clear ?
I call you blessed
Jesus is Lord

Don't bolded by me.

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So many people (including me) forget that we aren't really fighting with the person..per se... but rather demonic forces using the person.
So many people fail to realize that they are allowing themselves to be used by satanic forces...
I have to daily pray for a heart to "love & pray" for those who are under the enemy's bondage...& don't know it.