A TRUE ENEMY (An Article by Donny Meyer) ~ 3/11/25

“And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.” (Deut. 6:18-19)

Have you ever wondered why the people in Canaan were considered the enemies of Israel at this point? Was it simply because they were of another nation? We know that’s not the reason because God promised to Abraham that he will be the father of many nations. We find men of other nationalities belonging to the people of God in the old covenant days and even find Rahab in the lineage of Jesus Christ. That’s not the reason! Well, was it because the people in Canaan initiated war against the people of Israel personally? In other words, was Canaan yelling threats across the river Jordan to the people of Israel? Were messengers from Canaan sent across the river Jordan to inform Israel that it was high time for war? We know that is not the case. Rather, they were simply living their lives as they had been for the many years prior. One could say that they were minding their own business. Yet, God informs the people of Israel that the people of Canaan are their enemies even before they cross the river. Why?

The biblical concept for an enemy is not only an individual who persecutes you in whatever way, shape, or form, but is preeminently an individual who has made himself an enemy of God. In our text, God calls the people of Canaan the enemies of Israel because they are His enemies and Israel belongs to Him. The people of Canaan have rebelled against God and are in defiance against His promises given to His people. Whoever wages war against the God of the saints, wages war against the saints of God. How could it be any other way? When the Lord separated Abraham from his people and set him apart for Himself, the Lord promised, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse.” He says, “Your enemies will be My enemies!” Should this not also be the statement of the people of God? Should not the people of God respond by saying, “Your enemies, O God, are my enemies, whoever they may be.”

This is the case even when the enemy of God pursues to win over His people with flattery. The world pursues with all of its might to win over the bride of Christ. It will gladly receive the bride of Christ as long as she does not bring Christ with her, nor speak of her Christ. In other words, the world presents itself as a friend to the saints. It woos with all of its might to lead the people of God away from her husband. The world presents itself as a friend, but it is nothing but a deceiver. The world is no true friend but is an enemy of the saints. The Lord says, “Whoever makes himself a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” You are either friends with God or friends with the world. Therefore, you are either an enemy of God or an enemy of the world. The dividing line is found in one’s relationship to God.

All men have their own understanding of what an enemy is, but God informs His people aright! The Lord reveals to His people that their enemies are those who rebel against God, defy His promises, and seek to lead His people away from the truth. It’s not a matter of nationality, nor of color, nor of any particular class of people, nor is it a matter of personal relationship (if it be family, friend, neighbor, or enemy), but it pertains to the relationship one has with the Living God of the saints. God’s enemies are the enemies of God’s people.