DEADLY ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH

While on earth, Christ was confronted with enemies who wished to destroy him and defeat his mission.  Having conquered death and ascended back to the Father, he left his church on earth to take the message of salvation to the world for which he died (Mk. 16:15).  From her inception, the Church of Christ has been besieged by foes within and without. Paul and his helpers were harassed by hostile Jews and angry Gentile who resorted to violence to silence the great missionary.  The disciples also had to cope with opposition from misguided Christians.  Some Jewish disciples devoted themselves to harassing the apostle and imposing their Jewish customs on Gentile converts. Listen to his plaintiff words, “Our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears...” (II Cor. 7:5 KJV). Others corrupted the faith and led disciples astray with teaching that was contrary to the divines message of Christ (II Tim. 1:15). Well did Francis Schaeffer observe, “The devil never gives us the luxury of fighting on only one front, and this will always be.”

Today the church of Christ is besieged by foes both within and without.  From without we are under attack by a hostile culture, militant unbelief, pagan religions, hundreds of counterfeit churches, an antagonistic media. These enemies alone are enough to occupy every soldier in a never ending struggle with the forces of evil.

From within we are faced with enemies as well. We have those who are corrupting the church and spreading strife and division by disregarding the precepts and principles set forth by Christ to govern and regulate his people. Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of  these least commandments and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:19). They fancy themselves theological scholars and call themselves progressives or workers for change, we call them liberals and false teachers.  They are descended from the Sadducees of first century Judaism. But as we contend with those who are subverting the faith, we face another problem within our ranks. On the opposite hand are hostile, angry, vindictive preachers who are lashing out in attack against everyone in the church who does not conform to their perception of things.  Even those who are standing rock-solid on the Word of God and waging the good warfare against the proponents of liberalism, they blast with their missiles. It is a sad situation when a Christian’s foes are they of his own spiritual household (Matt. 10:36). These brethren hold a faulty attitude about the faith.  It is known as legalism.  The legalists are spiritual grandchildren of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.  They profess a great love for the law of God and his church, but they have little love for the people of God. They are quick to divide the body, and place a low premium on the unity of the church.  They often delight more in making war on fellow preachers than in warring against the enemy without. They are to the church as bounty hunters are to the law. They discourage weak members and drive them away.  Liberals are grateful for legalists. They holds them up as examples of all that is wrong in the church and imply that all who do not buy their package of change are like them.

Thus contemporary  soldiers of Christ  stand with their backs to the wall, trying to fend off two enemies at the same time, while legalistic brethren are snapping at their heels like snarling dogs.  Satan is shrewd,. He knows that every hour  soldiers of Christ spend in fighting enemies within and without is time lost for evangelizing and saving the lost and thus building up the Cause of Christ John in his Revelation depicts the victorious Christ, defeating all of his enemies (Rev. 19:11-21). Those vanquished will drink the bitter cup of wrath on the day of judgment, whether they be enemies within or enemies without.