ICS Daily Devotions
Watch Out for the Gates of Hades
Matthew 16:18 (NKJV) I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
There is a demonic hierarchy of fallen angels that purposefully works against the church by deceiving, weakening, and luring it away from God and her calling to world evangelism. Because Lucifer’s desire is to be worshipped like a god, he will try and distract the church from the Great Commission so more will stay in the kingdom of darkness.
Satan likes to create strife and division within the church. In an infighting church, we see church politics revolving around disagreements over theology, worship style or the pastor’s ability, tussle for leadership positions motivated by desire for power rather than servant leadership, and pledge of allegiance to certain church leaders. Rather than running with the church’s vision, individuals elevate themselves, pursue recognition and support for their own projects, and when they fail, they leave the church bringing along their cohorts, much like Satan and his fallen angels when he rebelled against God. Having lost her witness to the community, her first love and calling, this church is lost and ineffective.
There is also the self-serving church, which is narrow-minded, inward looking and impoverished in her thinking. Focused primarily on personal needs or the needs of the church, she is a maintenance church that does not seek out the Lord’s calling for her. There is also a consumer mentality, where every believer has a personal agenda towards the church based on how God can bless them—what the church can do for them rather how they can bless the church. This church is lukewarm and cold, sees neither revival nor growth because she has welcomed the world into the church. Her values are the world’s values, and she may even welcome gender confusion and LGBTQ agendas because she desires the world more than God’s presence.
Finally, we have the indifferent church where members have turned cold towards God. Rather than serving Him with their gifts and talents, they are more concerned about ourselves and their needs. Prolonged church closures make those who have not developed their personal walks with God and are dependent on corporate anointing most vulnerable because they feel they are doing well spiritually only in corporate worship settings and they have identified themselves with the Christian activities they participate in.
We need to periodically check on the state of the church to ensure that the devil’s scheme is not succeeding, and also the state of our personal spiritual health because it is when there is personal revival in the lives of individuals in regard to their walks with God that the entire church will be strong and healthy. Jesus said that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it”. We are the church, and what will truly sustain us is our personal time with God.
Sermon Series: Arise and Build
