While I was watching Catching Fire, a line jumped out at me and has been in my head ever since. Haymitch is talking to Katniss and he says, “Remember who the real enemy is.” That’s it, just that simple line, but if you’re familiar with the Holy Spirit, he can take every day, mundane things and use them to help us. This line, seemingly so insignificant in my life, has resonated in my head every time something doesn’t go according to plan…every time someone doesn’t treat me the way I think they should treat me…every time I get frustrated with a person or situation.
REMEMBER WHO THE REAL ENEMY IS.
It’s so easy to let our focus drift away from God and onto our problems or people in our lives. When we’re hurt or offended, it’s easy to get mad at the person, forgetting to look to God. Forgetting that they aren’t our enemy, satan is. He’s the one who wants to steal, kill, and destroy us…not the guy who cut you off only to slam on his brakes to make that last minute turn.
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
The Message says…
“This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”
We are in a real fight for our lives. I don’t know about you but I can’t afford to get distracted. People are worth more than my comfort. Their souls are worth more than my time. Their lives are worth the very life of Jesus. They are not the enemy.
So the next time we are presented with the option of looking to God or getting distracted by our day-to-day lives, let’s show love to the people around us and REMEMBER WHO THE REAL ENEMY IS.
