In today's sermon, we shall be exploring the word "Enemy Within". From the text of the bible read, we can see that Jesus Christ categorically told us that "a man's foes shall be they of his own household". And to understand the sermon, we need to clarify two important words used here by Jesus. The word "Foes" and "Household". According to the dictionary meaning, a foe is described as "a person who feels enmity, hatred, or malice toward another (An enemy)" or a thing that is harmful to or destructive of something." A household is described as "the people of a house collectively; a family including its servants". It is also necessary to describe what a house is, for the sake of this sermon. It is described as "a building in which people live; residence for human beings! We have physical and spiritual house. The physical house is the building as described above, while the spiritual house is also term in the bible as a "tent" or "tabernacle" according to 2 Peter 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 5: 1-4.
Based on the dictionary interpretation, we can conclude that Jesus Christ is telling us that "a man's enemy are the collective people living together with him or her". Now let's classify the word "Enemy Within" into "physical" and "spiritual"" enemies.
The physical enemy lives around us and the spiritual enemy lives inside of us. To enable us understand the sermon, we shall be taking lessons from the following bible passages. Matthew 26:14-16; Genesis 37:18-24; Exodus 5: 1- 2; Esther 3:1-5 and Esther 6:6-9 as well as Romans 7:15-25 to draw conclusion. The major aim of the enemy within is to ensure one is completely destroyed. I pray for you and your family according to Psalms 140:8 that the Lord will not grant the desires of the wicked concerning you and your family in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Now let's take the lessons from the bible passages mentioned above.
The first one is taking from Matthew 26:14-16. This is the story of Judas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ who covenanted with the chief Priests to deliver His Master Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. We can see that Judas was so closed to Jesus. He, therefore fulfilled the role of a physical enemy within, while he let the spiritual enemy known as "Greed" within him to destroyed him because we were told in Matthew 27:3-5 that he went to hang himself after coming to his senses of what he did was bad.
The Second is taking from Genesis 37:18-24. This is the story of Joseph and his brothers. We read that because of his dream of greatness which he shared with his brothers, that in Genesis 37:11, the bible told us that his brothers envied him. We can see that these brothers of Joseph were from one father and living together with their father Jacob. They therefore fulfilled the role of a physical enemy within, while they let the spiritual enemy known as "Envy" take hold of them by saying in Genesis 37:20 that we shall see what will become of his dreams if they killed him.
The third one is taking from Exodus 5: 1-2. We can see in this story that pharaoh told Moses after Moses had delivered the message from God to him saying "Let my people go", but instead of listening and comply with the message of God, he said in Exodus 5:2 that "who is the Lord that he should obey his voice to let Israel go?" He went further to say that he knows not the Lord and neither will he let Israel go. Pharaoh, therefore fulfilled the role of physical enemy within while the spiritual enemy known as "Arrogance" rear its ugly head because of the positions he occupies as a king and by the time God finished with him to suppress his arrogant attitude, the bible told us in Exodus 12:30 that he arose by midnight with a great cry. I pray for you and your family that the enemy within that has vowed that he or she did not recognise your God will cry suddenly after the Almighty God had dealt with him or her in Jesus Name.
The fourth one is taking from Esther 3:1-5. This is the story of Haman and Mordecai. The bible said in Esther 3:5 that when Haman saw that Mordecai will not bowed to him or reverence him that he was full of wrath or anger. We can also see from Esther 6:6-9 that Haman also exhibited the spirit of pride when King Ahasuerus in Esther 6:6 asked him what shall be done unto the man whom the king delighted to honour? The bible said that Haman thought in his heart that who else should the king delight in, if not himself. Haman in the story fulfilled the role of a physical enemy to the Jews living in the Kingdom of Ahasuerus to destroy them while the spiritual enemies known as "Anger" and "Pride" also rear their ugly heads to destroy Haman. The bible said that Haman was hanged on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai because of the spirit of anger and pride that overtook him. The Enemy within!
I Pray for you that you will not be destroyed by the enemy within both physically and spiritually in Jesus Name. Amen!
In conclusion, Apostle Paul in Romans 7:15-25 narrated his own struggle with the enemy within. Sin is an enemy within and is a representative of greed, envy, arrogance, anger and pride made mention in this sermon. The bible in 1 John 3: 8-9 says that anyone that committeth sin is of the devil and whatsoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him, and cannot sin because he is born of God. Are you being worried by the physical and spiritual enemies within? Cast them down with the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 10:5 by bringing them into captivity to obey Christ in your life.
Let us Pray!
I Pray for you in accordance with the Word of God in 1 John 3:8 that the Son of God (Jesus Christ) manifest Himself in your life and that of Your family to destroy the enemy within which represents the works of the devil in Jesus Name. Amen!
