It’s only too easy to fight the wrong enemy.
We can often assume that people are our enemy, but the word of God is plain:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Our real enemy is Satan.
I sometimes get extremely negative comments, thankfully, not usually here on my blog, but when my posts get picked up by other sites. The gist of some of these comments is “Shut up, you rebellious woman and get back in your place!”
It’s tempting to think that men who try to put down women are misogynists, out to protect their position in the status quo. But I’m convinced that the majority of people who say, for example, that women are not allowed to teach, or should stay silent in church, are not misogynists (women haters) but are trying to obey God’s word. I applaud their integrity even though I disagree with them. They are my brothers (and sisters) in Christ.
Our fight is not with them, but with Satan, an enemy who has an implacable hatred for women (Genesis 3:16). Both men and women have been deceived by his lies. It’s also against a patriarchal system and tradition.
Praise God, we also know that Jesus triumphed on the cross, and his is the ultimate victory. (Col 2:15)
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11 replies on “Fighting the real enemy”
Jesus said ” blessed are the pure of Heart they shall see God.” I pray God increase your capacity to see and experience Him, thanks for being a good cyber teacher!
Thanks, Bob!
I am curious why you cited Genesis 3:16 when referring to Satan’s _”implacable hatred”_ for women?
In it God says: _*”I will*_ _greatly increase your sorrow…”_
History shows Satan’s hatred of women. Consider the following:
Half the world’s population is female.
They own 1% of the worlds wealth.
70% of those living in poverty in the world are female, globally.
100 million little girls are missing from today’s generation
In India, 50 million girls are victims of sex-selection, abortion and female infanticide.
Rape is a primary weapon of war. …esp. in some African nations. About 48 women are raped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo every hour.
These are just a few of the statistics I’m aware of. I could go on
Ok, but Jesus said that he who sins is a slave of sin. So in light of that truth, the rapist’s and all of the other men who hurt and destroy women are just as much victims of satan as the women are, no? They are held captive by him to do his will…
Also, how many men are drug addicted, drunkards, abusers, homosexuals, thieves, liars and just all around lost? They too are victims of satans evil desire and rule.
Just like there are men that hate women, there are women who hate men. They just don’t tend to do the things men do – primarily due to the lack of physical strength and other factors such as social status and such.
But women being subject to men, in itself, is no evil. It is women being subject to evil men that is the problem.
I don’t find any of the above listed things as proof that satan has an unequal hatred for women over men.
Satan has come to steal, kill and destroy. He will use men against women, sure, but he desires to destroy all equally.
I wonder what your message and purpose in life is? To right the perceived social wrongs of the world (such as patriarchy) or to see people regenerated and free from sin and satans control over them and living holy lives to the glory of God.
Is your aim to have Christ formed in believers or to have the world formed in to an image you have in your head?
Jesus called us to forsake the world (system) and to live for heavens purposes and God’s glory. I will speak out against social ills as they are a symptom of the sin and heart sickness of fallen man, but God forbid I make any social issue my main concern..
We are here to preach the gospel and reveal Christ through our lives, not to set women free of a secondary position in the world (one that I still argue is not ungodly or sinful in itself).
My wife was formerly an atheist and a very self-willed woman (before we met), and now that she has been converted she is completely content, and even pleased, to allow me to be the authority in the home and our marriage. Do we both sin and stumble from time to time, sure, but in her heart she desires to be submissive and to serve and please me.
I also understand that I am not to be a harsh ruler, but a humble and loving and selfless servant leader, as I too have a Bridegroom and Master to answer to and I would like Him to be patient and gentle and forgiving with me. Do I sin and act out of self and the flesh at times? Of course I do, but we are learning to walk in the Spirit and emulate Christ by His Spirit living in us and causing Christ to live through us.
I am over the issue now though, as it is not my job to debate and argue endlessly about these things. I will declare the word of the Lord and it is up to you to believe it or reject it.
If we simply explain away all of the commandments in the word of God that deal with women’s roles in the world and church by saying that they are cultural and antiquated and no longer applicable (seek out the old way) to us in our ‘modern day’ – we embark on a slippery and treacherous path of every wind of doctrine and popular ideology – we build on subjective sands and not a solid rock. God does not change, and He is truth, and He alone is Good and He alone is Holy and Wise. God is not growing or changing, and therefore neither is the Truth of God (nor the Way or the Life for that matter).
With this I will bid you farewell concerning this topic, but warn you one last time that it is not a biblical worldview that you are holding and striving for – at least not in this matter.
Again, blessings and peace and grace in your spirit by His Holy Spirit. May we all live humble, holy and loving and be ever pleasing to our Master Jesus.
Forrest, I respect your position, but we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. Thank you for explaining your position so clearly and with grace.
If you would, dear reader of this, you can see my defense of my position (that women are to be subject to the men in the church and that they ought not to teach or have authority over them) in the comments to the “Do Not Camp Out Here!” blog post prior to this one on Mrs. Dale’s blog.
http://simplychurch.com/do-not-camp-out-here/
Forrest, have you read the book I helped compile, The Black Swan Effect: A response to gender hierarchy in the church. It is written by multiple authors, both men and women. It might provide a good background for you.
The dialog between Forrest and Felicity is a good example of how well-intentioned Christians can respectfully disagree on some things while honoring and magnifying the main thing, namely Jesus Christ. None of us has it all figured out when it comes to doctrine, but we can all know the deep, abiding love of Father God through His Son and seek to glorify Him no matter what our doctrinal differences may be (on the essentials, as laid out in the traditional creeds, to which all believers have historically assented). Not only a good message in the body of the main post, but a good witness to it in the comments section, as well!
Thanks, Jeff. Your comments are much appreciated.
Agreed, hats off to both.