ENMITY - Noun - a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.

Enmity isn’t a word we use very often. My first introduction to it was in Sunday school a long, long time ago, when we were told the story of how Adam and Eve fell from grace and God put enmity between Himself and them. I didn’t know the exact meaning of the word at that time. I also don’t recall ever using it in conversation with anyone, but it’s a good word to truly describe the battle that exists between God and the world. Thankfully, God also provided a way for that battle to be won through His own Son, Jesus. Still there is an enmity within us. The enemy within is our conscience and it wages war with us daily. The only way to calm that voice is to believe that the war against Satan has already been won. It may seem that he is visibly active, but because of Jesus payment we can claim victory over death and the grave.

When we wrap ourselves in the comforts of this world – when we give way to the voices that beckon us to join them in doing evil deeds – when we forget to turn to our Creator God for refuge – that enmity is going to fester to the boiling point and consume us. We can’t hide from the world. Even though we are under God’s protection and avoid those enticing voices, we don’t always have a clue as to how evil our world really is. There are times when I wonder what the new normal really is. Because we’ve built a wall against those things, we don’t even know what we’re fighting anymore.

Twenty years ago, America was attacked by terrorists. Who ever would’ve thought that the USA could be hit in such a way? We thought we were invincible as many still do. We thought we were strong enough and smart enough to evade this kind of invasion, but the truth is we weren’t ready for it. The same is true with our daily walk with God. The only way to prepare for an invasion by the devil is to put on the armor of God. He is our protection. He is our Redeemer. He is our God.

However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be aware of the danger within. The enemy is on the move all the time. He’s looking for the souls of those who will join him in everlasting torment. We face a daily war. As Barak Obama once said, “We are no longer a Christian nation.” As much as I recoiled when I heard that remark, what he said was true. Our nation is one of many beliefs, philosophies and religions. With every newcomer to our land, we are sharing the freedom to worship as they wish. However, our nation was founded on Judeo/Christian values, under God. Will we ever return to that point? Maybe not, but Christians can rekindle the fire by telling others about the joy of Christ and His wonderful gift to humanity. Only God can light the fire and eliminate the enmity and He already has.