The Gates of Hades Shall Not Prevail

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

I was thinking this morning about this verse. So often, I hear it in a context that no matter what Satan and his minions dish out at us, we will stay strong. Taken at face value, that is a good point. But that is not remotely what the context is saying here.

Take a moment. Think.

Are gates weapons?
Absolutely not! Gates, in fact, are defensive.

So if Jesus is telling His followers that the gates of Hades won’t overcome them, then does it not stand to reason that we should be doing everything in our power to storm the enemy’s gates? After all, they won’t prevail against us!

When are we most susceptible to defeat?
When we’re sitting around, not focusing on the fight, we tend to run a greater risk of losing. Especially when God is on our side. When we are sitting around, we are also more prone to ambush. The times when we are comfortable are the times when we must be most alert.

Comfort never leads to growth
God told me this a few weeks ago. When we are sitting around doing nothing, we run the lowest risk of growing than at any other time. The Kingdom of God is not about relaxation and laziness.

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)

Now to be clear, I understand that Jesus was telling Peter and the disciples in the Matthew passage that we will not die and eternally stay in Hades. At the same time, I think this is a remarkable application…

Spiritual Warfare

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down of strongholds…” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

As I grow up in the Lord, I am able more and more to notice the times when God is about to do some incredible things in my life simply by the depth of the spiritual warfare that surfaces. Situations tend to arise that keep me out of prayer or get me to that place where I am focusing too much on me and not enough on other people.

It is in these times when it is most vital for me to step back from my thoughts and realize the gravity of the situation. It is in these times when I feel so uninterested in prayer that it is most essential for me to consciously and willfully force myself to talk with God.

There are times when I feel like maybe I shouldn’t be in Del Rio after all. I feel like I am absolutely worthless for the Kingdom of God by being here. Somehow I’m not convinced that is the Holy Spirit telling me that. I still believe I am supposed to stay here a little while longer. As hard as that is to swallow at times…