For those of us who believe in the Bible as the true Word of God, we believe that God established the CHURCH as His network here on Earth to spread the Gospel and help believers reach their full potential.
Throughout history, the church has remained in place through wars, disasters, the fall of nations, the rise of nations, government shifts, and a lot more. The local church is still the hope of the world, and for every community around the globe, the local church stands for hope, truth, and redemption.
So, it’s no surprise that as a church leader, you have a HUGE target on your back. The enemy hates you and what you stand for. He wants to distract you, discourage you, and get you off track in any way he can.
Not just you, but church leaders around the world need to realize this reality.
The enemy HATES church leaders.
I personally believe church leaders are the BIGGEST target for the enemy because if he can stop them, he can stop the progress of the Gospel – the Hope of Christ in a dark world.
So, he’s in full attack mode toward church leaders. I’m not saying that to scare you, but to remind you and encourage you to Stay Aware of his tactics.
Here are 7 Ways the enemy ATTACKS Church Leaders:
1: Serves them a steady diet of NEW IDEAS
In the world we live in, there are a thousand YouTube videos on every topic, including how to grow your church. If we aren’t careful, we’ll end up in a cycle of trying this, they that, then something else, and finally back at the start with no growth.
The most effective remedy to this is to simply lock-in with a church that is stronger than yours. Find a church within driving range that is several steps ahead of you, and connect with them personally, telling them humbly that you want to learn from them.
It’s OK to have a new idea, but too often, new ideas override clear vision.
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. –Habakkuk 2:2
Have new ideas once in a while, but get clear about the Vision, then just work on it week after week.
2: Tells them their WORK is more important than their FAMILY
One of the most effective tricks of the enemy is using our gifts and passions to completely consume our focus. We love the church. We love leading. So we’re tempted to neglect other things that deserve our attention.
In his new book, The Four Chairs, Pastor Nelson Hight talks about how this impacted his life. The building of a church consumed his attention. If we aren’t careful, the same thing will happen to us.
God wants us to be passionate, but He also wants us to live a balanced life where we keep the most important things in their proper place.
3: Pushes them to Neglect their HEALTH
I realize that this one may step on some toes, but it’s such an important topic. God created us as mind, body and soul. We tend to focus a lot on the mind and soul, but what about our bodies. It’s the only one you get, and if you don’t take care of it, you don’t get to do what God created you to do as long as you should.
Just realize that the enemy hates you, and if he can get rid of you by getting you to neglect your health, he will.
4: Tells them THEY should do all the WORK
Especially if you’re a lead Pastor, the enemy wants us to feel bad about asking anybody to help. “You’re the Pastor. You’re the Leader. YOU should be doing this.”
God didn’t create the church for one person, or even a few people, to be involved. In fact, it’s the RESPONSIBILITY of the church to “Equip the Saints for the WORK of ministry”.
Contrary to the popular lie, people WANT to be involved in something that is excellent and life-giving.
It’s not all on YOU. It’s a BODY of believers, all of which have GIFTS that God wants to use.
5: Keeps them from getting the TOOLS they need
When I was a teenager, my dad told me we were going to put up a fence around our entire property. I had a set of post-hole diggers and was working on that first hole when I saw my dad driving up with a tractor that had an auger on the back of it. He taught me an important lesson that day. The right TOOLS make all the difference.
The same is with the church. The enemy wants to keep us stalled with our old spreadsheets, paper forms, and hand-written attendance logs. Yes, there’s a learning curve when you move to something new, but getting the right tools in place can save you so much time, and help you be more efficient than ever.
Blatant Sales Pitch: Faith Teams is an all-in-one church management solution that gives you everything you need in one single system. It’s easy to use and priced so that any church can afford it. Honestly, this one tool can save your team TONS of time and frustration. [Start your Free Trial Here]
6: Urges them to be ISOLATED
A recent survey shows that over half of all Christian Pastors feel lonely.
One of the attacks of the enemy is to put us in a place where we don’t trust anybody, we never get close to anybody, we never share our struggles with anybody, and we end up carrying our toughest issues ALONE.
Whatever you do, don’t do it alone. Never allow yourself to become isolated. Intentionally keep your INNER CIRCLE strong.
7: Constantly DISCOURAGES them
Sunday Nights feel good, but somehow by Monday morning, it seems like we’re the biggest flop. Questions, self-doubt, uncertainty, and confusion can land on us quickly, almost out of nowhere.
The enemy works hard to put thoughts of fear into your mind. He wants you to clearly understand that you’re not a good church leader and that you’re making mistake after mistake.
Keep your mind sharp. Recognize which times of the week are the hardest, and shift your schedule to be around life-giving people, and spend time in prayer or worshiping with music during those times.
Don’t let discouragement be a part of your life. Do your best, and just understand that no matter what you do, the enemy isn’t giving you a pat on the back for it.
I’ll say it again.
The enemy HATES church leaders.
His target is on your back, but that doesn’t have to intimidate us.
Our God is GREATER.
Learn the ways of your enemy. Learn his voice, his tactics, his schedule.
And don’t allow him to win in these areas.
You’re too important.
