By Festus Ndukwe
For God, dealing with Satan is a very serious matter.
It is not binding and casting out demons. On the negative side, it is not giving room to Satan; it is not giving him space to operate. On the positive side, it is giving room and space to Jesus to operate.
Where JESUS is on the throne in the lives of people, Satan has no space; where SELF is on the throne in the lives of people, Jesus has no room.
When there is no Cross
The purpose of the preaching of the cross is to put Jesus on the throne. The lack of it is to put SELF and his master, Satan, on the throne.
Where SELF is on the throne, definitely, there will be politics in churches. There will be fighting.
When SELF can cast out SELF
Though SELF will prefer another SELF of his kind to be in leadership, to allowing a person who carries Jesus, yet in the long run, SELF will not allow his fellow SELF to continue to lead. SELF will seek to have his turn. This is what brings politics and fighting in churches and related organizations. Yes, in the spiritual, SELF cannot cast out SELF, but in the physical SELF can cast out SELF. SELF can do this by mobilizing groups or going to the courts to remove those they don’t want in leadership. It shows that where SELF is at work or in great quantity there will be so much confusion.
*lWhy it appears Satan is Winning
If Satan is to fight with the Holy Spirit face to face, he cannot stand Him. The Holy Spirit will finish him. Satan knows this, so he engages SELF in people to fight each other so that the Holy Spirit will be grieved and leave the church, thereby stopping the move of God. That is why a thriving church that made so much impact in Nigeria in the 70s and 80s is turning to mere ashes. The fire has died. The church has become a laughing-stock to the people of the world because they allowed themselves to be ripped apart by politics and in-fighting. The church has broken into camps. It is with much trembling that I write this. I fear that the Holy Spirit has left this very church, and may be residing in only individuals who refused to be part of this.
Never Learnt from History
Anytime a church or Christian based organization allows politics, and does not allow Jesus, the Holy Spirit will leave. The next thing is that the church becomes nominal, and church members begin to scatter. The next thing you hear is that the church has started selling off their property. This is what has marked the end of great move of God in history, and others are waxing strong. Yet, churches will never learn.
Ndukwe, a Lagos-based minister, can be reached at festus.felicia@gmail.com.
