Remembering We Have an Adversary

Surrendered Business

Oh give us help against the adversary

For deliverance by man is vain.

Psalm 108:12

“We live in a love story set in the midst of a world at war,” John Eldredge so eloquently observes. There is an epic clash between two kingdoms: the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God.

The apostle Paul reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

The things of God are opposed. This is an important reality to remember as we step into the business world.

How do we navigate in a world at war?

1. Ask for Interpretation

Not every challenge we encounter is from the enemy. When adversity surfaces we have the opportunity to pause and ask for interpretation. King David modeled this well. Throughout the story of his life before he engages in battle we find the phrase, “David inquired of the Lord.” We can inquire of the Lord as well, asking questions like:

• What is going on here?
• What do you want me to do?

2. Remember Who The Enemy Is

The enemy may seem like a person. The message may come through an intimidating letter printed on the letterhead of a law firm. It may come through a negative statement on social media. It may show up in an unexplained shutdown of revenue. The important thing to remember here is that our enemy is not flesh and blood. The enemy is a set of spiritual forces of darkness. We are to love people. As usual, Jesus ups that game and tells us to pray for those who persecute us.

3. Take Authority

We can take authority over the enemy. Jesus says, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.” (Luke 10:19) He goes on to tell his disciples to not rejoice that they have power over the enemy, but to rejoice that their names are recorded in heaven. It’s almost as if Jesus assumes that taking authority over the enemy is a routine thing for those who follow Him. Maybe it should be a routine thing for us to do in our businesses.

We do have an adversary. That adversary is not people.

When we forget that we have an adversary we end up assigning blame to the wrong places. If there isn’t an enemy, blame gets assigned to other people, ourselves, and even God.

Let’s recognize that we live in a world at war. Adversity, confusion, discouragement, diminishment, and depression may be coming from the enemy. If this is the case, we can recognize it and take appropriate action.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Revenue Growth Engine. To scale your impact you need to scale your business. To do this, you need a powerful Revenue Growth Engine. Listeners to Surrendered Business can get a free copy of the Revenue Growth Engine audiobook at www.revenuegrowthengine.com/book.