Made for More: 30 Days of Experiencing More Life, Love, and FreedomSample

Day 15: Love is Opposed

As we have explored the past several days, we live in a great and epic love story—but it’s set in the midst of a great battle. That usually feels a bit disorienting at first, even a little alarming, especially if we live naïve or ignorant to its reality. But when we look closely at Scripture and at our own lives, it all begins to make more sense.

From the very beginning in Eden, Satan; our adversary has been at work. Motivated by jealousy and hate, Satan entered the story to sabotage the intimacy between God and humanity. He hasn’t stopped since. Jesus never underestimated him—so why should we?

If you’ve ever wondered why life feels hard even when you’re trying to follow Jesus, this is part of the answer: there’s an enemy of your heart, and he is hell bent and dead set on keeping you from the Life and Love you and I were created for. A staggering number of New Testament passages talk about this reality—using words like adversary, temptation, evil, darkness, fallenness, roaring lions, thieves that come to steal and more.

It all comes down to power and authority.

What we believe holds power and authority in our lives (Romans 10:9).
Jesus holds all power and authority (Matthew 28:18).
And Jesus shares that authority with us (Luke 10:17–19).
Which is why we’re told to exercise our power and authority and guard our hearts above all else (Proverbs 4:23).

When we connect the dots, it becomes more and more clear: what God has given us—His Life, His Love, His Spirit—is precious. And it’s deeply opposed.

You are not the only character in your story. God is with you, yes. But there’s also another character, a villain, Satan and the fallen angels… a real enemy, who seeks to steal, kill and destroy all in order to derail your journey—an enemy who is quite skilled at spinning lies, creating fear, and stirring up wounds, constructing your false self, compromising your ability to be loved and live free. The story you’re living is not random. It’s a targeted conflict between two kingdoms: one of love and light, the other of lies and fear. And both are after your heart.

We are living in what Tolkien called Middle Earth—the in-between. We’ve lost the Garden, but we haven’t yet returned to it. Until that day comes, we walk through a world at war. This perspective may feel heavy, but it’s actually what helps us see clearly.

When we begin to understand that not everything that happens to us is meaningless, random, or even personal in the way we once thought. We begin to recognize that there is much more going on, another character is playing a part, one committed to our pain, one that God has allowed in the story, authored in, and ultimately will play a part that too will lead to redemption, but until then, we can look back, as well as see now the moments, the feelings and the experience in which the kingdom of darkness makes attempts on our life — the fall out of an enemy that comes to sabotage; steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Yes, others have hurt us. And in turn, we have also hurt others. But once we see the battle, we can begin to resist, to fight back—not with anger or vengeance, but with armor, the truth, and especially our wills.

Paul warned the church in Ephesus with this encouragement:

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
Ephesians 5:15–16 (AMP)

That word wasn’t just for the 1st-century believers. Look around today—our world is still under assault. And Satan, along with his network of demons, are still at work to steal, kill, and destroy. But when we become aware of the battle, when we stop walking in naivety or fear, we’re finally able to rise up, be trained up, and deploy into the Larger Story, dangerous for good.

A real and glorious day in a believer’s journey, and it often comes years after salvation, is the day they begin to see the story for what it truly is. That’s the day training begins—the day we stop being so easily wounded and taken out, the day we start with the help of Jesus to disassemble the false self, and instead of lies having power and authority in our lives we learn to stand, to love, and to fight for what is good and true, from a position of victory, not just for victory.

That’s a good day.

As you reflect on all this with God today, consider asking Him:

Jesus, what kind of story have I been living in? How might I have underestimated and therefore not seen about the kingdom of darkness and what access they have to me?

Holy Spirit, I ask you to give me eyes to see and ears to hear, a kind of surveillance in my life in order to see and hear what the enemy is trying to do to me and through me.

Father, is there one phrase or sentence that feels like it’s just for me today? Would You help me hear it clearly and understand why it matters?