Pastor (Capt.) A. M. Samuel

"And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Math. 16: 18)

Here we read the strong statement made by Christ, concerning His Church. There is determination in His words, "I will build my Church... " . He will build it, He does not need the help of any human agency, and the Church is His. He will not share it with anyone. He has purchased it with His own precious blood. He moves on to say that "and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." What does that mean?

In the ancient east, the people used to live inside fortified towns and villages. The gates of the towns or the villages were always the place, where the elders and the rulers met and dispensed counsel and justice. The gate came to mean the place of government. The gates of Hell means, the government of Satan - Lucifer. He is himself sitting at the gate to keep an eye on everyone. Where everyone is going to and coming from. He has no other work. He knows that his time is limited He wants the maximum number of people to accompany him to hell.

Why is that the Gates of Hell has so much enmity with the Church? To understand the depth of this scripture; we first need to know the depths of Lucifer. The prince of this world. He is a created being, very beautiful; Ezek. 28 and Isa. 14 give the details of his beauty. Heaven's skill and love went into making him. He was the most beautiful and perfect thing God had created. Every precious stone was his covering. He was "full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty." He was on the holy mountain walking in the midst of fire.

It was self-pride, self-deception that caused his fall. He thought of replacing his Creator. His rebellion cost him his job. He lost his glory and power and was cast down, and the earth of that time was destroyed. Then God recreated the earth (Gen. 1: 3) and made man out of the dust in his own form and gave dominion over all the earth. Satan - Lucifer, very well knew the reasons for his own fall. Therefore using that same desire, he made a trap for the first man. When Adam fell, Satan snatched his glory and now using that power, he rules over the whole world. 1 John 5: 19 says, "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. " He has got another name, "the god of this world... " (2 Cor. 4: 4) Christ calls him the "prince of this world. " (John 14: 30) He is now ruling over the world keeping the people as his slaves, fulfilling their desires, and making them do all evil things.

Today many people just keep on mentioning about the strongholds of Satan. That is not enough. The time has come to pull them down. The god of this world has "blinded the minds, " of the people, and made his strongholds everywhere. In different places using different means, he has enslaved the people. He is making the people to worship him in different forms, and shapes. Luring them, by fulfilling their desires. If he does not blind the minds of the people, then the people will be free to recognize the real glory of God, and he will be helpless.

God has not given the work of fighting against Satan and his army to his angels. If it has been so, they would have finished him off long time back. But the Church has been given the task; we are not to destroy him, but to overcome him. Because he is the one who enslaved our fathers and dear ones. We were once his slaves, to take vengeance over him, it is we the blood bought band, who has to overcome him and then sit on the throne with Christ.

Paul says, "I fought a good fight." He has nothing else to say at the end of his pilgrim journey. According to Eph. 6: 12, "for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. " Our fight is against the gods of this world.

The Britishers came and ruled over our country India, looted our precious gems from the palaces. Made the people their slaves. But men like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chander Bose and others stood up against the might of the Britishers and delivered India. In the same way, every child of God has to fight against the gods of this world who have blinded the minds of the people and enslaved them. He is a defeated enemy. The moment the cry went out from the Cross, "It is finished" Satan's countdown has started, for him to go into the lake of fire. With every passing moment his time is running out.

To understand this more clearly, when flood comes in the town or village or any places, the flood waters first fill up the low lying places and then starts rising to the high ground. Therefore the people along with their livestock's rush to the high grounds to save themselves from the rising flood waters. They will try to climb the highest tree or the highest hill, or go on the roof of the houses. In the same say, poor Satan is being chased from all his places, his strongholds are being pulled down, by the soldiers of the cross, around the world, and he is on the run searching for a high ground, a safe place. Let him run anywhere, but we will not quit, our battle will end only after casting him into the lake of fire.

Only those who are born at the foot of the Cross can fight this battle. In Col. 2: 14, 15, we read, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. " To make Satan an open shame, Christ himself had to be made an open shame. His own disciples betrayed him; sold him for 30 pieces of silver. Peter betrayed him in front of a small girl. Three of his closest disciples slept in the Garden of Gethsemane, while he was fighting alone, and his blood was coming out as sweat. He called out thrice for the bitter cup of suffering to be removed. Father God forsook him. He was all alone, betrayed, beaten up, spit upon, crowned with a thorny crown, back ploughed by 39 Roman stripes, carried a heavy cross, fell down many a times on the way to Golgotha, with no one to help him carry the cross. During all this time, Lucifer and his army was enjoying the sight, mocking at him.

Satan was able to deceive the Disciples of Christ. He turned the people whom Christ had healed and fed, up against him; made the people bay for his blood. Hanging on the cross, completely naked, big nails driven through his palms and feet. A superscription of his accusation was written over, "the king of the Jews. " No one to comfort him. All alone, at last Lucifer pokes fun at him "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the Cross.", "He saved others, himself he cannot save, if he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him... " (Math 27: 39-43) There was no one to give him a glass of water. He cried out "Eli, Eli, lama Sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Math. 27: 46)

But poor Lucifer did not know the "mystery of the Cross." While he was enjoying the sight, a shout is heard from the Cross-, "It is finished. " And then Christ bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Hanging on the Cross-, while Satan was trying to make Him an open shame, Christ made a show of Satan openly, that is the "mystery of the Cross. " Lucifer - Satan did not have the wildest idea of what was awaiting him if he had known he would not have crucified Christ. (1 Cor. 2: 8)

In the same way, before we make Satan an open shame, we too have to become an open shame (1 Cor. 4: 9-13) "For I that that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death; for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fool for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ, we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place: And Labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless, being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat; we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off scouring of all things unto this day. "

We have to go out of the camp bearing the shame and reproaches (Heb. 13: 13) Dear friend, where are you now? To deliver India from the bondage of the Britishers millions of Indians came forward and offered their livers as martyrs. They paid a huge price to get physical Independence for the country, but still now our country is in spiritual bondage of the 33 million gods and goddesses. Only spiritual deliverance can bring true peace and happiness to the homes of each individual.

Will you be ready to offer your life as a martyr like Stephen, Peter and Paul and other saints of the first century? The Holy Spirit is marching ahead; the work of the building of the church is nearing completion. Let us leave aside our comforts and other pleasures of the body and march on. Is there anyone who will come to the shores of India, to deliver it from spiritual bondage? The coming of the Lord is very near. Let us get ready. The gates of Hell, tried their level best, but have not succeeded yet, neither will it ever succeed. We will have the last laugh over Satan. The Church will march on.

Dear friend, rise up, put on thine Armour and march on. Don't stare at the stronghold, but pull it down. We have only one agenda in our lives. We will not allow Lucifer and his host of 33 million gods and goddesses to take our brothers and sisters to hell. We will overcome him and his army, and deliver India.

May God bless you. Amen.

(Please study the messages on spiritual warfare for a deeper understanding of the spiritual warfare)