Who is your enemy? This might sound like an odd question to ask. However, in the battle of life, just like on a real battlefield, correctly and succinctly identifying the enemy is crucial. Failing to identify the enemy in full can cause you to fall victim of an ambush because you did not see them coming. Misidentifying the enemy could also cause a tragic friendly-fire incident, where you mistake an innocent person, or even a member of your own team, for your adversary. So, as Christians, who is our enemy?

As Passover approaches, Christians must be aware of their true enemy.

We cannot accept a poor, incomplete definition. Our definition must be perfect and complete. In order to do that, it should come from the perfect Word of God (2 Samuel 22:31).

God tells us to put on His whole armor in order to "stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:10-11). The ultimate force working against God's plan and Church is Satan the devil, not any other preoccupation. Satan is our enemy.

God makes it clear that we are fighting a spiritual, not physical war, against spiritual enemies: "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

The evil we encounter in this world is due to Satan's direct influence and deception. We cannot allow him to deceive us into thinking he is not our true enemy, or that he has only a little power and is one of many different foes we face. In this turbulent world, it can be easy and tempting to think that if only some temporary, physical problem were solved, then the world would be perfect. We can never get caught up in physical quarrels when our true, biblical battle is spiritual.

The truth is that Satan has been the enemy of God's people from the beginning, even in the Garden of Eden. He is the author of the first lie and a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). He shoots relentless, fiery darts at Christians and wants to chew them up like a hungry lion (1 Peter 5:8). You and I can see the echoes of his deception across the world's social and political landscape, as we see in his tumultuous concoction of world events.

Satan fights these global battles with the same intensity and fervor that he fights for the convictions of individual people, even you and me. He wants each and every one of us to utterly fail in our walk with God. How can we best defend against his assault?

We need to take up God's whole armor (Ephesians 6:13). It is complete with what we need to remain strong in God's Way and be a valiant force against the devil. His armor contains protective pieces like a helmet and breastplate. God also gives us a "shield of faith" to defend against Satan's fiery darts and arms us with the sword of His Spirit and Word (Ephesians 6:14-17).

In addition, Christians should recognize compromising situations where Satan is tempting them. James tells us to "resist the devil and he will flee" from us (James 4:7). If we find ourselves in a bad spot, we have to do the right thing and not give in to what Satan is offering us.

However, it is difficult to put on God's armor or discern between good and evil if you are not close to God. Christians must submit and draw near to God (James 4:7-8). Wearing God's armor isn't enough! Besides simply resisting, we need to be in contact with our commanding general, God Himself! We should be "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18).

With Passover approaching, identifying the enemy's footholds in our lives is vital. Know that the enemy is Satan and know he is out to destroy you. The other bad things you see are a result of his influence and perversion. Stand against Satan by standing in the armor of God. Never give in to him; always resist. Stay close to God in prayer and in action. Never forget the identity of our real enemy: Satan the devil.