Some time ago, I was led to Psalm 110. It was a powerful message, but what caught my attention was Psalm 110:2, “The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies!’” It brought to mind another verse about enemies, Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
Sure, simplicity says that ‘the Devil’ is the enemy, but what exactly does that mean?
God is so many things. God is Light. God is Truth. God is Love. For now, we will focus on love. If someone or something were to be against love, that would make them an opposer to love. And if they are an opposer to love, they are an opposer to God. And if they are an opposer to God, that makes them an enemy of God.
Throughout the Old Testament we saw the temple leaders take the law that God gave Moses and defiled it, used it for personal gain, and turned it into strict rules with severe consequences overlooking any thought of compassion, mercy, or LOVE. This is one of the reasons why Jesus came into the world, to remind everyone what God’s law was truly about. If you don’t know or remember any of the Biblical commandments, all you need to know is love is the fulfillment of the law. To operate outside of love is to operate outside of God. As stated in Romans 13:8, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”
To rule in the midst of your enemies is to rule in the midst of those opposed to love and its correct meaning. Don’t forget, ‘the Devil’ tries to pervert the things of God and even though he cannot pervert love itself, because God is Love, he can still pervert our understanding of love.
So, if ‘the Devil’ is the enemy and the enemy is someone/something that opposes God and God is Love, therefore, ‘the Devil’ opposes love.
And if we simplify our work, ‘the Devil’ is ‘the unloving.’
Easy enough, right?
As Jesus told us in Matthew 5:44, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
You may be asking yourself, “why would I love my enemies?” Besides the obvious answer that Jesus told us to, I’ll leave you with two more verses:
Exodus 23:22, “If you listen carefully to what he (God’s angel) says and do all that I (God) say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.” While ruling in the midst of your enemies, you literally have God going ahead of you to remove your enemies out of your way. All that is asked of you is your obedience to God. And again, to obey God is to operate in love towards everyone, including your enemies.
Romans 12:20, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” The idea here is that instead of responding to your enemy with retaliation, you respond with kindness, generosity, and LOVE. In doing so, the act of love may cause the enemy to feel a sense of remorse or conviction of their wrong doing. And that could be the opening God needs to work in that person’s life so instead of being your enemy, they become your ally, and ultimately your brother or sister in Christ.
In all that you do in this world, embody love wherever you are to all, and rule well.
Dear God,
Thank You for increasing my understanding and discernment today. Lead me in Your will and in Your way. Increase my awareness of love and how I can embody Your love in every circumstance and situation. Teach me to rule as You intended. May Your divine wisdom be written on my heart so I may speak life, love, and truth consistently. Thank You for Your grace and mercy.
In Your Holy Name, Amen.