Pushing Back The Gates Of Hell

​Evil seems to be winning in America.
My friends, at this strategically significant moment in American history, we are engaged in a monumental spiritual/moral battle for the souls of our citizens and nation.
The United States teeters precariously on a perilous precipice of self-destruction.  If our nation tumbles over the edge, our beloved country will cease to exist as we have known it.
I am fully convinced that if committed Christians do not stand strong and boldly in Jesus’ name against the merciless onslaught of Satan against America, we will soon lose “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” The devil is systematically pulling out all of hell’s stops for the sole purpose of eradicating Christian influence in our nation.
I find this disturbing prospect frightening and totally unacceptable for me, my wife, my children, grandchildren, friends and fellow Americans.    
 Christians who love the Lord and His Word cannot sit idly by and watch evil triumph. Only the power of God can stop the power of hell. It is time to stop playing church. Instead, God’s people must get after the evil one in the triumphant name of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Jesus has something to say about His bride the church. In Matthew 16:18-19 the Lord said “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build My church; and the gates of hades (hell) will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
In the context of our verses, Peter had personally confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God (verse 16). Jesus is the Rock the church is built upon. Peter and all believers are little rocks, living stones that make up the church (I Peter 2:4-10).
Jesus declared in no uncertain terms that hell would never overpower, not prevail over His church. The thought in the original language is that hell would not push back the church. Quite the opposite. The church is to push back the gates of hell. When push comes to shove, the church, not Satan, is to do the shoving!
The good news: the church will never be overpowered! Not now, not ever! Who or what could possibly remove Jesus from the throne of His Kingdom?
The not so good news: why isn’t the church prevailing over Satan, pushing back the gates of hell? Why does the church appear spiritually anemic, seemingly powerless to turn back the assaults of the evil one? Why do we wimp out when we should courageously and confidently use the “keys of the kingdom” to keep Satan at bay?  
The church is not commissioned to just hold the fort. Digging in defensively and hoping to hang in there is not God’s will for His people. God’s good soldiers are to charge the enemy in the name of our Commander in Chief, routing the enemy back to hell where the devil and his demonic troops belong. (II timothy 2:1-4).   
Evil is in our face. Up close and uncomfortably personal. Shouting violently with vile threats targeting God’s people. Mocking, ridiculing, intimidating, manipulating, deceiving and duping segments of the church into submission. This should not be tolerated.
 Hell-inspired evil is pushing righteous people around when we should be pushing evil around! What happened to taking authority over Satan? Rebuking, resisting and binding the devil in Jesus’ name?
 It is time, right now to push back the gates of hell through intercessory prayer.
To intercede means to stand in the gap for another, to represent someone else, to intervene. The church’s most effective spiritual weapon is to intercede for our families, friends, the church, our nation and the world. Never minimize the power of prayer.  
Satan trembles when we pray.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, never, never cower or retreat from Satan and his demons. Stand up boldly to the devil and his demonic cohorts in the name of the holy Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ who has stripped Satan of all authority. (Colossians 2:13-15). 
The right fight is the faith fight. Jesus said “Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:22). It is time to stop fighting the wrong fights and start fighting, protected by the shield of faith, for the souls of our people and our nation.
Are you doing your part to push back the gates of hell in Jesus’ name? Are you standing up strong with biblical faith to help turn the tide from evil to good? Can you be counted on to be a person of righteousness that will turn this unrighteous tide around?
Beloved ones of the Lord, its pushback time on the devil. Let us get on our knees to humbly, fervently seek God, then stand up in the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit with the Word of God and save our nation from self-destruction.
Push back or be pushed back is up to you and me.
Next week I will discuss how to pushback the gates of hell through intercessory prayer. Look for my devotional next Tuesday called “Standing In the Gap”.
“Righteous exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to a people.” Proverbs 14:34
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
A Word For Your Week: Now is the time for good people to overcome evil.