We all have both, friends and enemies. But sometimes we can be confused about them. Do we really know in every situation who is our friend and who is an enemy to us? Judas gave a friendly kiss to Jesus, but in reality he betrayed Jesus to His enemies. Satan, in the form of a serpent was very friendly with Eve, but in reality he was out to destroy her. This reveals that there is a danger of being confused between friends and enemies. A salesman may be very friendly when he tries to sell you something, but sometimes instead of loving you he may only love your money.
On the other hand people may reject their Best Friend. Jesus came to His own people in order to save them, but they hated Him and finally put Him to death.
When you go door-to-door canvassing with a purpose of saving people for eternal life, many rudely tell you to leave because they are not interested in your offer.
A true friend is a person who likes your company. He wants to talk to you, visit you, and always speaks well about you publicly to others. Even though he knows your faults and weaknesses, and will speak to you only privately regarding these, he is still loyal to you and defends you when false accusations are brought publicly against you.
An enemy is a person who does not enjoy your company. He is happy when something goes wrong in your life. He does not defend you when false accusations are publicly brought against you.
Satan is our main enemy. He comes to us as a friend, offering the pleasures of sin to us. In the time of Noah, the estimated 100 million people living at that time all followed Satan; the friends of God were only one family, eight people. Jesus prophesied, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:37. And in Luke 18:8 He said, “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” Again it will be a small company who believe in Him and are faithful to Him and love Him.
In the case of John the Baptist, although his friends claimed to love him they were not really true friends because they discouraged him while he was in prison.
When John the Baptist was in prison his disciples visited him and sympathized with him. However, they said that if Jesus would have been the true Messiah, He would not permit John to be in prison, therefore doubts came to John about Jesus.
“These questions were not without effect. Doubts which otherwise would never have arisen were suggested to John. Satan rejoiced to hear the words of these disciples, and to see how they bruised the soul of the Lord’s messenger. Oh, how often those who think themselves the friends of a good man, and who are eager to show their fidelity to him, prove to be his most dangerous enemies! How often, instead of strengthening his faith, their words depress and dishearten!” –The Desire of Ages, p. 215. A true friend will always encourage faith in Jesus and seek to uplift the discouraged and downtrodden.
The Spirit of Prophecy goes even further in presenting the danger that we sometimes have to face. “The friendship of the ungodly is more dangerous than their enmity. It misleads, and destroys thousands who might, by proper and holy example be led to become children of God.” –The Signs of the Times, June 2, 1881
Sister and Brother White had to suffer a lot by opposition and hostility from false brothers of the church. “About this time, my husband, as he reviewed the past, began to lose confidence in almost everyone. Many of those whom he had tried to befriend had acted the part of enemies, and some whom he had helped the most by his influence and from his scanty purse, were continually trying to injure him and cast burdens upon him. One Sabbath morning as he was going to our place of worship, such an overpowering sense of injustice came over him that he turned aside and wept aloud, while the congregation waited for him.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 247
This enmity was similar to what Jesus had to suffer. He was hated for not respecting the traditions of the Pharisees. All that was written in His word, He obeyed, but the “commandments of men” that they added He had no respect for. “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men.” Mark 7:7–8. Therefore, Jesus continued to heal on the Sabbath and this filled His enemies with so much anger that they decided to kill Him. Satan works best by his agents who are disguised as Christians that he has brought into the church of God.
“How was it with the early church? Ananias and Sapphira joined themselves to the disciples. Simon Magus was baptized. Demas, who forsook Paul, had been counted a believer. Judas Iscariot was numbered with the apostles. . . .He has said that false brethren will be found in the church till the close of time.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 73
False brethren in the church can be recognized by their manner of condemning, criticizing, and by a fault-finding spirit. They are not peacemakers, but rather troublemakers. They do not exhibit Christian courtesy. In the end God will separate these false members in His shaking.
We also have friends whom God has placed close to us. They support us, encourage us, and help us in every possible way. The woman caught in sin heard the comforting words: “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:11. The thief on the cross heard the words, “Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43. Jesus was called the friend of sinners, and this is what we need to be called. We are to leave the ninety and nine righteous ones and go after the one lost soul, and show him the greatest love and attention that we have learned from Jesus.
“A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
With one wrong word, a friendship can be broken which may have taken years to create.
The friend that sticketh closer than a brother is Jesus, and He is the best friend that you can trust; all others can disappoint you, and leave you when you need encouragement the most.
Personally I rejoice for having had the privilege to see Jesus in my dreams at night and I talked to Him, I have seen heaven—a place that is more beautiful than any place on this earth. The Lord has given several other dreams to me that have made Jesus a very close friend to me, and increased my homesickness for heaven more than ever before.
We must choose whom we love and whom we serve. Every day we must choose between being a friend or an enemy. When you decide to read the Bible, you choose Christ. When you choose to watch vain television shows, you choose Barabbas.
One hundred and twenty from two million Jews received the early rain given by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost; how many will receive the latter rain, we do not know. Will it be more or will it be less?
Our worst enemy whom we must fear the most is ourselves. Satan cannot take our salvation away, but we can. Our own heart can deceive us. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9
For this reason there is a war going on in our being.
“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Romans 7:22–23
According to Scripture, it seems that almost the whole world is losing this battle.
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.” Revelation 12:9
Satan is out to deceive, if possible, the very elect. What he hates is unity and love in the church. Somehow he must destroy the love and harmony amongst God’s church. He wants to make the members of the church hate one another. The Pharisees thought that they did service to God by condemning Jesus and putting Him to death. The Apostle Paul thought that God was pleased with his work of persecuting Christians.
Sister White writes, “The children of God should never be rough and discourteous in their bearing toward one another. They should never blame and condemn. To those who want to give vent to a spirit of faultfinding, I would say, Go out among the rocks and stumps, and there relieve your mind of its evil thoughts; for these inanimate objects will not be harmed by your words.” –Miscellaneous Collections, Spalding and Magan Collection, pp. 407–408 (1985)
When you are condemning and faultfinding you have made Satan your friend. He is a terrible friend, and one day you will realize it. If you make Jesus your friend you will love even your enemies and pray for them. Then you will be a peacemaker and you will be called a child of God.
Think in your mind, which do you prefer? To have a lot of enemies, or friends who love you and support you? In this world, we will always have enemies, but we can choose so spend time with, and surround ourselves with, those who have proven to be our true friends. True friends will continue to be your friends in heaven and throughout eternity. May the Lord help each one of us to learn of Jesus how to treat one another. AMEN
Timo Martin