not the enemy

So I find myself in the middle of a situation involving a person that is extremely frustrating. It is one where it has cost me some and my flesh doesn't like that so much. But really on the grand scale, nothing life altering. Nothing that won't transform me to make me more like Jesus. But I grumble about it. And I have a bad taste in my mouth about the whole thing.  And if I could just fast forward, like Adam Sandler's character does on "Click," I would be fine with that. Maybe it's just the whole February Funk that I'm in. I'm convinced it's the "armpit of the year" ...especially when there is no spring break to look forward to. (I quote my favorite singing teacher lady in her song about the school year "February Teacher Blues")

But back to the whole situation...Bob said just the right thing the other night that was kind of like a punch in the stomach. But he said it in the loving way that he says things like that..."You know...that person isn't the enemy." Ahh! He's so right. But I've been making this person out to be the enemy. God's Word does say "the battle isn't against flesh and blood" but the Enemy wants me to think it is. And wants to grow that little seed of distrust and dislike and frustration into something very not Christ-like.  So I say it again-my battle isn't against flesh and blood. My battle isn't against people. My battle is against the Enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to steal my joy, kill the grace that is growing like a fragile shoot, and destroy the relationship. I don't like to give Satan more credit than he's due...but I also wouldn't "put it past him" to work in that way.