Chapter 8 – A Battle To Fight: The Enemy

[Jerry Wierwille]

Quotes
“That is why it is so essential to hear from God about your true name, because in that name is the mission of your life.” (pp. 141-42)

“He [God] wants to develop and release in us the qualities every warrior needs – including a keen awareness of the enemies we will face.” (p. 142)

“The quality of a true warrior is that he is in service to a purpose greater than himself.” ~Robert Bly, Iron John: A Book About Men (p. 142)

“If you want to grow in true masculine strength, then you must stop sabotaging yours.” (p. 145)

“A man must strive long and mightily within himself, before he can learn fully to master himself.” ~Thomas à Kempis, Of The Imitation of Christ (p. 147)

“A man’s addictions are the result of his refusing his strength” (p. 149).

“It is the image of God reflected in you that so enrages hell; it is this at which demons hurl their mightiest weapons.” ~William Gurnall (p. 153)

Response
In a world that never stops eroding our sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and self-acceptance, we are in a fight for our life. We are in a battle for our identity and for our strength and too often we yield to the Enemy that which we should guard most closely. Part of being a man is embracing your role as a warrior. A battle rages constantly around us (and IN us) and we are stuck right in the middle with no escape. I think we are for the most part ignorant of how potent the Enemy is that resides within the members of our body. Exposing the devastating reality of what we face, John Owen wrote,

“However strong a castle may be, if a treacherous party resides inside (ready to betray at the first opportunity possible), the castle cannot be kept safe from the enemy. Traitors occupy our own hearts, ready to side with every temptation and to surrender to them all.” ~John Owen, Sin and Temptation

Our flesh is our false self, as Eldredge explains. When we let it rule our choices we will manifest nothing but “cowardice and self-preservation” (p. 143). But we often feel so comfortable with our false self because it takes less strength to hid behind a pseudo-identity than to live out our real identity.

Eldredge posed a scenario to seriously consider: What would I think of myself tomorrow if I lost everything the world has rewarded me for? (p. 150) That is a really good exercise to try and attempt more than once because we probably are reluctant to envision our lives in such an uncertain and undesirable state. Several questions rushed to my mind: Would I still feel content with who I am? Would I still be as confident in my accomplishments even though I have nothing to show for them? Would I still feel secure about my identity or do I have my identity wrapped up in the name others have given me?

A lot of times we like the name that others have given us. We like the recognition, the applause, the accolades, the pep talks and high-fives, and the sense of belonging we derive from these external sources. But if we begin to substitute these characteristics of self-approval they will undermine our true name that God has given us. We will begin to become dependent, weak, and foolish. We will not have a warrior’s heart; we will not be ready for the battle.

One thing that Eldredge said really struck a chord in me: “Say what you think, stand up for the underdog, challenge foolish policies. They’ll turn on you like sharks” (p. 150).

I believe I have been hiding from living who I truly am even from some of my closest friends and acquaintances. I have realized that I have been living in fear of their judgment. Not because of shame but because I predict they will turn on my like sharks. They will drive me from their midst. They will erase my name from their list. I have been afraid of being disowned.

But I have realized recently that if others will react in such a negative way, it does not disprove anything about me and I am not the one on the losing end of life. Rather, they are exposed as being false, being cowards, being weak. They are the ones succumbing to the treachery of the Enemy, and most likely, they will fall prey to his traps unknowingly. But this confirms something else Eldredge said, “The world of posers is shaken by a real man” (p. 151). Standing up for my true identity and who I really am can make others uncomfortable, intimidated, and defensive. The flesh will lash out in an attempt to compensate for the lack of security and confidence it feels because it has none. Therefore, people who are not living their true identity will show their true colors and they will be ugly even if they cover with a facade of niceties and shallow pleasantries. What I believe I must carve in the depth of my heart is to “Let people feel the weight of who you are and let them deal with it” (p. 151).

“Enemy-occupied territory—that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.” ~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

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