Once a person comes to trust Christ, Satan’s number one goal is to cause people to believe that Christianity doesn’t work. He’s not trying to prove that God doesn’t exist – he knows God exists and he knows that in most cases that strategy won’t work. Instead, our enemy is out to seek, kill, and destroy the life that God purchased and desires for us (John 10:10). The enemy’s two main weapons are fear and lies.
Scripture tells us in John 8:44 that Satan “is a liar and the father of lies.” This is the tactic he used on Adam and Eve in the garden. If we believe a lie, we will act as though it is the truth. And when we do, we openly give Satan control of our lives, which leads to destruction and death. Then we wonder why our lives are ineffective and unproductive. The antidote for this is found in Romans 12:1-2, when it says “we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Remember, it is the truth that sets us free; truth about who God is as our Father; truth about who we are as His children.
The second weapon is fear. Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety (Proverbs 29:25). The basic reason we don’t lead well is because we are fearful of something, ultimately, people. We are afraid we will lose their approval, acceptance, etc. 1 John 4:18 states, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” We need to realize that the one who knows us best, is the one who loves us most.
Make sure you are spiritually and emotionally healthy, because everything flows out of your relationship with Jesus Christ. At one of his leadership summits, Bill Hybels quoted acclaimed leadership expert, Dee Hock: “Management of self should occupy 50% of our time and the best of our ability. And when we do that, the ethical, moral, and spiritual elements of management are inescapable.”
How are your relationships? What is your level of fear?
