144. HOW TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF SIN IN MY CHURCH? – How do we protect Jesus’ life within our churches against Satan’s attacks? – “With whom do we fight?”

In the current meditations we reflect on the question: is the full armour of God of which Paul talks in Ephesians 6:10-17 only meant for individual Christians or also for the local church as a whole? Does God’s armour only protect Christ’s life in us personally against Satan’s assaults? Does it equally protect Christ’s life within the local church which is the Body of Christ? So far we have seen that Jesus wants to manifest His life in our churches through our passionate love for God and for each other. We have realized that God’s Spirit is well able to produce this Christlike love in our hearts and in our congregations. However, the question remains: how do we protect Jesus’ life in our churches against Satan’s attacks? In our present Meditation we will see against whom the church is actually fighting. 

Now that we know how our churches can become strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, we need to know against whom we are actually fighting. The apostle Paul compares our battle against satanic powers with a wrestling match during the ancient Greek games. He writes:

“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12***)

The GOD'S WORD® Translation renders the original Greek text as follows: “This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.”

If I personally want to follow Jesus faithfully, I find myself over and over again in a hand-to-hand combat against evil. Yet, the victory is mine through the empowerment of God’s Spirit who lives in me. (See the Meditations 101-130 on “How to overcome the power of sin in my life?”).

Any local church that wants to live for Christ, will also be involved in an incessant combat against these dark forces. Therefore, it is of major importance that we listen to the apostle Paul. He puts our church’s state of affairs in the right perspective: the church must be empowered by God’s Holy Spirit if it wants to overcome Satan’s assaults. Mere human strength, powerful leadership, sound doctrine and an efficient organisation are not enough!

Who are the true enemies of the church?

The apostle Paul shows us who our church’s true enemies are: “principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12***)

In Meditation 123, we looked into the way Paul portrayed these manifold satanic beings. He sees behind humanity and its civilizations the demonic forces of Satan and his hosts. Paul explains to the Christians in Corinth (Greece) that “Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4*).

And to the church in Ephesus (Turkey) he writes: “You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” (Ephesians 2:2*)

The American theologian Albert Barnes (1.12.1798-24.12.1870) speaks in his Notes on the Bible of the rulers of the darkness of this world (Ephesians 6:12).

He writes that those rulers: “... preside over the regions of ignorance and sin with which the earth abounds. (Ephesians 2:2)

‘Darkness’ is an emblem of ignorance, misery, and sin; and no description could be more accurate than that of representing these malignant spirits as ruling over a dark world. The earth - dark, and wretched and ignorant, and sinful - is just such a dominion as they would choose, or as they would cause; and the degradation and woe of the pagan world are just such as foul and malignant spirits would delight in.

It is a wide and a powerful empire. It has been consolidated by ages. It is sustained by all the authority of law; by all the omnipotence of the perverted religious principle; by all the reverence for antiquity; by all the power of selfish, corrupt, and base passions. No empire has been so extended, or has continued so long, as that empire of darkness; and nothing on earth is so difficult to destroy.

Yet the apostle (Paul) says that it was on that kingdom they (i.e. God’s children) were to make war. Against that, the kingdom of the Redeemer was to be set up; and that was to be overcome by the spiritual weapons which he specifies (in Ephesians 6:10-17).

When he (the apostle Paul) speaks of the Christian warfare here, he refers to the contest with the powers of this dark kingdom. He regards each and every Christian as a soldier to wage war on it in whatever way he could, and wherever he could attack it.

The contest therefore was not primarily with people or with the internal corrupt propensities (i.e. (natural tendencies or dispositions) of the soul; it was with this vast and dark kingdom that had been set up over mankind.

I do not regard this passage, therefore, as having a primary reference to the struggle which a Christian maintains with his own corrupt propensities. It is a warfare on a large scale with the entire kingdom of darkness over the world.

Yet in maintaining the warfare, the struggle will be with such portions of that kingdom as we come in contact with and will actually relate:

(1) to our own sinful propensities - which are a part of the kingdom of darkness;

(2) with the evil passions of others - their pride, ambition, and spirit of revenge - which are also a part of that kingdom;

(3) with the evil customs, laws, opinions, employments, pleasures of the world - which are also a part of that dark kingdom;

(4) with error, superstition, false doctrine - which are also a part of that kingdom; and,

(5) with the wickedness of the pagan world - the sins of benighted nations - also a part of that kingdom. Wherever we come in contact with evil - whether in our own hearts or elsewhere - there we are to make war.

‘Against spiritual wickedness’ (or wicked spirits). Literally, "The spiritual things of wickedness;" but the allusion is undoubtedly to evil spirits, and to their influences on earth. . . . It is against such spirits, and all their malignant influences, that Christians are called to contend. In whatever way their power is put forth - whether in the prevalence of vice and error; of superstition and magic arts; of infidelity, atheism, or antinomianism; of evil customs and laws; of pernicious fashions and opinions, or in the corruptions of our own hearts, we are to make war on all these forms of evil, and never to yield in the conflict.” (so far Barnes).

It is also noteworthy to read what Jesus says about Satan: “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44**)

The apostle Peter warns the church: “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8*)

Any local Christian community that wants to overcome Satan’s diabolical schemes need to learn how to stand strong in unity against the growing anti-Christian culture and secular morality in the Western world that tries to pervade our minds and our churches and is obviously a weapon of Satan’s warfare against God’s people. To stand firm against his strategies, a church needs the boldness and courage of God’s Spirit and the knowledge of God’s Word.

The apostle Paul says to his co-worker Timothy: “God has not given us a Spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7*) and “Follow the Lord's rules for doing His
work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize.” (2 Timothy 2:5*)

Without the power of God’s loving Spirit and the knowledge of God’s wholesome rules (contained in the Bible), our churches are hopelessly lost and left at the mercy of Satan’s craftiness and deceitful scheming.

      

When a church lacks the knowledge of God’s rules, it might wrestle against the wrong enemy.

Sadly enough, it seems that our churches often lack the practical knowledge of God’s rules to conquer Satan’s assaults although He has revealed them clearly in His Word. Instead, churches might be occupied with bitter disputes and contests with other churches or Christian organisations. Even church members might clash and quarrel with each other, sometimes causing frosty relationships within the church or even church splits.

The apostle Paul begins his letter to the church of Corinth (Greece) by saying: “My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?" (1 Corinthians 1:11-13**)

Then the apostle Paul continues: “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to mature Christians. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn't handle anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don't belong to the Lord. When one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another says, "I prefer Apollos," aren't you acting like those who are not Christians? Who is Apollos, and who is Paul, that we should be the cause of such quarrels? Why, we're only servants. Through us God caused you to believe. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.” (1 Corinthians 3:1-5*)

Paul is upset about the way the Corinthian church handles conflicts among its members: “When you have something against another Christian, why do you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter, instead of taking it to other Christians to decide who is right? Don't you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can't you decide these little things among yourselves? Don't you realize that we Christians will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disagreements here on earth. If you have legal disputes about such matters, why do you go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isn't there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these arguments? But instead, one Christian sues another-- right in front of unbelievers! To have such lawsuits at all is a real defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?” (1 Corinthians 6:1-7*)

The apostle also touches another grave problem in the same church: “In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!” (1 Corinthians 11:18-22*)

The apostle James asks a hot-tempered church: “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires at war within you?” (James 4:1*). Later in his letter, James writes: “If you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.” (James 3:14-16*)

The apostle Peter warns the church: “Obey God because you are His children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then.” (1 Peter 1:14*)

The apostle John commands the church: “Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.” (1 John 2:15-17*)

The apostle Paul wants Jesus’ body (i.e. the Church) to be prepared for Satan’s possible assaults. That’s why he gives us the necessary instructions how to protect our churches against the devil’s evil scheming. The apostle urges: “Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.” (Ephesians 6:13*)

In the next meditations we will see how my church can use every piece of God’s armour to protect Jesus’ life within it in the battles with Satan’s infernal army. 

Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New International Version; *** New King James Version

About “The Church as a ‘Corporate Personality’, see Meditation 63-65.

About “The Church as a new (messianic) community, consisting of all the followers of Jesus”, see Meditation 29.

About “Who is the Holy Spirit and what is His ministry”, see Meditations 27-34.

About “The two Tracks of Maturing in Christlikeness”, see Meditation 100.

About “God’s major project: transforming me and my church into the likeness of Christ”, see Meditations 44-48.

About “Personal, Christlike love for God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ”, see Meditations 56-62.

About “Corporate, Christlike love for God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ”, see meditations 63-99.

About “Satan and our rebellious lives”, see Meditations 19-21.

About “How to overcome the power of sin in my life?”, see Meditations 101-130.

About “How to overcome the power of sin in my church?”, see Meditations 131-143.


Meditation 145 will be published by Saturday 2 February 2019.