I heard it only once, back in the late `70s. It came over an early Christian Contemporary radio channel while I was driving in a small town where I lived at the time. The station was weak, and faded in and out, so I caught neither the artist, nor even the name of the song. However, I did get the intent:
Satan is the Enemy,
And love is our weapon.
That's all I remember, but it has never left me. It was one of those teachable moments. Naturally, you'll probably recognize it echoes Ephesians 6, where Paul reminds us the struggles in this life do have a purpose. The solution makes sense if you know exactly what the struggle is over, and against whom we battle. If your difficulty comes from anything except opposing Satan and evil, then you are fighting the wrong battle. It's not about people, though they often provide the most difficulty. People are just a tool of Satan; they are not the enemy. We don't fight people.
Nor are people the battleground. We are ourselves the battleground. That is, the real war is against our own sin nature and we are reclaiming ourselves from Satan's power and use. It is not for you or I to "win" people to Christ; that's a miracle work of grace. Rather, we defeat or own sinful nature so God can use us to reveal Himself. In some way only He understands fully, that revelation of Him is used to change people's hearts. By defeating our fallen selves, these other things take care of themselves.
The weapon is love -- obviously the love of Christ on the Cross. We must first accept that sword into our own hearts; we must die to self. The only sword you can wield is the one you pull from your own breast. We win back our lives from Satan by slicing and dicing his works in us. We sacrifice, we let the old self go -- indeed, we aggressively kill it. This is a concept we hardly consider in modern times.
Who owns your life? Who gives the spouse you marry? Who grants the fertility for children to be born? Who decides then what is sufficient care for their needs? Does it really take a spacious home in the suburbs? Must you have the biggest SUV for driving them around? Does an Ivy League education really fit us for Kingdom service? Funny, there are millions the world over who have none of those things, and God truly lives in them. Stop letting the world tell you what constitutes success, what constitutes responsible living, what constitutes a decent income, or anything else, for that matter. Whatever it is you do in this world, it is your Kingdom service. Does God like your job? Is He the one urging you take 70 hours in a work week? Is He the one demanding you take the kids to ballet, soccer, music lessons, etc.?
Sure, spend time with your kids. Maybe you can take them with you when you go and help that widow clean up her yard. Can't get them to do any work? Just who have you allowed to have influence in their lives? You can blame the school system, but you are the one who sent them there. Do you honestly expect human government to care a whit about your Kingdom commitments? If you are truly committed to serving Jesus, you had better expect the world to call you a traitor at the very least.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the the life I now live in this flesh, I live by faith in Him who delivered Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:30)
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed, striving against sin. (Hebrews 12:3-4)
(I owe much to François Fénelon and his book, Christian Counsel on Divers Matters Pertaining to the Inner Life. You can find a copy online here.)
By Ed Hurst
Revised 19 November 2007
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