“I didn’t come to church last week because the devil hindered me. I then decided to pray at home but again I felt lazy because the devil was trying to weaken my spirit. My mother is also not feeling well; the devil attacked her with the spirit of sickness. I think I need to be strong in prayer because it seems like the devil is attacking me in every area of my life.”
The above statement is indeed a harmless one – it seems, however, proper discernment will reveal that there is a lot of mention of the devil (too much) and what the evil one is doing and no mention of Christ all. Why is that? This is a very a common problem in the African church today. Many are they who have come to believe that every bad thing that happens is the work of Satan. To some extent that is true – Satan is indeed the master of evil and the reason why our lives are such a mess today. However, we have better news than that don’t we? A Redeemer who has on our behalf publicly triumphed and conquered every dark force. We are talking about the One who is in complete control of our lives, even more: the One who lives to make intercession on our behalf. If anything, what Christ has done for us, and what He is doing must be the number one thing that we talk about far above everything else. Yet, we don’t do it. We would rather preach a gospel that focuses on the works of the evil one. Am I the only one who thinks this is wrong?
Indeed the devil is real
Indeed Scripture does many times mention the accuser of the brethren, which means he is real and very much roaming around us seeking to devour. To deny that would be utter ignorance to say the least. However, that same Bible has far more mention of Someone who is a million years greater than Satan, that is the Almighty God of Israel, and our great Saviour Christ Jesus. Try for example, Paul’s letters and notice how many times he refers to the devilish works, then you compare that to the number of times Christ is mentioned. He is undoubtedly the undefeated champion of the whole Bible. Paul even went to say, “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Question, if the beloved Apostle was consumed (mind and will) with the acts of his Redeemer, can we not do the same? Can we not be so saturated with Christ until we can’t help it but talk about Him anytime, at all times and until the end of time? I have come to a point where I am no longer interested in hearing a Christian testimony today because I know I will hear zero of Jesus the Lord but only demons this, devil that, witches this, spirits that. Oh please, will you stop glorifying the devil above Christ!
High regard of the devil’s power
I do think the root problem of many religious persons today is the fear of what the devil will do to them. Such an element of fear is born from false teachings that focus more on the powers of evil than the power of the Most High God. It is no secret that many Africans visit witch-doctors, mountain prophets and even join churches to get spells, charms, holy waters and magic stones that would supposedly protect them from witchcraft. When that same mindset invaded the true Church, the life-giving Gospel and Biblical counselling was abandoned in favour of deliverance services. To put it simply, the devil’s power is highly regarded above the power of Christ and His Gospel. I can tell you that I have friends who wake up at midnight to pray: not prayers of repentance, not prayers to praise Christ, not even prayers to advance the Gospel but it’s prayers to bind the demons of limitation and to stand against spirits of generations (whatever that is). I can say the same thing about many fasting church services. Is that not sad?
To blame our sins upon the devil
There is no doubt that the serpent was responsible for tempting Adam and Eve, yet it was nothing more than just temptation. Which means it was up to them to resist that temptation and choose obedience, but they didn’t. They deliberately and willingly committed evil. The lesson is this: we are individually responsible with our sins before our Maker. Blaming the devil will certainly not keep you out of the fiery furnace will it? Why didn’t you come to church? Because you chose not too. Why is there marriage problems at home? Because as a husband you are not loving your wife as Christ loved the Church or as a wife you are not submissive to your husband as the Church submits to Christ. Before you blame the devil, take responsibility for your sins and repent of them. Therefore, instead of the deliverance ministry which blames every human problem upon demonic spirits, we must get back to the pure teaching of the Bible, which has power to transform people’s lives as it has been doing so throughout history.
Christ the forgotten Lord
A British preacher, many years ago, warned that one of the chief dangers of our time would be the rise of Christianity without Christ. We see the evidence of that today when the devil has become the chief focus in place of the good Lord. I long for the day when Christianity finally learns that It’s all about Christ Jesus the Lord. It is not about what the devil and the witches are doing in our lives but what Christ has done for us, what He is doing in us and what He will do with us in His future kingdom. Let us, therefore, all hunger and thirst to know Him. To joyfully give our bodies for Him and to gladly praise Him with our lips. Let nothing take you away from the simplicity that is in Christ my dear one: behold, the shadows are gathering and death-beds are coming–let us serve Him while we still live. That is the concerning issue I came with today. Thank you.
Sinothi Ncube
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