The Opponent
As Christians, we have an opponent in Satan, who hates us because he hates the Lord Jesus, and we must be aware of his hatred and oppression.
Watchman Nee emphasizes that Christians have an opponent, Satan, who is our adversary as described in 1 Peter 5:8. He explains that this enmity began in the Garden of Eden and continues as Satan opposes believers, seeking to oppress and falsely accuse them. Nee highlights the importance of recognizing this spiritual battle and understanding that, as followers of Christ, we are aligned with Him against our common enemy. He warns that many Christians are unaware of the ongoing accusations and suffering inflicted by the devil, which must be addressed for true victory. The sermon calls believers to seek justice from God against their adversary.
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The widow had an opponent. We Christians also have our opponent. This opponent is Satan. The meaning of the word Satan is adversary. An adversary is an opponent. First Peter 5:8 says, "Your adversary, the devil." The devil is our adversary. We must clearly identify who our adversary is before we can know how to come to our Judge, God, to accuse him. How the devil became our adversary is a long story. Simply put, this hatred began from the garden of Eden. God said, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15). It is because of the devil's deceiving of the world that God put a hatred in his heart and also a hatred in our heart.
We know that the seed of the woman in Genesis refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is forever at enmity with the devil. This is what God has ordained. We who have believed in the Lord Jesus belong to His side. As such, we cannot help but take His adversary as our adversary. At the same time, the enemy of the Lord Jesus, Satan, will not let us go easily, with no opposition. He took the Lord Jesus as his enemy; hence, he has to take the disciples of the Lord Jesus as his enemies as well. Those who have not yet believed in the Lord Jesus are children of the devil (John 8:44), and naturally, he loves those who belong to him. But we have believed in the Lord Jesus and are joined to Him. Because he hates the Lord Jesus, he hates us also.
This hatred grows deeper as the days go by.
Satan is strong and forceful, while we are isolated and helpless like the widow. He oppresses us with his power, suppressing us and bringing great havoc upon us. In the end, we are even wrongly accused by him. The word avenge speaks of much suffering which we must endure under him. We have to pay close attention to this point. Even now, Christians are being wrongly accused by the devil. Unless this wrong is avenged, we will continually suffer loss. What a pity that many children of God are not even aware of their being wronged by Satan!
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to the Opponent
- A. The widow had an opponent
- B. Christians also have an opponent
- C. The opponent is Satan
- II. Who is Satan?
- A. Satan is an adversary
- B. The devil is our adversary
- III. Why is Satan our Adversary?
- A. God put enmity between Satan and the woman
- B. We who believe in the Lord Jesus belong to His side
- IV. Satan's Hatred Towards Us
- A. He hates us because he hates the Lord Jesus
- B. He oppresses us with his power
- C. He brings great havoc upon us
Key Quotes
“The devil is our adversary.” — Watchman Nee
“We know that the seed of the woman in Genesis refers to the Lord Jesus Christ.” — Watchman Nee
“Because he hates the Lord Jesus, he hates us also.” — Watchman Nee
Application Points
- We must be aware of Satan's hatred and oppression towards us.
- We must not let Satan's oppression bring us down, but instead, we must stand strong in our faith.
- We must pray for God's help and protection against Satan's attacks.