(By Ron Edmondson) “Be sober and watchful, because your adversary the devil walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8, MEV).
I’m not a pastor who is constantly looking for Satan behind everything which goes wrong. I concentrate my attention on Jesus and encouraging others to follow Jesus—and not to focus on the defeated one. We are to keep “our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.” Yet, I’m fully aware 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 the work of God’s church—and the work of those who love the church. Here are seven ways 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 inside or 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. Worship style or pastoral authority doesn’t matter to the evil one. Show him a potential argument and he’s willing to stir the fire—and these days he may use social media to do it. READ MORE
