Imagined Enemies
by Bolaji Olusola Timothy

“For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host” 2 Kings 7:6

In their merriment, some strong men were made to conceive within their minds a host of hired warriors whose sophisticated and mighty weapons, experience and strategy they would not be able to match or withstand. They therefore took to their heels and left all the treasures they had seized from other nations. This happened because four lepers, who dared danger and anticipated death, had their stepping magnified by God into a host of terrible warriors. This gave these feeble people the access that put an end to horror of famine in their nation. This is one of the ways God often get his children access into inaccessible domain. This story was well articulated in the book of 2 Kings 7:4-10 and also, in the book of Psalm 18:36; "He enlarged my step". The situation could be seriously pathetic when the Devil uses the same method through fear.

Fear has caused great havoc in our lives through creating an enemy in our imagination. This is a very serious trouble because fear is a sophisticated enemy living in the stronghold of the mind. It is armed with weapons and has the power of invincible goddesses or gods to whom many tend to sacrifice their hopes, progresses and futures. This invincible imagined enemy; men in most cases tend to indulge in their various decisions, actions and anticipations.

This kind of enemy had been given so many frightening imaginary features and body parts well developed by superstitions, real and imaginary threats, ignorance, background, experience, basic belief, culture and tradition and assumptions all supervised by fears. This imagined enemy with many components is a perfect hindrance to many credible intentions, inspirations and anticipations.
Every human being has the tendency to conceive or create this empowered enemy in their mind at one time or the other in a life time. The more of this a man has in his life time, the more the limitations in his life. His life is voluntarily laced with all forms of entanglements and retrogresses. His best is likely going to be the shadow of his real potentials on earth; such men are never a fulfilled.
Unfortunately, it will be sad to discover by such people at their last recess that the enemy they thought about and labour to combat, never existed or not as strong as they had thought, but resources had been wasted and strength exhausted.
As it is possible that power and weaknesses of a man's enemy is magnified, likewise it is possible to combat a non-existing challenge, problem and responsibility that is only conceived by our imagination. No wonder, the Bible is filled with enough simple instructions as "fear not". :”Lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5. A man's mind is the battle ground where many created enemies, magnified weaknesses and strengths and wrongly defined situations and circumstances fight against his freedom.

Therefore let your mind be renewed! Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Such minds have correct assessment of situations and circumstances. They will always lean and operate in God's promises, instructions and Guidance.



Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS