Unmasking Guerrilla Warfare in the Church

            It is obvious to the committed follower of Jesus Christ that we are caught up in a

conflict that is larger than life.  Indeed, we are at war with forces of darkness and evil.  

The Bible graphically speaks to the issue in Ephesians 6:10-19, II Corinthians 10:3-6,

Matthew 11:12, and Revelation 12:17.

            The term “spiritual warfare” is widely known and accepted by most evangelical

Christians.  This war begins in the Spirit realm and spills over into the arena where man

lives.

            There is a dimension to this war that is largely unrecognized.  It is clear that our

 adversary is the Devil and an unnumbered host of unclean spirits.  It has become

 painfully evident that the family of God, the body of Christ, is besieged by an internal

war.

            The church of our Lord is in the grip of guerrilla warfare.  This type of warfare

utilizes the elements of surprise and “hit and run.”  A major element of strategy in this  

philosophy is to operate from within the confines of the enemy.  Identifying with and

infiltrating their ranks becomes essential in such an endeavor.  The conflicts in Vietnam,  

Afghanistan, and Iraq are acute historical examples of danger compounded when the  

Enemy is not easily recognized.

            The church is a spiritual battleground where the enemy is often undetected until

his deed is done.  The Apostle Paul teaches us that Satan disguises himself as an “angel

of light.”   It is further declared that the servants of Satan disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.  This alarming truth is conveyed in II Corinthians 11:14-15.

            These infiltrating “servants of Satan” normally look nice and smell good.  Sometimes they appear as a pastor, elder, women’s leader, intercessor or some other seemingly faithful Christian worker.  These, in fact, constitute the guerrilla warfare unit of the great dragon, who hates the church.  

            The enemy’s weapons are words.  Solomon indicated that the possibility of death is in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21.  The Holy Spirit teaches through James that the tongue is set on fire by Hell. James 3:6.  Furthermore, John the Elder reveals that the serpent would endeavor to sweep away a multitude with a flood of words. Rev. 12:15.

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