Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 1 Peter 5:8
I know most of you are knowlegeable and have spent many years in the ministry than me but i want you to learn from this little piece.
I’m not a pastor who is constantly looking for Satan behind
everything that goes wrong. I concentrate my attention on Jesus and
encouraging others to follow Jesus and not to focus on the defeated one.
Yet, I’m fully aware that Satan loves to destroy…or attempt to
destroy…a church. Obviously Satan is a limited being and God’s church is
secure. The gates of hell shall never overcome what God started, but
Satan certainly loves to disrupt what God’s church is doing.
Here are 7 way Satan tries to destroy a church:
1. Church conflict
Satan loves business meetings that get out of hand or when two church
members have disagreements outside of church. He loves when church
members argue about trivial things, such as colors of the carpet or big
things, such as whether to add another service. Doesn’t matter to him.
Show him a good argument potential and he’s willing to stir the fire.
2. Burnout
Satan loves to burn out a church volunteer, staff member, or pastor.
If he can make them feel they are no longer needed, their work is not
appreciated, or that they no longer have anything to offer…he feels he’s
winning part of the battle.
3. Rumors
Satan is the stirrer of dissension. He likes to plant little seeds of
a juicy story, about someone in the church or community…sometimes even
the pastor or staff…and watch them quickly spread through a church
congregation or community. The version, of course, usually grows to a
larger portion than reality. Satan likes that too.
4. Busyness
Satan loves to distract church goers with a plethora of activity that produces little results in Kingdom-building.
5. Lies
Satan attempts to interject what he calls a “half-truth”; just a hint
of false doctrine and then watch it disrupt or divide a body. Of
course, we all know that half-truth is really just a cleaned up version
of a bold face lie, but Satan is clever enough to disguise a lie in a
way where false teachers gain entry and do damage before being
discovered.
6. Scandal
Satan loves a good, juicy, gossipy news headline in the local paper.
If it will split, divide or destroy a church body…even better. If it
will destroy someone’s Kingdom calling or work…he’ll take that too.
7. Marriage and family disruptions
Satan loves to destroy any relationship, but he also goes after key
leader’s marriages; even the pastor’s marriage. He likes to encourage
prodigal children. He wants to cause families to fight within the church
and fight with the church. Satan knows if he can destroy a home, he has
a better chance of destroying a church.
Thankfully, there is good news:
You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them,
because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the
world. 1 John 4:4
What other ways have you seen Satan try to destroy a church?
i love this
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