“Wherever the power of natural man dominates, there you have an element in that system which is under the direct inspiration of Satan.”
Watchman Nee
Most serious Christians that I know periodically try to do spiritual conflict with Satan. Life becomes difficult, circumstances go south, and Satan gets blamed. But opening ourselves to trouble and control from Satan can be our own doing.
Rebuke Satan all you want, quote memorized, out of context, verses against the devil all you want. There is something else opening the door to Satan in our lives and that is a thing that is called self-life. The natural man, if I live my life based on my natural man which has some good and some bad attributes then I am opening my life to Satan. The line is not between good and bad, the line is not to be between what I am gifted at and what I am no good at. The line is between my life and the life of Jesus Christ. Apply that to the church and you get an enlightening realization.
The Natural Man Should Never Run a Church
The natural man should never run a church, even if we call him pastor or bishop or father, and pay him a salary to do so. If the church or if Christian groups organize in such a way that the natural man dominates, or must dominate then in a sense, they are asking for Satan’s leadership. The natural man of some gifted person with good motives. Unfortunately Satan can still easily control through one person or groups of persons (and he will if he can). These churches or Christian fellowships make themselves very vulnerable. Even calling it ‘church’ is questionable.
Historically Satan has been able to control denominations and churches that are dominated by one or a few persons. That is a self evident fact for anyone willing to look back into church history. A congregation addicted to clergy hierarchy and one-man authoritative sermons is a congregation that is vulnerable to Satan’s influence. They can quote scripture, rebuke and insult the devil all they want but, how they have organized and refuse to do anything different has already opened the door to Satan at some level.
Christian groups that yield one to another, men and women one by one, That can lay down titles and egos (rather than promote them to dominate everything) and can challenge one another, groups that can and readily engage in conflict, with love and forgiveness.
Groups that can reason through the scriptures together. Who can talk openly together about Jesus and doctrine. A people who can pray together, who can share their lives, share their belongings (and not just pews). Groups where one or a few men don’t get to decide what is true, who is approved or disapproved. But everyone has an open say in those matters.
These types of groups which have been discipled, are taught how to be dominated by the spirit of Jesus Christ. And how to put off the natural man and how not to become dominated by Satan are Jesus’ plan for his church.
Don’t let Satan dominate you or your group through good people with good motives but who are still living by their natural man. Put off the old man, put off worldly ways of organizing, with titles and money and power trips. Instead let the Spirit of Christ rule you and your groups.
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