Overcoming the Enemies of Our Destinies

There are enemies ready and armed to prevent us from getting to our destinies. Wherever there is a vision, there is opposition. 

Elisha was given by God to Elijah as a servant, and as a result he received a double portion of the anointing on Elijah's life, when Elijah left (2 Kings 2:15). God in turn gave Gehazi to Elijah as a servant, who sadly could not get to his destiny because he was overcome by the enemies of destiny (2 Kings 5:20-27). 

As a Christian, be alert as there are enemies out to hinder you from getting to your destiny, and walking in it. 

In John's open letter to the churches in Asia, John addresses these enemies:

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 

The "world" in John 3:16 ("For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life") is different from the world in this text. The world in the former refers to "people", while the one in 1 John 2:15-17 refers to the systems/ patterns/ ways/ style/ fashion of life in the world. It is the realm of sin in the world, which is oppressed to the word of God to the ways of God. The world has its way of doing and seeing things, which are contrary to the ways of the word of God. 

There are spiritual realms and principalities, in the world. There are clubs and designers in the world that appear to be doing normal businesses to the human eyes, but what they are into is not normal at all. There are more than 4 million pornographic websites. Campaigns for same-sex marriages have been going on in the world. These are just a few of the strongholds the enemy is using to pull many from the ways of God, into destruction. John in this text is telling us that as we see these things in the world, these patterns, we should not love them. 

On the same note, Jesus prayed that we overcome, in John 17:14-16, since we should not be removed from the world. James also spoke of the same in James 4:4, saying that that "friendship with the world is enmity with God". 

Let us look at a few stories in the scriptures about a few people who overcame the enemies of their destinies, and a few others of people who were overcome by these same enemies, and draw a few lessons thereof. 

Daniel and his friends were taken to Babylon, where they were forced to do things they were not used to. We are in the modern Babylon. In Babylon things do not just happen. The rulers and people of Babylon know how to strategize and do their things. We need to strategize too, and not just expect things to happen arbitrarily. 

Daniel 1:3-7

Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training in them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. 6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach;to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego. 

Notice the first thing the king of Babylon did to these four young men, who were of Jewish origin: change their names. Names have meanings, and by giving them different names with different meanings from what they had:

• "Daniel", which meant "Jehovah is my Judge", was changed to "Belteshazzar", which means "Bel protect me" (Bel being a god of Babylon).
• "Hananiah", which meant "Yahweh is precious", was changed to "Shadrach", which means "a servant of Akuk" (Akuk being a pagan god of the moon). 
• "Mishael", which meant "The one who belongs to God", was changed to "Meshach", which means "I am weak".
• "Azariah", which meant "Jehovah is my help", was changed to "Abed-Nego", which means "a servant of Nego" (Nego being a god of Babylon). 

The king was brainwashing what they had and what they knew, and bringing in new knowledge, systems and identity. By changing their names, Babylon wanted them to forget their identities, destinies, families and worship place. This is what Babylon was against. In the modern Babylon, the world hates holiness, and in fact does not know what holiness is. For this cause, Babylon will do and say anything to get you to support their ways. 

Daniel chose not to defile himself, and stood on his ground:

Daniel 1:8

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 

We have to have a stand too, as people of God. If you have a destiny in God, you have to have a stand. If you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything. Stand for what is right. 

Daniel's convictions were made long before captivity. You must have a stand long before the confrontation comes.  What do you believe? Are you convicted by what you preach/ speak? If you are not convicted, you will not be able to convince. 

Back to our text in 1 John 2:15-17. 

Last week we were told to lift our eyes and see, to identify opportunities, as a step to walking on the paths of our destinies. Still, we should be careful as most of the times we fall it starts with the lust of the eyes. The world and its systems is all about trying to capture people through the lust of the eyes. Let us look at an example of cosmetics. The word "cosmetics" comes from the Greek word "cosmeo", also the root of the word "cosmos", which means "making it beautiful/ attractive to the eyes to behold." I am not saying that cosmetics are bad,neither I'm I implying that it is evil to look beautiful. I'm just saying that everything about the world is about making things good/ attractive to look at. The world knows that by looking, you can get in sin and fall. Clubbing etc., are all meant to make sin attractive. 

Are you able to guard your eyes? What comes to your mind when you behold/ see? What happens to you? Are you able to control your mind? 

Lust of the flesh; after seeing, the body now lusts. It is a carnal desire. Because the body, fell, it is very selfish and loves being satisfied/ gratified/ pleased. The flesh is never satisfied, it will keep asking for more. 

Pride of life: This happens when the person, having lusted for long by the eyes and his flesh having been "satisfied", feels fulfilled, having "conquered", after sin has been committed. The flesh at this point boasts, because it has won. 

Let us look at another instance of two people whose destiny was interefered with when they failed to overcome the enemies of their destinies. 

Genesis 3:1-6

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat if, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 

Eve started by "seeing", which was lust of the eyes (verse 6). Seeing that it was pleasant to the eyes is lust of the eyes; seeing that it was good for food was lust of the flesh; seeing that it was desirable to make one wise was pride of life. Because of the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life, their destinies in God were cut short. 

By asking the question in verse 1, the devil was bringing doubts. This is what he continues to do in the world today, to Christians. "Did God really say that you can have a relationship without sex?" and so on. If God said that you should not touch a woman before marriage, that stays and is final. 

Let us look at the example of another person who was overcome by the enemies of his destiny, and as a result affected the destinies of many others: Achan. 

Before the children of Israel attacked the city of Jericho, Joshua told them not to take anything from the city for themselves, according to the word of the Lord (Joshua 6:18-19). After the victory over Jericho, the children went on to fight the people of Ai and were defeated. After Joshua enquired of the Lord, God revealed to Him what had happened, that one of them had taken some of the accursed things, and put them among their own stuff (Joshua 7:10-11). He told Joshua to look into the matter, and when He did He discovered that it was Achan who committed the sin. 

Joshua 7:19-21

Now Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord GOd of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." 20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it." 

Achan also started falling by "seeing", the lust of the eyes. Coveting is the way of the flesh. The way of the world is to see (lust of the eyes), covet (lust of the flesh), and take (pride of life). See, covet, take. Pride comes after taking, lusting of the flesh, and lust of the eyes. 

Achan's destiny came to an end. Some things we do even affect the destinies of our children and family. Achan's family was destroyed, as he was defeated by the enemies of his destiny (Joshua 7:24-26). 

Another example of a man who was overcome by the enemies of destinies and so affected the destinies of his family and children is the story of David and Bathsheba, in 2 Samuel 11:1-5. David started falling by seeing, when he saw that the woman bathing, and seeing that she was beautiful to behold. He started by the lust of the eyes, then the lust of the flesh (seeing that she was beautiful to behold), then fell to pride of life when he took her for himself, disregarding the fact that she was married. As a result, death entered his family, and so did sexual sin. 

Finally, let us look at an example of One who conquered these three enemies, Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 4:1-10

Then Jesus was led p by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 

4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." 

10 Then Jesus said to Him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

By showing Jesus the kingdoms of the earth, the devil was attempting to make Him fall through the lust of the eyes. By tempting Him to turn stones into bread, he was attempting to make Him fall through the lust of the flesh. By tempting Him to throw Himself down of the temple, he was attempting to make Him fall through the pride of life, which is why he kept asking Him to prove "if He was the Son of God." 

Jesus did not fall for these three temptations. 

We have three enemies:

1. Our bodies. Upon salvation, out bodies did not get saved. The body is perishing, and this is why the body is always against us obeying God. The body is the world's. You may be saved, spirit-filled and full of faith, but if you do not guard yourself, you will fall just like everyone else. Paul knew this and said that he disciplined his body and brings it into subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27). We also ought to do the same. 
2. The world. The world is out to make us fall, through its trickery and systems. This is why Paul tells us not to be conformed to the patterns of the world, as when we do so we will definitely fall. Instead, we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds, to prove the pleasing and acceptable will of God (Romans 12:2). 
3. The devil. The devil cannot force you to sin, and is the weakest of the three enemies. The devil can take you to a bar, get you to buy a drink, but cannot force you to drink. He can only suggest, but can never force you to sin. 

How do we overcome these enemies? 

Galatians 5:16-18

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

You will overcome only when and if you walk in the Spirit. Temptations will always come, but when you are led by the Spirit you will never fall. 

James 1:13-15

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Whatever you sow, you will reap (Galatians 6:7). If you sow in the flesh, you will reap in the flesh; if you sow in the Spirit, you will reap in the Spirit. If you sow in the flesh, always remember according to the above verses that sin always leads to death. 

Galatians 5:19-26

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in the time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is now law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 

We have a destiny. The Lord has called us with a purpose. we have to keep fighting without conforming to the patterns of the world. You can will not to give the enemy a chance, win and be that which God promised. 

Let us trust God, knowing that we are in the world, but not of the world. It does not matter what you are going through; if you stand with God, He will lift you up and get you to your destiny. 

Are you able to control yourself? Are you able to control your eyes? 

I pray that the Lord helps us to walk by the Spirit, knowing who we are and where we are headed. Like Daniel, we should not go eating or drinking whatever we see.

 We should stand for what is right, what will help us walk on the path of our destinies. 

Amen. 

-- Pastor Karani Kaugi

(30/06/13 Sunday Service Sermon, Africa Transformation Mission. Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor) 

Pastor Karani Kaugi is a pastor at Africa Transformation Mission, a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries.