Take up your arms! Satan is on the attack!
Things were going well in the congregation. Children were learning and growing in the faith. Adults were helping children to mature in the faith and were also growing and learning. The gospel was being heard and believed and shared with those outside the walls of the church. Of course things weren’t perfect, but things were good. And when things are good, Satan takes notice. He can’t stand when the gospel is proclaimed and believed. He hates seeing Christians joyfully gathering together and faithfully receiving the good news of Jesus. So the devil got to work. “These people don’t really like you,” he whispered to a middle aged woman. “You know they talk about you behind your back.” And so the woman began to distance herself from the church. Next the devil saw a businessman. Things were going well for the man, so Satan thought, “I won’t undercut him, but I’m going to give him so much business that he’ll be so busy with his business that he won’t have time...