Know Your Enemy (Matthew 13:19; Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12)

[Looking at the parables of the seed and the different types of soil, there are three terms that are used to describe our enemy, "the wicked one" (Matt.13:19); "satan" (Mk. 4:15); and "the devil" (Lk. 8:12)].

THE WICKED ONE

This term  finds it's personification in our enemy, and is better translated "evil". It is not only that which is evil, but that which produces evil in others. It is like a cancerous growth that does not limit itself to one area of infection, and is not content until it has contaminated the whole body.

Though not a specific reference to our enemy, Proverbs 4:16 capsulizes the idea, when it  says, "For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall."

This word speaks of THE NATURE of our enemy. [see INSANITY, on the root meaning of this word].

SATAN

This word, though military in origin, found its way into the legal sphere. Originally it meant "one lying in ambush for", as an adversary. This background evidently led  to its established use as a legal term for a prosecutor, or one who, in a court of law, as an adversary, brought accusation against another concerning some crime they had allegedly committed.

Though this term was not originally a proper name, but descriptive of the function of an individual, it came to mean not only the proper name for our enemy, but is descriptive of his FUNCTION, or OFFICE, in the spiritual realm, as the prosecuting attorney against us.

[Job chapters one and two; Zechariah chapter three; and Romans chapter eight; present the function of Satan as an adversary, or prosecuting attorney, toward all Believers].

THE DEVIL

This term, more than any other, expresses the on going ACTION of this corrupt spirit.

This word is a compound derived from two words in the Greek:

1) The first word means, "through" or "between".

2) The second word, in this compound, means, "to throw", and is where we derive our English word "ball" from.

The combing of these two separate words gives us the meaning, "to throw through", or "to throw between".

This is descriptive of the number one task of our enemy, and how his malignantly evil personality [the evil one], finds expression as an adversary [Satan], to all Believers. The devil is the one who throws or casts something between two persons, and therefore divides them from each other.

These obstructions are in the form of words; thoughts; false ideas; or images; which portray a distorted picture of the person and their motivations. 

THE ENEMY

In every aspect of his activity, our enemy is the personification of all that is evil [the evil one]. He is our adversary [Satan],  bringing false accusation. He is the one who seeks to divide us [the devil], from our Father, and from each other, in general. [In a military sense, his tactics are to divide and conquer].

We must know our enemy, to the extent that we are not ignorant of his devices, but spiritually aware of the author of all division; and his words of false accusation;  and not let this evil separate us from each other, or from our relationship with our Father.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours.