Identifying the Adversary: Why Discernment is the Watchman's Key
The Subtle Enemy
You never expect the first shot to come from inside the wire. The greatest threat to a battalion is never just the enemy outside—it's the Watchman turning a blind eye inside the camp.
In war, the sentry who lets down his guard isn't just weak—he's dangerous. In the Church, when discernment fades, destruction isn't far behind. This isn't just about open rebellion—it's about the silent drift, the compromise that sneaks past our defenses. You see, in warfare, it's rarely the obvious attack that gets you...
Just like lightning, your adversary seeks the easiest path to ground. Field intelligence primed us for familiar patterns. The tell for an explosive was disturbed earth. Detonate one bomb and replace it with another. The enemy rarely attacks head-on; instead, he seeks the point of least resistance, aiming for a compromise that slowly erodes your strength.
The Commander's Order: Be Sober & Vigilant (1 Peter 5:8)
This is precisely why we receive the command: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8). The enemy never sleeps, and neither can we.
As C.S. Lewis famously observed, the devil delights in subtle tactics; he would even "cure your chilblains with pride," using small victories to introduce fatal compromise. Your enemy is patient and precise, studying every move you make. We must remain on our guard at all times.
The enemy doesn't attack only our weaknesses; he slowly erodes our strength, looking for the moment our vigilance wavers.
The Enemy Within: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Matthew 7:15)
The threat isn't only outside the wire. While the lion outside is a roaring danger, the enemy within often arrives disguised. Jesus Himself gave the critical warning: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15). This is our guiding scripture for understanding deception from within. They don't arrive with fangs bared; they come looking like one of us – like a sheep.
This deception wears the camouflage of familiarity – even someone you remember having his diapers changed in the nursery. This history, this established familiarity, can be the most deceptive mask a wolf can wear.
It makes us overlook the subtle shifts, ambiguity, and erosion of truth because "he's one of us." A clear shepherd guides the sheep, providing direction, not confusion. Do shepherds creep? Slowly introduce "mystery" where doctrine had been settled. Use big words and scholarly opinions to obscure the truth.
The Apostle Paul echoed this timeless warning, speaking to the elders at Ephesus (Acts 20:29-30): "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves, men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves."
But the core caution comes from our Commander – beware of false prophets in sheep's clothing. Pay attention. They may have "a form of godliness but deny its power." (2 Timothy 3:5). And from such people, scripture commands, turn away!
These are the wolves employing a five-year plan. Just like in Hearts and Minds campaigns, where officers were afraid to call in necessary strikes because it would jeopardize "the mission," these wolves sacrifice people to save programs and institutions. The unchallenged compromise allows systematic takeovers.
It starts with distinct but easily dismissible shifts that nobody notices until the platoon walks into an ambush. Ambiguity is a tactic of deception. Vigilance and prayer are the only bulwarks. The devil always has his man inside and outside the wire.
The Watchman's Radar: Tools for Discernment
It's not just about knowing the enemy; it's about walking closely with The Lord, being washed by the word and renewed by His grace, and staying by His side. Christ is the foundation of spiritual discernment. God equips us with powerful tools to recognize threats of both roaring lions outside and hungry wolves within. For the vigilant Watchman, these tools are essential gear:
1. The Unchanging Compass – Scripture (Acts 17:11): Test everything against scripture. Why? Because the light of God's Word exposes the enemy's tactics and false doctrines. Scripture is the ultimate standard; if something, or someone's teaching, doesn't align with the Book, it's a warning sign.
"Now the Berean Jews... received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11). Be a good Berean. Read and study your Bible consistently. Know what it says so you can test what you hear.
2. The Inner Sensor – Listening to the Holy Spirit (John 16:13): The Spirit guides us into all truth and can give us a sense of unease or confirmation about situations or teachings. This isn't just a "feeling"; it's the spirit's discernment at work in a surrendered heart. Jesus promised, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.." (John 16:13). Cultivate intimacy with the Holy Spirit through prayer and obedience. Learn to recognize His prompting vs. your own emotions or the enemy's deception.
3. Looking at the Fruit – Examining Outcomes (Matthew 7:16-20): Unchallenged compromise fosters takeover. What is the fruit of someone's life, teaching, or actions?
Do they align with biblical character and outcomes? When the money dries up and the pews empty, charlatans always sacrifice a scapegoat. Jesus said, "By their fruit, you will recognize them... Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit... A good tree cannot bear bad fruit.." (Matthew 7:16-20). Step back and observe the results over time. Do their actions align with their words? Are they building up the Body?
4. The Accountability Network – Trusted Counsel (Proverbs 11:14): No watchman stands alone. God places us in community for protection and wisdom." For lack of guidance, a nation falls. Still, victory is won through many advisers" (Proverbs 11:14).
Trusted counsel from biblical believers helps you process and verify what you are observing."Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16). This mutual support helps identify chinks in your armor and strengthens the defense.
5. Personal Integrity – Guarding Your Post (1 Timothy 4:16): "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Timothy 4:16).
Vigilance starts at home. A spiritually compromised watchman cannot effectively discern threats to the flock or stand against outside pressure. Prioritize your spiritual disciplines (prayer, Scripture, confession, accountability). Ensure your armor is on, for a compromised Watchman is a compromised post.
TheVeteran's Edge: Radar Sharpened by Experience
Psalm 84:7 promises that "They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion," and Your best days are yet to come. Were you in Vietnam, like our brothers who saw the enemy burrow from within and adapt tactics?
Did you serve in the War on Terror, experiencing the asymmetric battlefield of shifting threats and unconventional attacks? These same principles of deception and gradualism are at play in churches and lives today. Your enemy is using the same battle plan nationwide.
Veterans possess heightened awareness, a radar that constantly scans the horizon. While civilian life may not demand the constant, intense vigilance of the battlefield—a state sometimes described as hypervigilance—the underlying capacity for acute observation and pattern recognition remains.
God doesn't discard this capability. He redeems it. He refines that radar, directing it towards the spiritual landscape. This means a veteran is often uniquely attuned to inconsistencies, subtle shifts, and warning signs that elude others who haven't stood watch.
This isn't about being suspicious. It's the Commander repurposing a battle-honed skill for Kingdom defense. It's a spiritual sensitivity, a quickness to recognize potential threats to the flock's holiness that others dismiss, and an urgent bias toward action. This sharpened radar is invaluable for identifying the wolves in sheep's clothing" and the subversive tactics the adversary employs within the Church.
Our Call to Action: Arming Our Discernment
If the Watchman isn't vigilant within, the whole camp is lost—no matter how fortified the wire outside. In your Church, your family, or even your own heart, there is a slow drift. The rationalization. The ambiguous language. This is where the battle rages unseen. God hasn't just called you to survive; the driftless equipped you to reverse it.
Suppose you've been trained to watch for dangers; there is time to watch at home. Your experience as a veteran—your radar, your discomfort with ambiguity—these are the very weapons the Church needs. Don't settle for easy ground. Don't trade conviction for comfort. Sharpen your discernment now—for yourself, your Church, and your brothers who stand the line with you. Stand your post. Sound the alarm when the shift comes—not if, but when. The cost of silence is always too high.
Ready to be equipped?
- Access the Armor of God study
- Join our Battle Rhythm for weekly and daily tools
- Follow us on Facebook, X, and Telegram for updates
From strength to strength
Stephen Vieting
Founder Valor & Grace
