When predators go on the hunt they seek out the younger or weaker prey, knowing that they will be easier to catch. When a machine breaks it is usually due to a weaker part that can’t hold up to the strain it must bear. When obtaining testimony from recalcitrant witnesses the police will look for the weakest individual and put pressure on them to come up with the goods. When the devil wants to wreak havoc he often starts with churches. After all, like so many others, he too likes the weaker target.
It might seem harsh or judgmental to say that churches are easy prey for the devil’s wiles but it is an unfortunate, ironic truth. By its very nature the church draws in the weak and the broken, the lonely and the destitute, those who society rejects and insults. The church, in its spirit of love, accepts people who might not find acceptance elsewhere and welcomes those who have found no other open door. The church is a place for weaklings and thus, a natural target for the devil.
The church can also be as lacking in faith as any secular institution. When people go to church simply to satisfy their own needs, or because they’ve always gone to church, or devote only an hour a week to affairs of faith, it becomes a clubhouse or secret hideaway. Without putting God first, or understanding the deeper ramifications of their religious practice, folks lose their connection with their creator and wind up only actors in worship rather the beings of faith. That makes them easy pickings for the evil one.
Of course it doesn’t have to be that way. The church that lives and breathes its faith is an unbeatable powerhouse. When members of a congregation worship God as reverently in their private lives as they do when they gather together on Sunday morning, the devil has no foothold. When the generosity and mercy so freely practiced by God is as freely practiced by a church the devil finds no purchase. When humble service and active justice are the hallmarks of the believer’s life the devil is left out in the cold.
We are inherently weak compared to God and the devil. Yet depending on our choices we can become incredibly strong or grow even weaker. Choosing to trust, obey and serve God fully, turns the weakest of us into a powerhouse fully capable of resisting the devil should he dare to strike out at us. Choosing to simply go through the motions or go it alone undermines whatever strength we have and leaves us open and vulnerable to the evil ones evil ways.
The devil is always on the prowl for an easy target and easily overcomes the one whose faith is tenuous or non-existent. The devil will also attack those who aren’t necessarily paying attention, because sometimes a surprise attack can be very effective. However, when our strength is in God the devil is in for a big surprise. We might not be expecting his attack but when our faith is strong we can resist and overcome Satan’s fiercest blows.
