Who are the enemies of God?

[Chuck7]

James 4:4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

Well..we know they are not people because Paul says our warfare is not with flesh and blood..so who are we to hate..are they not seducing spirits..
like..

Spirit of Gluttony

Spirit of Lust

Spirit of Materialism

Spirit of Drunkeness

Etc. etc. etc..

Our warfare is spiritual..Paul also tells us to take every thought captive and bring it into submission to God..so the next time my friends that we are tempted..just remember that God opposes those who love the world..but giveth more grace to the humble.

[Snooky]

English definition of the word friend.
1. Person who knows and likes another.
2. Person who FAVORS and SUPPORTS.

Chuck; IMO there are some things that need to be concidered here. We are in the world, but not of the world. We are also to occupy until he comes. Being in the world, we make acquaintances, 1. one who is known by one, but not a close friend. 2. knowledge of persons or things gained from experience with them. Being acquainted with doesn't always mean friendship. Friendship involves a liking of that person or thing, or a preference for him or it. We can love our enemies, but nothing can be allowed to hinder our service and love toward God or it becomes an enemy. He that is not for us is against us.

[Chuck7]

Amen Snooky....

[Recon Ron]

Originally Posted by Chuck7

James 4:4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

Well..we know they are not people because Paul says our warfare is not with flesh and blood..so who are we to hate..are they not seducing spirits..
like..

Spirit of Gluttony

Spirit of Lust

Spirit of Materialism

Spirit of Drunkeness

Etc. etc. etc..

Our warfare is spiritual..Paul also tells us to take every thought captive and bring it into submission to God..so the next time my friends that we are tempted..just remember that God opposes those who love the world..but giveth more grace to the humble.

I don't consider any of those things actual spirits but rather tools that Satan and his demons use in an weak attempt to destroy us.

[Chuck7]

you may be right..Spirits are invisable..

However..one can get out thier Strongs and look up the word spirit..and find that there are many references and names of spirits..


Here are some of the various evil spirits mentioned in the Bible.
1.familiar spirit (Leviticus 20:27; 1Samuel 28:7)
2.spirit of jealousy (Numbers 5:14,30)
3.evil spirit (Judges 9:23; 1Samuel 16:14)
4.sorrowful spirit (1Samuel 1:15)
5.lying spirit (1Kings 22:22-23)
6.haughty (prideful) spirit (Proverbs 16:18)
7.perverse spirit (Isaiah 19:14)
8.spirit of deep sleep (Isaiah 29:10)
9.spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:1)
10.spirit of whoredom (Hosea 4:12; 5:4)
11.unclean spirit (Zechariah 13:2)
12.deaf and dumb spirit (Mark 9:17,25)
13.spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:11)
14.spirit of divination (Acts 16:16)
15.spirit of bondage (Romans 8:15)
16.spirit of slumber (Romans 11:8)
17.spirit of fear (2Timothy 1:7)
18.spirit of lust (James 4:5)
19.spirit of antichrist (1John 4:3)
20.spirit of error (1John 4:6)
21.seducing spirit (1Timothy 4:1)
22.spirit of Egypt [also known as the spirit of the world] - (Isaiah 19:3; 1John 2:15-16)
23.spirit of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2)

[Snooky]

There are many spirits that have one goal and purpose-to destroy ones walk with God. Thank God for his marvelous Grace! It is sufficent and will save to the uttermost. He (God), giveth us power over all the works of the enemy.
Our warfare is a spiritual warfare. Carnal weapons, (mans best efforts) are a sure failure and defeat. It is time to put ourselves in Gods hands!! His spiritual weapons are mighty, to the pulling down of strong holds. No weapon formed against thee shall prosper if you use what God gives us to fight with. Five little stones, the jawbone of an ass, march around the walls, a noise, ect.
Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? Flesh being the efforts of man.
Except ye become as little children, you cannot enter the Kingdom. A little child doesn't question, he just trusts his Father and obeys, trustin and believing that his Father has it all under his control.

[cataway]

oh and there's the sprite of nationalism, the sprite of Xmas both very worldly

[Sylvan]

Originally Posted by Recon Ron

I don't consider any of those things actual spirits but rather tools that Satan and his demons use in an weak attempt to destroy us.

I tend to agree. Words are symbols intended to transfer constructs from one mind to another. All languages are imprecise, and the richness of the English language makes it an exemplar of this. A funny example for me was in a recent pm where in it I said that I "recently finished a book". This was indeed a literal truth but the idea didn't transfer as one might think. What wound up in the mind of the reader was quite different than what I intended to create there. In his mind I wrote a book whereas my intent was to tell him I read one. Now add in allegory, idioms, metaphor, or for that matter any trope commonly used in all languages and it's almost surpising we can communicate at all. Oh yea, to add to the problem--what problems arise when translating one language to another?

I used dictionary.com to look up spirit. They list 25 definitions. There were 2 of particualr interest to me in regard to this thread.

5. a supernatural, incorporeal being, esp. one inhabiting a place, object, etc., or having a particular character: evil spirits.

8. an attitude or principle that inspires, animates, or pervades thought, feeling, or action: the spirit of reform.

The bible contains examples of both uses of the word "spirit" and I'm sure one could find examples of the other 23 but the point is made with just 2. Here are 2 very different constructs and clearly a single symbol can not differentiate them.

When reading (or writing) any text, one must take great care to get it right. When reading the bible it's even more important.

Well theres my 2 cents....

A final thought. It is disturbing to me that our young people are so poorly educated in the English language. Many high school graduates can not read above a 5th grade level. Their verbal and writing skills are appalligng. What is to become of a society that can not effectively read and write? What is to come for a religion based on a holy text if it's adherents can not read it for themselves but rather must rely on others for understanding? What fertile ground for charlatans! What better conditions for evil to flurish?

[Snooky]

A final thought. It is disturbing to me that our young people are so poorly educated in the English language. Many high school graduates can not read above a 5th grade level. Their verbal and writing skills are appalligng. What is to become of a society that can not effectively read and write? What is to come for a religion based on a holy text if it's adherents can not read it for themselves but rather must rely on others for understanding? What fertile ground for charlatans! What better conditions for evil to flurish?

AMEN BROTHER!!
Those old timers who apologized for having only an 8th grade education were usually as learned as todays college graduates. How is is it that we have space travel and all the modern inventions, yet high school graduates cannot make change for a twenty? Cannot read instructions, complete with pictures and assemble a tricycle for the baby? Can't balance the checkbook? Combine this with a total lack of spiritual understanding and it gets real scarey in a big hurry.

[halfbakedi420]

i find it kinda humerus, that as people of god, yer asking who we should "hate"