The mind is where it all begins because it is the place where evil is first formed. After the seed of doubt has been planted it takes root and spreads through the entire body until it becomes a stumbling block to you.
The Enemy Within will illustrate to you how subconsciously we wrestle with the decisions between good and evil- how we want to do the right thing but feel as though there is someone else, our sinful nature, forcing us to do that which is evil.
"When I would do good evil is present with me." Romans 7:21
Have you ever wondered why as Christians we sometimes do not act as though we are? The Enemy Within will illustrate how we wrestle with the decisions between good and evil; how we want to do the right thing but feel as though there is someone else-our sinful nature- forcing us to do that which is evil. The Enemy Witihn exposes the power struggles that we have between the flesh and the spirit man within us. The stakes are high; you should choose this day which of the two powers will win control over your life. The decision is yours, but the cost is everlasting.
Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE
OF GOOD AND EVIL
Where did I inherit my sinful nature? What makes me do the things that I hate?
For the answers concerning the enemy within us (sin), we must first travel back thousands of years to the Garden of Eden, where sin was first introduced to man.
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:15–17, KJV)
Sin entered the world because of disobedience. God gave a direct order to the first humans, and they disobeyed it. Adam and Eve were given choices and also consequences for not following His commands; God did not leave them ignorant of what would happen to them if they ate from the tree. He said that in the day that they eat thereof, they should surely die. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their eyes became open to what God had tried to protect them from (a world of sin). He is not an unjust God in that He wanted all the wisdom for Himself; the Lord was familiar with the tricks of the devil and knew how deceptive he could be when preying on those that are easily persuaded.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall The Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil not eat of every tree of the garden?” And the woman said unto the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ‘Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest you die.’” And the serpent said unto the woman, “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1–5, KJV)
Satan, the master of manipulation
The serpent was partially right; they would know good and evil, but what he failed to tell them was that they would be doomed to a corrupt world that God had tried to protect them from, and they would not have the security anymore that only He could provide.
Sin entered the world because they listened to the lies of the serpent. Now let’s take a look at ourselves. Are we any different from Adam and Eve? God has given us commands to follow as well, but do we obey them, or are we also influenced by outside forces?
When sin entered the world, the war within our flesh began because it is the flesh that Satan tempts. The scriptures tell us:
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not (Romans 7:18, KJV).
In the Garden of Eden, it was the flesh that sinned against God, and because of that, God told Adam that from the dust where he came, he shall return; the flesh will remit to its original state.
Now that we know how sin entered the world, let us take a look at how we blame others for the sins we commit. God made serving and trusting Him an individual choice. When God asked Adam and Eve, how did they know that they were naked, Adam placed the blame on the woman, and she in turn accused the serpent? God knew what had happened, but He left the responsibility in our hands to do what is right.
•
Sin is now passed on to Adam and Eve’s son Cain. Although, they had two sons, one (Cain) was evil and the other one (Abel) was good. This does not mean that he was without sin, but that he was always found trying to please God in his giving. Both brothers brought an offering unto the Lord; God rejected Cain’s offering and accepted the offering of Abel. Why would He accept one over the other? Because God knows the heart and the desires of a man, Abel had a desired to please God and to give Him his best. Cain, on the other hand, gave his offering because it was a requirement; he also was wicked and lived as the ungodly.
Cain let sin rule him, and he killed his brother Abel because of God’s acceptance of his sacrificial offering. But before Cain sinned and murdered his brother, God tried to give him a remedy before he transgressed.
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:7, KJV)
God was warning Cain that sin was like a wild animal waiting to attack its prey. If he does not control his anger, sin will devour him. God knew that there was a power struggle between good and evil raging within Cain, and He was giving him the antidote to diffuse it before it erupted. But Cain rejected the counsel of God and slew his brother anyway.
Afterwards, God asked Cain where his brother Abel was, and Cain responded with a lie. And the Lord said unto Cain, “Where is Abel thy brother?” And he said, “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9, KJV)
God gives a warning before sin takes over and destroys us because He knows where it will lead to if it is not controlled. All are warned, saints and sinners alike, of sin’s devastation that separates us from Him.
Part II
This chapter will enlighten believers not only on our inherited sinful nature, but also on how a Christian’s attitude should be toward all men, saints and sinners alike. Cain asked the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9, KJV) The answer was yes then and it’s still yes today; we have a commitment towards one another because of Christ blood that was shed for us. God wants us to love one another and not be envious or jealous of another man’s service towards Him. Love is the only thing that He will see in the end, everything else will pass away. Jealousy, backbiting, false accusers, and truce breakers—all of these shall pass.
God is looking for pure-hearted people that will stand on His Word and not live by the world’s standards of love, which says “I’ll love you as long as you love me.”
With all the hustle and bustle in today’s society, people are doing what is right in their own sight; living Holy takes on a whole new meaning. We lie, backbite and stir up trouble all in the name of Jesus. We profess to be saved, washed in the blood of Jesus, but can anyone see it? It is not enough to just go to church, jump and shout and get a good-for-the-moment feeling, but living holy is how we should live everyday. What does it profit us to go to church and get nothing out of it? We all know people that are like this—saved and sanctified on Sundays and full another spirit during the weekdays. Is this the way God intended for His children to be?
Yes, Adam and Eve failed in the garden, but God left a new covenant, a new agreement that makes us new creatures in Him; we have no excuses for doing evil because our sins have been taken away by the blood of Jesus. He makes us new. If our behavior does not portray what a Christian should be, then pray to God that He will help mold and shape us into His image. With the Savior’s help, we do not have to remain the same.
Practice self-control
No longer can the behavior of the first humans’ insolvency be used as a cop-out for our lack of self-control. The older generation says it best: “Every tub has to set on its own bottom.” We are responsible for what we do in our bodies, and every person will have to give an account, good or bad.
•
At times, we will be mistreated for our beliefs, but this does not give us the right to inflict the same cruelty on others.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44, KJV)
For many, this is a difficult saying; it is hard in the flesh to love and do good towards someone that hates you and who continues to take advantage of your kindness. But Christ says “it can be done when you abide in Him, and He in you,” He makes it possible; the Holy Spirit will teach you the dynamics of love. No one wants to bless someone that always causes him or her pain. But Jesus says “to follow His example.” He knows that there are people out there that will constantly attack you and set traps for you, but bless them. Speak well of them although they speak evil of you. Your Father in heaven sees all, hears all, and will come to your defense.
I know that this is a hard statement to grasp. How can you do well towards people that hate you? But if you study the Word of God and pray for understanding of that Word, then you can better understand why Jesus says “to do good to them that hate and persecute you.” The flesh will never understand this philosophy, but through the Holy Spirit, it will teach you how to do good and not evil towards your enemies. If forgiving was an innate trait, then the world would be in sync, but it is not. Therefore, Jesus was sent to show the world how to forgive and love God’s way.
Do not rejoice over your enemies’ downfall, but pray for them. Too often when you see the wrath of God come upon those that have treated you unfairly, you say that “they are getting what they deserve.” Although that may be true, God does not want His people to rejoice over it, but to show compassion because Christ showed compassion towards you when you did not always walk according to His Word.
God is so awesome and great that He did not leave His people powerless, but He left us scriptures that will guide and teach us how to safeguard ourselves from the attacks of the devil.
Having moments when forgiveness seems almost impossible, God encourages the believer to pray and give their problems over to Him, because He conditions and allows the heart to open up to forgive. Prayer helps to free your spirit man by releasing and letting go of past hurts. Why do you think you become angry all over again when you see the individual that has marred you?
You did not let go of the pain that only God has the power to heal. When God is in control of the situation, you will begin to be at peace with yourselves, as well as with your enemies.
Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through. Don’t quarrel with anyone. Be at peace with everyone, just as much as possible. (Romans 12:17–18, TLB)
As believers, we cannot afford to practice the same evening the score tactics as our enemies. Although we work and live around ungodly people that have no desire to live Holy, we must.
In our every-man-for- himself society, the saints will have to learn how to work and interact alongside the wicked that seek to plot and manipulate situations in our everyday walk of life. It is hard not to retaliate, but be encouraged through the Word of God to provide things honest in the sight of all men; let the world see that the servants of the Lord will stand on His Word. If the standards of God’s people are lowered, and we choose to play mischievous games like the ungodly, then the opportunity to witness and share His Word to the lost becomes of no effect. It will be difficult to win souls for Christ when sinners cannot see any differences in us.
As saints, it is important to live responsibly, because we can unpretentiously turn someone away from Christ if we are hypocritical in our living. God’s children are to be peculiar people set apart for His service. If we are unique, then we should be drawing sinners to Christ instead of turning them away with our Jekyll and Hyde personalities.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19–21, KJV)
The enemy within us wants to retaliate when someone has wronged us, but that is not God’s way. Avenging one’s self through kindness will defeat the enemy every time; God says that “vengeance belonged to him.” When love is shown toward those that have scorned us, they do not know how to respond because their motto is, “I will do unto others what they have done unto me.” Sometimes the act of benevolence even embarrasses them when we do not react as they expect; this is what the scripture means when it says that “it would be like heaping coals of fire on his head.” A compassionate attitude toward the one that has harmed us sometimes causes that person to be repentant; they see themselves as being incomplete and long to have a deeper insight of the God we serve. Too often we lose the opportunity to share the Word of God because we allow our flesh to rule and guide us in our treatment of others. God wants His children to be overcomers of evil; the time has come that we as Christians, stop allowing small and trivial things hinder us from what we know is right; that is to forgive and move on.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil does not justify our ungodly behaviors; we still have a responsibility to live Holy no matter what the circumstances may be. We win people to Christ not so much by what we say, but by how we live and respond to the fiery darts that they shoot at us. The enemy is watching, watching for failure in God’s people; it is important to pray that God will keep us from retaliating. Satan is waiting for us to fall, he wants the enemy within (our flesh) to strike back so it can be proven to the world that God’s people are hypocrites and will change sides when the opportunity presents itself.
•
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. (Matthew 12:33, KJV)
Jesus is making a comparison between a Christian’s productivity and his or her lack of productivity according to what they profess to be in the ministry. If you are an apple tree, then produce apples; if you are a fig tree, then produce figs. But something is wrong if you are an orange tree and produce plums. What type of tree do you profess to be? Are you the type of person that sows discord among the brethren or harmony? In this particular scripture, the Pharisees pretended to be pious and keepers of the Law, but their hearts were evil. There are Pharisees in our churches today that claim to be children of light, but from their actions are children of darkness. Can anyone tell what type of tree you are? If they watched your life, what type of tree would they see? Would they say that you were just like your Father, God? Or that you conduct yourself as the Pharisees, holy in public and cutthroat behind closed doors? Who do you resemble?
Some church members are all talk but never can produce what is talked about. These people are like the Pharisees— religious and holy in their own eyes; they feel powerful when they put down others to make themselves feel superior. These bad fruits hurt the body of Christ rather than help. Instead of exhorting their brothers and sisters in the faith they are condemning and belittling. This behavior sometimes causes those that are babes in Christ that have not bloomed to maturity in the ministry to disconnect themselves from the branch (Jesus).
Jesus wants His children to learn how to be fruit inspectors. Everything from the evil tree is corrupt and cannot bring forth good fruits, because if evil is planted, then only evil will grow. He wants you to learn how to inspect the fruits for their ripeness (good) and their rottenness (evil). This will help you to determine who they really are.
God’s people practice self-control; they do not keep up confusion and sow discord. Those that produce good fruits are known by their dedication to please God. There is no corruption in them, no matter how the worms may try to eat through and contaminant them; they stand on the promises of God, knowing that He will wipe out anything on His branches that does not resemble Him.
The good fruits (real Christians) from the tree can be found praying for their accusers (the bad fruits), and lifting them up spiritually in the presence of God; praying that the evil fruit may turn from their wicked ways and confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior and that they may become productive in His kingdom. The good fruits want what is best for others; they do not spread malicious lies to get ahead, but lean and depend only on the Savior to supply them with what they need. No matter where their paths may take them, they are like the tree that is planted by the rivers of the water; they shall not be moved.
Part III
Are you spiritual enough to resist Satan’s attacks of manipulation, which target your relationship with Christ? Are you rooted in the Word of God? If the answer is no, then you will be like your ancestors, Adam and Eve, who fell into the trap of the serpent. Evaluate yourself, and take a deep look inside, and see if there is a weak link in your spiritual walk with Christ.
Are you ashamed to let people know that you are saved? Do you conform yourself to the enemy’s lifestyle instead of them conforming to yours? If you have difficulty in answering these questions, pray to God that He may give you the courage to stand on His promises and that He may teach you how to be the person that He has called you out to be—a testimony and a witness for Him.
Then came Peter to him, and said, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? “Jesus saith unto him, “I say not unto thee, Until seven times:’ But Until seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18: 21–22, KJV)
Peter wanted to know if there was a limit on forgiveness when someone repeatedly sins against you, but Jesus says that “we are to forgive as many times as needed.” He forgave us even when we did not deserve it. Satan, the master of deception, tries to plant the seed of unforgiveness in our hearts and minds, but if forgiveness were impossible, Christ would not have told us to do it. The flesh (the enemy within us) immediately steps in and tells us that we have forgiven enough and that it is all right not to forgive them again. But the danger in unforgiveness is the Christian’s relationship with God. A believer cannot have a relationship with Christ if he has an unforgiving heart.
Jesus showed us best how to forgive when He suffered on the cross for a world that rejects Him every day. He said to God while hanging on the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34, KJV).
If the men in Jesus’ day truly knew that He was the son of the living God, maybe their actions would have been different towards Him. So if Jesus could forgive a world that would hate, despise, and eventually kill him, then why is it so hard for us to forgive someone over small and trivial matters?
Forgiveness cleanses and purges the soul of all unrighteousness. It frees the believer so that we can get to where God wants us to be on this Christian journey. Unforgiveness is like a weight holding us down, which is exactly where Satan wants us to be, because as long as we live defeated lives, he knows that he has the victory over us.
We must realize that Jesus never meant for His children to be doormats and trampled over by the enemy. He knows that there will be people that we will not be able get along with no matter how hard we try. For conditions such as those: pray, forgive, and move on. The longer you dwell on it, the more room you give Satan to move in. We need to make sure that our conscience is clear and that we have done all that we can to make the situation right. We are not responsible for how people treat us, but we are responsible for how we treat them.
•
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (John 15:12–14, KJV)
Jesus called us His friends if we adhere to His commandments. He loved us so that He willingly was lead like a sheep to the slaughters, He said not a word, but laid down His life for friends like us that turn our backs on Him daily.
A remedy for sin
Through Adam and Eve, sin entered the world because of their disobedience, but over 2000 years ago, a Savior entered the world to rectify their mistake. The tree of knowledge of good and evil should no longer be a stumbling block for God’s people; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. All our excuses have been taken away because of what happen on Calvary; Jesus paid a debt He did not owe (his life, perfection), and we owed a debt we could not pay (our life, imperfection).
The power struggle between the flesh and the spirit man will exist until Christ returns, but in the meantime, we are not to give in to the temptations of sin. The power lies within us through the Holy Spirit to resist the enemy when he comes to stir-up trouble so that the good that we are capable of doing will be possible.
Professional Reviews
Military Guidance Counselor
Bravo to Mrs. Sheila L. Jackson for writing The Enemy Within! She has written a great book that is insightful, heartfelt, and easy to read.
Church of the Living God
Mrs. Jackson's approach is simplistic and yet profound enough to reach those of every social, economical and spiritual background.
Want to review or comment on this book?
Need a FREE Reader Membership?
Reviews for "The Enemy Within. When I would Do Good..."
This book spoke gently yet firmly to my 'spirit man'. I saw so much of my life and my own struggles depicted here. I am grateful to the author for being obedient and writing the book. It has been a blessing to me in so many ways. I am pleased to share it with others in faith, hope and prayer that their lives will be forever changed.
BJ:
This book helps you to see yourself and no one else
AWESOME:
The Enemy Within, deals with the struggles we face each day, whether it's on the job, church, or home life. The Enemy Within covers it.
Barbara Buffin:
I think that this author has captured the essence of human everyday struggles in the world and with self.I believe that this book will posse the same staying power as 'The Purpose Driven Life.
Sounds spiritually uplifting Sheila!
Congratulations getting it out to the souls that will be touched by it!
God Bless You and Yours!
Write On!
STay Positive!
Warmest Blessings and Inner Peace, Warrior Purple Passion Lady Sheexooo
Enjoy! Your day as inspiration is on the way! EVERYDAY
If you have a moment, stroll by my corner - I hope to touch your heart, I write all genre's- Spiritual, Inspirational, Erotica, Dark and more...What my Spiritual muse whispers I venture forward!!!
This exceptional book, Celebrating the Gift of Being Alive, has the perfect thoughts and words for birthdays, graduations, engagements, marriages, and any life celebration or family tradition.
Reflections and Nature Watercolors is a collection of Margaret's spontaneous positive thoughts in celebrating and reflecting on life and her nature watercolors.
Note: Since my husband's cancer surgery 4/25/05, this book content has been integrated into the public speaking content for audiences interested in a sassy approach to personal and/or community awareness events. Another chapbook on intimate love poet
