(By Joseph Mattera) As a full-time church leader since 1980, I have observed and experienced various tests and temptations in both my inner life and public ministry. Often my articles are the results of my musings regarding what I observe or sense from the Lord regarding the state of the church, culture and leadership. Today, my musings have led me to think about 10 of the top demonic strategies employed by Satan to destroy a spiritual leader. It is well known that the devil and his minions target pastors and churches that are a threat to his kingdom. Ignorance of these strategies is a cause for great harm and even the failure of pastors and leaders. The following are 10 demonic strategies used to destroy pastors:
1. Sacrificing their family on the altar of ministry – One of the most common ploys the evil one uses against spiritual leaders is to tempt them to neglect the spiritual and emotional well-being of their spouse and children because of ministerial priorities. Many pastors who either leave the ministry, have marital challenges or both point to the demands of their local church for their family stress. A pastor who is not careful can easily neglect their home while trying to save others. What good is it if you win the whole world but lose your children? The demonic principle here is if you can destroy a spiritual leader’s family, you can destroy his ministry. CONTINUE
