Now here is the uncomfortable part. If this statement is true, if the gates of hell cannot prevail, then why are we seeing churches in America being defeated by the spiritual enemy and crumbling on every side? Thousands of congregations will close their doors in 2008. Tens of thousands of others will be utterly sterile when it comes to assailing the gates of hell. They will be so beaten down, distracted, and corrupt that they will be useless when it comes to fulfilling the commands and mission of Christ. Does God’s word lie? Are the verses in Matthew 16 just to be understood as pretty prose, an exaggeration of a general spiritual truth? Not at all! There are far too many other passages that assure us of the power of Christ over Satan and the bold unstoppable force that is the Church of the Living God. The statement is true. If we are not witnessing the effects in daily life, then we are compelled to find out why not.

The first possibility for the discrepancy in what is stated and what is experienced may lie in the fact that rather than a church built by Christ, “I will build my church”, it has been built by religious people who pour great sums of wealth into raising up what they most desire. It is akin to those mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 who will gather teachers around them to satisfy their itching ears. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Can anyone deny that there are many churches in existence today that have been established to cater uniquely to their own desires? It may be a church born out of a personal, theological, or moral need as a way to excuse or find approval for something not aligned with New Testament Christianity. Some examples might include groups that have formed to justify a divisive spirit, sexual immorality, hate, the anticipated arrival of heaven on earth, or entry into a new spiritual plane.

A second related possibility for the discrepancy or “break” is that the local body has failed to be established upon the proper Rock. Instead of building upon Christ she is set upon the personality or strengths of a pastor or leadership group, a multitude of programs, buildings, the traditions and history of the past, or upon some model found in the business world or a slick publication that promises “success” by following some canned recipe or formula.

This “misfounded” congregation is built upon shifting sands that shake and roll with every uncertain current and fleeting wind. This church is filled with leaders and pew sitters more interested in the outward form of things than spiritual truth and integrity. The members may sing, “My hope is built on Jesus as the Solid Rock”, but reality says otherwise.

The New Testament offers examples of this. The church at Corinth, though outwardly gifted in many ways, was a church that had lost her way. There were many factions within the body and each was competing against the other. See 1 Corinthians 3: 1-4. “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere men?” Sin was controlling many of the attitudes and actions of the people. These folks were causing more harm than good, as Paul pointed out in chapter 11, verse 17.

A third possible cause for this disconnect may be that we are not experiencing God at work through us to crash the gates of hell, because we are not truly the church of God. We have all of the trappings, we use the right language, and from the inside as we look through our stained glass everything looks “churchy” and sufficiently religious, but there is no power or depth.

This reminds us of another passage where Paul tells us, “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” 2 Tim 3:2-7.

Does this touch a chord with you? Are we able to look at ourselves and discern where we might be self absorbed, desiring what others have, braggarts, proud, attributing to God things He would have nothing to do with and calling unholy things holy? Are there any in our midst who are disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, worldly, or unloving toward others? Are we able to identify traits such as an unforgiving spirit, a lying tongue, foolish gossip, or an inability to control emotions and behavior? Is the “House of Prayer” better known in our communities as a den of thieves, hypocrites, and liars like the temple was in Jesus’ day?

A fourth possibility for what is written and what most churches experience is that we are simply not assailing the gates of hell. We prefer to busy ourselves with anything else to avoid going into spiritual battle. Take up another cause, even a good cause, and it’s easy to not see the primary mission. Churches all around us everyday become embroiled with countless diversions that will keep them from living out the truth of Matthew 16.

Examples might include congregations at war with others in the name of defending pure doctrine. The “enemy” is another brother or body in Christ. Or it could be a legal battle with someone within or without the church. “Rights” and property must be defended, so amounts that far exceed anything spent on evangelism, missions, or ministry to the needy are spent to circle the wagons or cast out the adversary. 1 Corinthians is again a good place to find the brethren busying themselves with distractions that brought shame to the body as their Christian witness was marked by self and worldliness.

It is imperative for us to determine where the disconnect occurs if we want to turn things around. Either we are breaking down the very gates of hell, pushing aggressively into enemy territory, and promoting new soldiers and commanders into the conflict or we are not. If we are honest with God it will not take but a moment to recognize where we fit in, in this passage of Matthew.

My concern is that the vast majority of us have strayed so far from God’s ideal that we cannot see the dangers. We are much too content with where we have been for so many generations that we’ve settled for the lie that convinces us that it is an uphill battle where Satan is expected to get the upper hand. In fact, we frequently try to place the blame on the devil for a multitude of evils that beset us.

If there is dissension within the body, the finger points to Satan. If a pastor does a poor job of shepherding, it is because of the devil. If folks are unmotivated, again the devil is at work. Strained budgets are caused by Satan along with poor Wednesday night attendance, boring Sunday School classes, bursitis, and young people who have tattoos and piercings.

Brethren, we must wake up and be accountable! The Bible assures us that the gates of hell WILL NOT PREVAIL!! Don’t you dare ascribe to Satan power and authority that is not his. Against the true church his kingdom cannot stand. The Rock upon which we are built will crush his head.

Satan is not everywhere at once, he is not all powerful, and he does not know what tomorrow may bring. The truth is that a great many of the ills blamed on Satan are the consequences of our own selfish and rebellious behavior. The devil may be crafty and deceitful, but he is not the powerhouse we have made him out to be. A simple word association exercise points out our poor theology. To black we say white. To good we say evil. To true we say false. To God we say Satan.. But this is utterly incorrect! This places Satan on an equal plane with God, albeit at the opposite extreme. God may be compared to nothing. He is supremely unique. Only He is uncreated, eternal, ever present, all knowing, and all powerful. Satan is a fallen creature with no hope of ever achieving godhood. He exists because God permits it, but the day is coming when his knee will bow as all others in heaven and on earth confess that Jesus is Lord. Be very careful of the station you assign Satan.

Our Jehovah God gives us the victory through Christ Jesus, and when the church is the church, when the bride of Christ is faithful to her Master, then we will see His glory revealed in the things we obediently put our hands to. The next time you are about to say, “Satan is attacking”, look at your life very carefully to see if you are the one responsible for the oppression or defeat you are experiencing. It is likely that Satan has more important tasks to be about where godly giants of faith are obeying God than to waste time with self-absorbed carnal babes. The weak and immature are already in his pocket as they pursue their own lusts. Hear James in 1:14-15. “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” I must accept responsibility for the consequences of my own selfish sin and disobedience to God. It is not enough to simply say, “the devil made me do it.”

It was Jesus speaking when He said, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Time is short, and souls are perishing. We must commit ourselves to the truth found in this verse, to allow Jesus Christ to build His church. And the gates of hell, the great deceiver and destroyer Satan himself, will not be able to overpower the precious bride of Christ.