An Unpleasant Realization

[dreadnought]

An unpleasant realization a practicing Christian might encounter is that the walls of a church don’t necessarily protect one from the enemy. Given the opportunity, Satan will find his way into a church and wreak havoc.

 

[Southernscotty]

An unpleasant realization a practicing Christian might encounter is that the walls of a church don’t necessarily protect one from the enemy. Given the opportunity, Satan will find his way into a church and wreak havoc.

In my opinion satan is at church every Sunday and is looking for who he can devour. he is there to start gossip and strife within the body.

 

[Basil the Great]

You are so right. We can all point to examples of evil being conducted within the walls of a church.

 

[dreadnought]

In my opinion satan is at church every Sunday and is looking for who he can devour. he is there to start gossip and strife within the body.

I think Satan wants us to bow down to people of his choosing.

 

[1213]

An unpleasant realization a practicing Christian might encounter is that the walls of a church don’t necessarily protect one from the enemy. Given the opportunity, Satan will find his way into a church and wreak havoc.

On the other hand, it is said:

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matt. 10:28

Satan can’t destroy soul, which is the important thing.

 

[bcbsr]

An unpleasant realization a practicing Christian might encounter is that the walls of a church don’t necessarily protect one from the enemy. Given the opportunity, Satan will find his way into a church and wreak havoc.

Yep. Should be no surprise as we have plenty of examples in the New Testament churches to serve as a precedent. Particularly the church of Jerusalem serves as the most glaring example where right under the noses of the apostles arose a heretical cult in the church(Acts 15) which declared that Gentiles have to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses to be saved. Apparently, according to Galatians, Peter was so afraid of them that Paul had to rebuke him to his face to straighten him out. Likewise the history of post-Biblical Christianity is filled with heresy, many of which are not even allowed to be discussed in these forums.

 

[dreadnought]

On the other hand, it is said:

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matt. 10:28

Satan can’t destroy soul, which is the important thing.

No, but it would be nice if church people were there to serve the Lord, rather than their own egos.

 

[W2L]

he is there to start gossip and strife

sounds like politics.

 

[Dave G.]

Satan has changed the course of otherwise sound churches of doctrine to something other than a church of sound doctrine too ( actually in our time, certainly in my time on earth). Changing churches to follow the secular view on things Holy, of God and scriptural and washing out the marrow leaving a hollow shell of what once was a holy place of worship. Men do this not God. Compromise enters and that is of Satan.

 

[dreadnought]

Satan has changed the course of otherwise sound churches of doctrine to something other than a church of sound doctrine too ( actually in our time, certainly in my time on earth). Changing churches to follow the secular view on things Holy, of God and scriptural and washing out the marrow leaving a hollow shell of what once was a holy place of worship. Men do this not God. Compromise enters and that is of Satan.

Satan leads people to vie for power in church, rather than serve the Lord, it seems to me.

 

[Philip_B]

Augustine alerted us to this matter.

According, then, to this divine foreknowledge and predestination, how many sheep are outside, how many wolves within! And how many sheep are inside, how many wolves without! How many are now living in wantonness who will yet be chaste! How many are blaspheming Christ who will yet believe in Him! How many are giving themselves to drunkenness who will yet be sober! How many are preying on other people property who will yet freely give of their own! Nevertheless at present they are hearing the voice of another, they are following strangers. In like manner, how many are praising within who will yet blaspheme; are chaste who will yet be fornicators; are sober who will wallow hereafter in drink; are standing who will by and by fall! These are not the sheep. (For we speak of those who were predestined — of those whom the Lord knows that they are His.) And yet these, so long as they keep right, listen to the voice of Christ. Yea, these hear, the others do not; and yet, according to predestination, these are not sheep, while the others are.
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1701045.htm​

 

[JCFantasy23]

Satan leads people to vie for power in church, rather than serve the Lord, it seems to me.

I know that happens a lot of and pride and ego causes falls, but with personal experience I've seen more the effects of gossip, drama, and backstabbing with them womens groups or children's services.

 

[dreadnought]

I know that happens a lot of and pride and ego causes falls, but with personal experience I've seen more the effects of gossip, drama, and backstabbing with them womens groups or children's services.

That is too bad. I suppose pride and ego do cause people to fall, but sometimes it takes a while, I think.

 

[justbyfaith]

On the other hand, it is said:

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matt. 10:28

Satan can’t destroy soul, which is the important thing.

Luke 21:19, In your patience possess ye your souls.

 

[Open Heart]

An unpleasant realization a practicing Christian might encounter is that the walls of a church don’t necessarily protect one from the enemy. Given the opportunity, Satan will find his way into a church and wreak havoc.

It depends on what you mean dreadnought. If you mean Christians, even Christians in positions of authority, sinning and creating great scandal, you are so right. History is rife with this, and it seems like every week in the news there are articles on these scandals.

If you mean that the one true church will be overwhelmed by false doctrine, you are wrong. That would mean Christ is a liar, because the gates of hell prevailed against his church.

 

[justbyfaith]

It depends on what you mean dreadnought. If you mean Christians, even Christians in positions of authority, sinning and creating great scandal, you are so right. History is rife with this, and it seems like every week in the news there are articles on these scandals.

If you mean that the one true church will be overwhelmed by false doctrine, you are wrong. That would mean Christ is a liar, because the gates of hell prevailed against his church.

The one true church is the body of all those who believe that Jesus died for them and rose again. It is not defined by an adjective such as "Catholic" or even "Protestant".

 

[AnticipateHisComing]

An unpleasant realization a practicing Christian might encounter is that the walls of a church don’t necessarily protect one from the enemy. Given the opportunity, Satan will find his way into a church and wreak havoc.

Wherever two or more are gathered in his name there Jesus is. Wherever one on earth is, there Satan is. I hope that you don't use your "unpleasant realization" to condemn any organization of God's people. There are people that sin everywhere. My great discovery of God's grace is that God uses us despite our sin and shortfalls.

 

[dreadnought]

It depends on what you mean dreadnought. If you mean Christians, even Christians in positions of authority, sinning and creating great scandal, you are so right. History is rife with this, and it seems like every week in the news there are articles on these scandals.

If you mean that the one true church will be overwhelmed by false doctrine, you are wrong. That would mean Christ is a liar, because the gates of hell prevailed against his church.

I'm talking about denominations.

 

[dreadnought]

It depends on what you mean dreadnought. If you mean Christians, even Christians in positions of authority, sinning and creating great scandal, you are so right. History is rife with this, and it seems like every week in the news there are articles on these scandals.

If you mean that the one true church will be overwhelmed by false doctrine, you are wrong. That would mean Christ is a liar, because the gates of hell prevailed against his church.

I'm talking about denominations.

Satan can't penetrate righteousness.

 

[dreadnought]

Wherever two or more are gathered in his name there Jesus is. Wherever one on earth is, there Satan is. I hope that you don't use your "unpleasant realization" to condemn any organization of God's people. There are people that sin everywhere. My great discovery of God's grace is that God uses us despite our sin and shortfalls.

Satan will infiltrate churches, whenever he can. If we obey the Lord, Satan will fail.