An Invincible Enemy

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 28:20, Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.

Such dread fell upon Saul at the words of Samuel that his strength and appetite left him. How could they not with all that he was about to face? Israel was heading for defeat, making Saul a disgrace as a king, the death of his sons, making him a father who could not defend or protect his sons; and finally, his own defeat and death. With all of this prophesied against him, what could be worse? Have we ever had such a bad day that we asked ourselves, “Can it possibly get any worse?” Well, for Saul, it could, and it did. Far worse than anything that was said to Saul, his greatest danger in all of this, and his greatest loss, was that God had departed from him (v. 15-16). The greatest enemy Saul had in his final battle was not the Philistines. His greatest Enemy was God (v.16). Of all the enemies we could ever face, the worst Enemy we could encounter in this life is God, an Invincible Enemy. Jesus warned us in Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Yet, how often do we put ourselves in a position to be God’s enemy? Many of us would say, “No way! I would never stand against God or make Him my enemy!” Is that so? How about those times in our lives when we are more friends to the world than we are to God? How about those times when money, material gain, and worldly prestige become the ultimate goal in our lives? How about when God takes a back seat to all that the world is offering us, with its false promises? Jesus told us in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” James 4:4 also warned, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” I have always said that God can deliver us from our enemies, even the hands of the devils. However, who can deliver us from the hand of God? That being said, why would we want to put ourselves in a place to have God as our Enemy? Those who do not know Jesus as Savior do not realize exactly what they are heading for if they do not repent and call upon the Lord as their Savior and Lord. We, who already know Him, must make sharing Jesus with the lost a priority before it is too late. We already have the ever present (omnipresent), all knowing (omniscient), and all powerful (omnipotent), God on our side. Why would we want to defect back to the place Jesus saved us from? The best way I can end today’s devotional is to let God have the last word. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 God made it clear about where He wants us to stand. The verses read, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them.’ ‘I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ 17 Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. 18 I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.’”

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).