Knowledge of the Enemy (Entire Article)

By Dianne Ellis

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“Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”

(Ezekiel 28:14-19)

 

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?”

(Isaiah 14:12-17)

 

Knowledge of the enemy is a preeminent but difficult responsibility. Traditionally, emphasis has been on understanding enemy capabilities; but knowledge of enemy intentions can be equally or even more important, to the extent that it sheds light on enemy plans and allows us to take timely and effective action to blunt them.

 

A key concept that integrates intelligence and operations is center of gravity; a term first applied in the military context by Clausewitz to describe “the hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends.” Joint doctrine defines a center of gravity as: “Those characteristics, capabilities, or localities from which a military force, derives its freedom of action, physical strength, or will to fight.

 

  • Finding and attacking enemy COGs is a singularly important concept. Rather than attack peripheral enemy vulnerabilities, attacking COGs means concentrating against capabilities whose destruction or overthrow will yield success. Though providing an essential focus for all efforts, attacking COGs is often not easy because they are an adversary’s sources of strength. Progressively defeating enemy measures undertaken to defend COGs may be required to expose those centers to attack, both at the strategic and operational levels. Actions to extend offensive efforts throughout the theater, including deep penetrations of enemy territory, can increase the vulnerability of enemy COGs.
  • Joint intelligence preparation of the battlespace is a continuous process that enables the commander to understand the total battlespace environment. Key to this process is understanding the adversary’s critical vulnerabilities, capabilities, limitations, and centers of gravity. The Armed Forces of the United States and the national intelligence community have harnessed the capability of modern technology to provide intelligence to the fighting forces. The challenge is not to amass more data but to extract and organize the knowledge most useful for overcoming the enemy.

 

This concept of COGs helps bring focus to intelligence requirements. Intelligence should be timely, objective, responsive, complete, accurate, and relevant. It should aid the identification of centers of gravity and suggest how they might most effectively be dealt with. Beyond that, however, intelligence should provide the capability to verb which desired military effects have or have not been achieved and generally support the commander’s situational awareness in what will often be a dynamic, fast-moving, and confusing (fog of war) situation.

 

If the information given is not accurate but slanted to the informant’s viewpoint, the decisions made can be wrong and lead to disaster. We must give out information in a timely fashion, not after the fact, when it is too late to respond. Information must be objective and not slanted to our own ideas. It should be as complete as possible and totally accurate. If the information is not relevant to the need, you could be sending out red herrings.

 

Enemy Tactics

 

Knowing our enemy is vital to our success. We need to know Satan’s tactics. He has a history of masquerading as an angel of light, being attractive, subtle, and winsome. He attacks our most vulnerable areas. He deludes many, distorting the things of God and causing many to conform to the world system.

Ways the enemy attacks:

 

  • Gossip
  • Through our family
  • Those closest to us
  • Intimidation
  • Greed
  • Power
  • Lust
  • Confusion
  • Counterfeiting things of God
  • Imposter
  • Dreams
  • Voices
  • False religions
  • Murder
  • Homosexuality
  • Lies
  • Abuse — physical and emotional
  • Deceit
  • Finances
  • Discord
  • Drugs
  • Entertainment

 

We must be ready at all times for what the enemy is going to throw at us. In order to do that we must have a faithful prayer life and know and read our Bibles faithfully. Be instant in season and out of season.

 

Friction, chance, and uncertainty still characterize battle. Their cumulative effect comprises “the fog of war.” We have, for instance, no precisely defined picture of where, when, for how long, or why we may be obliged to use force in the defense of our nation or its friends and allies. We must be prepared for a broad range of possibilities.

 

Our enemy, the devil, doesn’t know what our Commander-in Chief, God, is going to do. An example of “the fog of war” is that we know the enemy is out there and we know he is going to attack, but we don’t know if he is going to attack from the north or the east. So we KNOW the devil is going to attack us; we just don’t know HOW. As we learn the tricks of our enemy, we can prepare ourselves for the weapons he uses against us. For instance, one of his favorite weapons is Depression. Many people have become depressed for countless reasons. In fact, depression is one of the primary reasons people are turning to the medical field for help. Many times depression leads to Suicide, which is another weapon of the enemy. This weapon is being used effectively against our young people.

 

Another weapon the enemy is using against God’s army is Offense. People are so easily offended. We take offense because of what someone says, or because someone didn’t say something. Sometimes a look that is misinterpreted can cause offense. We just wear our feelings on our shoulders seemingly waiting for someone to offend us. As a certain song says, the preacher preached too long and another says the preacher didn’t preach long enough. It seems that no one can be pleased.

 

Offense leads to another weapon; Bitterness. Medical science has proven that bitterness can lead to physical problems. It is hard to forgive someone when you are bitter.

 

Bitterness will lead to another weapon the enemy uses; unforgiveness. Unforgiveness hurts the offended not the offender. As I read somewhere, unforgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. The offended person is the one that will die. The Bible says that if we don’t forgive WE won’t be forgiven. In fact, forgiveness is so important that it is in the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord forgives us as we forgive others.

 

Unforgiveness can then lead to Anger. Uncontrolled anger can lead to Murder. It is easy to see how one attack from the enemy can grow out of control.

 

The guerrillas, who cannot fight except on their own terms, must know enough about their enemy’s plans and movements to avoid being trapped into battles which they cannot win; they must have sufficient knowledge of the enemy’s weaknesses to make their own strikes as safe and effective as possible.[1]

 

We should know the strategies of secular and humanists, cultists, and false religionists. Remember that Satan is wise and we can learn from observing his tactics.

 

Rulers of Darkness

 

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

(Ephesians 6:12)

 

The first level we will consider is Principalities. The word “principality” can be interpreted as “dominion” or “kingdom.” A principality is a region of influence over which a prince has power. We understand that this world is Satan’s domain, and that God has allowed him a little space of time to continue his destructive work before He casts him into the lake of fire forever.

 

Satan is busy placing princes over earthly towns and cities. These princes are under his command and rule over the next three levels. These princes organize networks of demonic forces to bind the towns or cities, holding then in their grasp, so they will not receive the Gospel of Christ. Unfortunately, this has been happening throughout our country. Oh, I know there has been a measure of success in the distribution of the Gospel. However, where are the revival fires burning, and where are we seeing multitudes won to the Lord as it was with the early Church and in other countries in the last century? Daniel was in prayer and fasting for twenty-one days when an Angel of God came to him with a word from the Lord.

 

“Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before they God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.”

(Daniel 10:12)

 

When Daniel sought the Lord, a warning alarm sounded throughout Satan’s realm. The Prince of Persia fought with the Archangel Gabriel, God’s mighty Messenger Angel, and this battle continued for twenty-one days, until after God sent reinforcements through Michael, the great Warrior Angel.

 

“But the Prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, Lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”

(Daniel 10:13)

 

“Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? And now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.”

                                                                                                                                    (Daniel 10:20)

 

If we could see into the spirit-world, we would witness some of the greatest battles ever fought between good and evil.

 

The second level is Powers. This level is under the command of the princes, and over the two levels below them, they are the workers of false miracles, and are very deceptive, especially to Christians who live in a lukewarm state, and those who are always seeking an emotional high.

 

“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”

(Revelation 13:13-15)

 

These miracles-working spirits are very prevalent today. Remember, they are creatures that will never cease to exist, but will be cast into hell and confined forever. These power devils will exercise such deception in the last days that if it were possible they would deceive the very elect (the Church).

 

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

(Matthew 24:24)

 

The third level of evil force is the Rulers of Darkness. These demons are under the authority of the Power Demons and give orders to the last level of spirits. Rulers of Darkness are the ones that operate in the realm of governments, especially the governing body of towns and cities—chiefly, the Police force, Mayors, and counselors, or any other assemblies of people that are involved with regulations involving governmental affairs. Of course, this includes law-making councils as they are the ones that make the laws and pass them on to the authorities to establish or enact them. If you have ever wondered why there is so much injustice, this is the reason.

 

This level of spirits works against God’s people. They will rob them of their fear of God if possible. This causes lawlessness to abound and justice to be aborted. Satan uses this force to hinder the Church. That’s the reason it is so very difficult for God’s people to be able to secure facilities in these towns or cities.

 

The fourth level of Satan’s forces is Spiritual Wickedness. One must take note, that this level has been named Spiritual Wickedness. This suggests, they are involved with religion, and could explain why there are so many false doctrines in the world.

 

More wars have been fought because of religion than any other cause. And many of the nations today are plagued by rebellion and turmoil because of religion. The Middle East is a prime example of this.

 

It was religion that blinded the eyes of those who crucified our Lord Jesus Christ. Church history tells the story about the bloody massacre of hundreds of thousands of Christians who died because of religion. This was all done in the name of Christ. Then, there was the holocaust when six million Jews were ruthlessly slaughtered. Truly, the god of this world has blinded their eyes.

 

The bloody trail of the martyrs has woven its way through the centuries from the crucifixion of Christ to the barbaric prison camps that are operated by communist countries today. False religion can only be as strong as the true Church is weak. The spiritual wickedness is the product of a powerless Church.

 

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

(Matthew 5:13)

 

The slaughter of aborted babies, the vile sin of homosexuality and the filth that is being funneled into homes, is a result of a weak Church in our nation. When the true Church is revived, men and women of God will be a deterrent to all of this. Satan’s hordes thrive in spiritual darkness. When the light of Jesus’ presence shines in a town or city they will leave. The New Age Movement is sweeping through the world at a staggering pace. This movement will be the most dangerous force that His Church as ever faced. It is motivated by spiritual wickedness, and blinded by deception. Men will call good evil and evil good, and will kill Christians, believing they are doing God a service. This movement is setting the stage for the Antichrist, and will collaborate with him. God’s people must be aware of this and not deceived by its cunning ways.

 

“Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them.”

(Deuteronomy 11:16)

“Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

(Matthew 24:4-5)[2]

 

A very good, personal friend of mine, Rose Phaeton, was born in Haiti and lived there until her early 20’s. She has experienced many things and understands things in the spiritual realm that most of us in America will hopefully never experience. She shared with me her understanding of the spiritual realm as follows:

 

  • Satan: being the CEO has strategic vision.
  • Presidents and Vice Presidents: carry out the vision; watch over territory and vision to come to fruition.
  • Ambassadors: look over and control different segments.
  • Directors: mega people under them; they are directing traffic.
  • Workers: line supervisors, mangers, report to directors; little workers carry out the grunt work; different tasks, and different assignments.
  • Supervisors: watch over workers; everybody carries out their duties.
  • Managers: gathering data to feed back to directors.

 

If something fails, unless it is of a strategic nature, the CEO doesn’t hear about it. That is the way Satan’s kingdom is established.

 

The principalities: the presidents and vice presidents reporting directly to CEO. They plan and carry out the vision.

 

The powers: directors over whole areas like Northern region.

 

Rulers of darkness: over territories, or regions, and have geographic boundaries. Demon legion not to be sent out of their country.

 

Spiritual wickedness in high places: managers, supervisors, workers, looming over smaller areas; little towns, communities.

 

Good news! Jesus defeated Satan on the cross when He said, “IT IS FINISHED!” Jesus went down and retrieved the keys to Death, Hell, and the Grave. On the third day, He emerged from the grave victorious for us. The devil doesn’t even have the keys to his own house—Jesus has them!

 

What did He finish? The Church is finished; His plan for salvation is finished.

 

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

(Colossians 2:8-15, emphasis mine)

 

Any Christian that is truly committed to God and to God’s plan and purpose is of strategic importance to the enemy. God is using that person to affect a lot of people, possibly even a region.

 

This article “Knowledge of the Enemy” by Dianne Ellis, was excerpted from the book S. E. A. L. S. It may be used for study & research purposes only.

[1] Guerrilla Warfare, Singh and Mei, pgs. 44-45

 

[2] Killers in Hiding, William Bustard

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