Ephesians 6:12 “ For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”
In a battle, it is important to know who your enemy is. If you do not know who the enemy is then you are vulnerable. The apostle Paul had many enemies. Some of them resented him, some of them hated him, and others wanted to kill him. Some of them were supposedly on his side but they wanted to harm him and his ministry, (Acts 9:23; Phil. 1:17; 2 Tim. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim 4:14). In spite of the persecution he faced, Paul never lost of his real enemy. He was very aware of Satan. When people attacked him, he knew they were not his real opponents. They were just the ones that Satan was using.
When you have opposition to your faith, your first reaction is usually to react in anger against the people that are attacking you. All this does is keep you distracted from the real truth of the attack. When you are attacked, the first thing you should do is earnestly start praying for that person. It is really an invitation to get involved in what God is doing in that person’s life, and your prayers could free them from spiritual bondage!
Be alert to the spiritual warfare that is going on around you. It is real and it is destructive to you and the people you care about. Knowing your real enemy will help protect you from bitterness and unforgiveness. Your hope is in the reality of 1 John 4:4 “He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world.” Do not put your hope in humanity, trust in the One that already defeated your enemy!