READING: Acts 14-15
The enemy is a schemer who knows where to attack the church (Eph 6:11). His threats are not idle, and his attacks are not random. He is subtle and sly, but nonetheless intentional.
Today’s readings show us that he attacks the church from outside and inside the church. Non-believing Jews in Iconium first “poisoned” the minds of Gentiles against the believers (Acts 14:2). Jews from Antioch and Iconium then came to Lystra and stirred up the crowds to stone Paul until they assumed “he was dead” (Acts 14:19). Surely the enemy thought he could weaken the church by striking them with fear, but such was not reality. In the first case, Paul and Barnabas simply moved to the next city “where they continued to preach the gospel” (Act 14:7). In the second case, it appears that God miraculously healed Paul, and he and Barnabas continued to Derbe and preached the Word (Acts 14:21). The outside opposition was intense, but that opposition was no match for the faithful persistence of believers filled by the Holy Spirit.
Later, the enemy sought to infiltrate the church through internal opposition. Some were adding steps to the process of conversion, claiming, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). The very essence of the gospel was at stake; the enemy would win, at least temporarily, if the gospel were no longer the gospel. The early church leaders, however, met together, sought corporate wisdom under the leadership of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28), and settled the issue. They did not allow false teachers to win the day.
No wonder, then, that the enemy apparently tried to divide Paul and Barnabas over the issue of John Mark (Acts 15:36-41). Unity threatens him, so Satan sought to turn leader against leader. Again, though, the enemy did not win. Though Paul and Barnabas “had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company” (Acts 15:39), the result was actually a doubling of the missionary teams. God sovereignly trumped the enemy’s strategy, turned it around, and used it for His purpose.
Whether attacking from outside or inside the church, the enemy is simply not strong enough to defeat God. Period.
ACTION STEPS:
- Pray for your church today. Ask God to guard you from external opposition and from internal strife.
- If you are in strife with a brother or sister in Christ, don’t let the enemy win any longer. Work toward reconciliation, as Paul apparently did with John Mark (see Col 4:10).
PRAYER: “God, guard our church from internal and external opposition. Help me to make sure I’m not part of any problem.”
TOMORROW'S READING: Acts 16-17