Adversary

firstly, "an opponent in a lawsuit," Mat 5:25 (twice); Luk 12:58, Luk 18:3, is also used to denote "an adversary or an enemy," without reference to legal affairs, and this is perhaps its meaning in 1Pe 5:8, where it is used of the Devil. Some would regard the word as there used in a legal sense, since the Devil accuses men before God.

is, lit., "to lie opposite to, to be set over against." In addition to its legal sense it signifies "to withstand;" the present participle of the verb with the article, which is equivalent to a noun, signifies "an adversary," e.g., Luk 13:17, Luk 21:15, 1Co 16:9, Phi 1:28, 1Ti 5:14. This construction is used of the Man of Sin, in 2Th 2:4, and is translated "He that opposeth," where, adopting the noun form, we might render by "the opponent and self-exalter against..." In Gal 5:17 it is used of the antagonism between the Holy Spirit and the flesh in the believer; in 1Ti 1:10, of anything, in addition to persons, that is opposed to the doctrine of Christ. In these two places the word is rendered "contrary to." In the Sept. it is used of Satan, Zec 3:1, and of men, Job 13:24, Isa 66:6. See CONTRARY, OPPOSE.

"contrary, opposed," is a strengthened form of enantios (en, "in," and antios, "set against"). The intensive force is due to the preposition hupo. It is translated "contrary to," in Col 2:14, of ordinances; in Heb 10:27, "adversaries." In each place a more violent form of opposition is suggested than in the case of enantios. See CONTRARY.