While Satan cannot stop people getting saved, he can frustrate the discipleship of the convert. Discipleship is the thing that is vital to a convert because discipleship is about becoming more like Jesus. When people are like Jesus they counter this world's image and shine God's restorative peace, love, mercy and grace. From this point lost people can detect the 'other-than' and become impacted by 'different.' What has the enemy done to frustrate the path towards being like Jesus - discipleship?
The answer is 'many things' but I want to underline one thing that is a real problem in the church. It is my observation and a growing awareness that this is a tactic of the enemy and we all see it every day. The strategy is to give believers the impression that they have latitude in how they serve the Lord. Allow me to explain:
I spent a short time in the British Army. During that time the sole intent of the officers was to break down any idea that I can act on my own will. They immediately begin to smash the willfulness out of the recruit for one reason. The reason is because on the battlefield all the soldiers need to have the chain of command seared into their beings. They need to hear and act only what their assigned senior says. They need to have an automatic response to the command or lives can be lost. Where the Christian is concerned the army illustration breaks down because we have no chain of command. We are supposed to be attuned to Jesus. Of course there are leaders in churches but we don't have a responsibility to do anything they ask. We are to 'be persuaded by' their leadership rather than jump to command. To find out more about this study the Greek word 'peitho.' It corrects the mis-translations in some Bibles.
Where is the enemy involved?
Since the start of the church we find Paul identifying this issue in the Corinthian church. People gather into factions following men. That can be addressed but what is a bigger problem is people thinking their own ideas, initiative and genius is, by the fact that they are Christians, God's will. But what God does to the convert is have him discipled. Meaning, taking part in a program that, like the army officer, makes us into people who hear His voice and act. The process involves setting off on our own initiative and seeing failure. The Lord gently but firmly has us become attuned to His voice only. If you think any idea that seems like a good work is, by default, God's will... this is where the deception has worked.
Simply: We are converted to be disciples to be 'Jesus' to a lost world. However many bypass discipleship and start 'doing things for God.' The latter brings a feeling of fulfillment and bypasses the hard bit of being a Christian 'discipleship.' This results in people who have a message but no mandate from God. "That's a bit harsh, people want to do good from a good heart!" If we think we can do anything to truly make an impact on this dark world by 'good deeds' we obviously haven't progressed in discipleship.
Its ALL about my demise and his prominence through this vessel.
Gary Ward
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