There are tried and true methods Satan has always used in an attempt to take down Christian leaders. There is just an elevated level of intensity to these methods at this time. Let’s take a look at the following 2000-year-old incident and see how it applies to the times we live in:
John 8:1-9 reads, “but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones.”
Let’s break down this passage and see The 11-Step Process Critics Are Using (And Have Always Used) To Take Down Christian Leaders. This is how Jesus’s critics tried to take Him down. This is how they will try to take you down today.
- Critics Only Attack Spiritual Leaders Who Are Making An Eternal Difference – “but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.” Satan is not omnipresent. He is a single entity who has a limited number of demons. However, he is a master of deployment. Satan targets those who are advancing the cause of Christ. Spiritual leaders who are not effective are often not targets of the enemy.
- Critics Travel In Packs And Attack Spiritual Leaders With A Mob Mentality. – “The scribes and the Pharisees”. The antidote to this is for Christian leaders to never believe the numbers. Christian leaders who are making an eternal difference almost always have more people for them than against them.
- Critics Makes Plans And Mobilize Resources In An Effort To Take Down Spiritual Leaders – “brought a woman who had been caught in adultery”. It is important to realize the majority of attacks on spiritual leaders are not happenstance. The attacks are often a well-thought out, well-organized campaign of destruction.
- Critics Set Traps For Spiritual Leaders By Using People As Pawns – “and placing her in the midst”. Is anything sadder than watching a person or a group of people you know being used by others to advance a cause and knowing they will soon be discarded afterwards?
- Critics Threaten Spiritual Leaders And Others With Violence – “they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.”
- Critics Try To Make Spiritual Leaders The Enemy By Redefining Truth – “So what do you say?'”. In today’s soundbite world, every word is analyzed for the purposes of embarrassing spiritual leaders and removing their influence.
- Critics Then Test Spiritual Leaders In Order To Trap Them With Something They Said – “This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.” Be diligent with your words and actions because the mob is waiting to pounce.
- Critics Are Committed Individuals Who Will Double And Triple Their Efforts When Their Initial Traps Did Not Work – “Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him”. Critics do not give up easily.
- Critics Are Eventually Rendered Impotent When CALMLY Confronted And Stood Up To – “he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.” The bullies always back down when stood up to.
- Critics Will Then Gradually Go Away Because Their Schemes Cannot Defeat Truth And Love – “But when they heard it, they went away one by one”. The reason critics try to redefine truth is because they know they cannot defeat it. The truth eventually always comes out and then takes critics down one by one.
- Critics Who TRIED To Take Down Spiritual Leaders Were Unduly Influenced By Poor Examples In Their Lives – “beginning with the older ones.” Who a person chooses to follow has a significant bearing on their quality of life. Make sure you select mentors who have a track record of improving the quality of people’s lives and are not just charismatic communicators.
Do you have any critics? If you are in leadership, it simply comes with the territory. Find out where they are on this list and deal with them appropriately.
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