From Enemy to Friend: Understanding Your New Identity in Christ

# From Enemy to Friend: Understanding Your New Identity in Christ

There's something profoundly unsettling about being at war with God. Yet Scripture doesn't soften the reality of our condition before salvation—it describes us with stark, uncomfortable language: enemies, hostile, hateful, at enmity with the Creator of the universe. This isn't the gentle imagery we often prefer when discussing our spiritual journey, but it's the truth we must confront to fully appreciate the miracle of reconciliation.

## The Reality of Our Former Identity

Before we can truly understand what it means to be justified, we must grasp where we stood. Romans 5:10 doesn't mince words: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." The Greek word translated as "enemies" carries the weight of active hostility—not passive indifference, but actual hatred and opposition.

This is where many of us stumble in our understanding. We imagine ourselves as neutral parties who simply needed a little help, wayward children who wandered off the path. But Scripture paints a far more desperate picture. We weren't lost hikers needing directions; we were armed combatants on the wrong side of a cosmic conflict.

The quality of being God's enemy means standing in direct opposition to friendship with Him. It means ill will, unfriendly dispositions, and active rebellion. This is a horrible place to be—and yet, it's exactly where every person stands before the Holy Spirit leads them to repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ.

## Justified: More Than a Legal Term

When we talk about being "justified by His blood" (Romans 5:9), we're discussing more than a courtroom transaction. The Greek word means to be "rendered righteous"—God doesn't just declare us innocent; He actually makes us righteous through the blood of Jesus. This is the foundation of our new identity.

Think about what this means practically. You were once defined by hostility toward God. Now, through Christ, you are defined by righteousness. This isn't righteousness you earned or manufactured; it's righteousness given as a gift, applied to your account through grace alone.

But here's where it gets challenging: you can choose to walk away from this justified state. James 4:4 delivers a sobering warning: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

The lines are drawn clearly. Friendship with the world equals enmity with God. There is no neutral ground, no comfortable middle position where you can maintain both allegiances. You're either God's friend or His enemy, marked by the world you choose to align with.

## The Ministry of Reconciliation

Second Corinthians 5:17 celebrates this transformation: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." This isn't minor renovation; it's complete reconstruction. The old identity of enemy is exchanged for a new identity as friend, ambassador, and minister.

And here's where the Christian life becomes beautifully messy. God doesn't save you simply to sit comfortably in a pew. He reconciles you to Himself and then immediately commissions you with "the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). You become His representative in a hostile world, tasked with bringing others into contact with the Truth.

This ministry cannot be accomplished from a distance. It requires presence—sitting in someone's sorrow, showing up in their pain, being there even when you don't have the right words. It means getting your hands dirty, being taken advantage of, facing rejection, and enduring persecution.

## The Guaranteed Opposition

Jesus made no promises of comfort to His followers. In John 15:18-19, He stated plainly: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

Being God's friend means being the world's enemy. The world operates under a different master with a singular mission described in John 10:10—to steal, kill, and destroy. Every cultural current, every entertainment choice, every ideology that contradicts God's Word is part of this spiritual warfare.

It's never "just" a song, "just" a movie, or "just" harmless fun. Every choice represents an allegiance, a declaration of which side you're on. This isn't legalism; it's recognition of reality. You're in a war whether you acknowledge it or not.

## The Source of True Joy

So why would anyone choose this difficult path? Why embrace a life of opposition and persecution? Romans 5:11 provides the answer: "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."

Joy—the Greek word means to boast, to vaunt, to rejoice. Our joy isn't found in comfort or acceptance by the world. Our joy is found in boasting about God, rejoicing in Christ, celebrating the atonement we've received. This joy is so profound, so complete, that it sustains us through every trial.

God didn't save you to keep Him to yourself. He saved you to share that joy with everyone you meet. The ministry of reconciliation happens over coffee, at dinner tables, in living rooms, at ball games, at work—in the world but not of it.

## Living Out Your New Identity

Your time on the sidelines ended the moment you were saved. You're in the game now, and preparation matters. Growth comes through discipline in God's Word, through moving from spiritual milk to meat, through Bible study and authentic discipleship. It requires obedience, presence, and a willingness to be uncomfortable.

How you live your life matters. Why you do what you do matters. Where is your joy? Who are you boasting about? Are you truly functioning as a minister of reconciliation, or have you made peace with enemy territory?

These aren't rhetorical questions. They're the daily examination every Christian must undertake. Your identity has changed from enemy to friend, from hostile to reconciled, from condemned to justified. The question is: are you living like it?