ST. PAUL SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP

"Be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ." (I Corinthians 11:1)

(With Frank Eiklor and Walter Contreras)

TARGET: CHRISTIAN LEADERS (PART 2)

(Exposing Satan's Methods of Attack)

LESSON 69 Part 2

INTRODUCTION

When I speak to Christian leaders, I do not tell them their own sins. I simply tell them how the devil has tempted me over many years and the sins I have been convicted of and called by God to confess in repentance. This helps other leaders to get honest and humble-and many then hunger to be free of self, sin and Satan and to be filled with the mighty Holy Spirit.

What are these traps that Satan uses to cause men and women of God to stumble and fall? We are finding out as we continue part two of our study. Remember, the prince of evil is real and has been attacking human beings for some six millennia. He has his own "devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11) and can make his ugly thoughts seem reasonable to our minds as he comes as an "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). Be alert to the following tools in the devil's bag. Meditate on the scriptures in each point and make them a part of your life. Please review Part 1-the traps of 1) Ethnic and racial walls, 2) Insistence on preeminence, 3) Contentious spirit, 4) Judgmentalism and 5) Hypocrisy

6)  PRIDE

This sin is really at the root of all others mentioned in this lesson. It is the chief sin that caused Lucifer to become the devil-and it has turned many in the ministry into little devils whose falls were terrible and far-reaching. Stay a zero and servant of all.

1 Corinthians 9:1, 2-The Corinthian church was so puffed up with pride that they tried to diminish Paul's apostolic authority. And he was the one who brought them to Christ in the first place! 2 Corinthians 10:10, 11-When you see pride infecting those in your midst, face it head-on just as Paul did. If you don't, you will have contributed to a terrible fall that awaits pride's victims.

7)  SELFISHNESS

The only place for the unholy trinity of "me, myself and I" is the Cross and what it stands for-death! Philippians 2:3-8 offers us a perfect recipe for walking in humility as a servant of all. Learn and live these scriptures by the power of the Holy Spirit and you, too, will count all things as nothing in comparison to a deeper intimacy with Christ Himself.

8) BACKBITING AND GOSSIP

How many times do we disguise a gossiping, backbiting tongue as merely a "prayer request" to our listeners. But when it happens to us, it causes us heart break. Proverbs 6:12-19 shows how much God hates a discord-sowing tongue by naming this sin in a list that includes lying and murder. James 3:6-10. Man can tame the wildest beasts but he cannot tame his own tongue. Only the Holy Spirit can do that-and He does it by changing the heart that is the reservoir of all our words.

Matthew 18:15-17-A spiritual leader is to live-and insist that others in the flock also live these scriptures. It will mean that we will pray more for others and correct any whose lives are wrong in a scriptural manner (face to face) rather than the devil's way of enjoying spreading garbage.

9)  DICTATORIAL SPIRIT

One with this tendency often hovers over the shoulders of those he leads. He usually gathers "yesmen" rather than those who would challenge his ideas and decisions. Most of the other sins listed above are spokes attached to a dictatorial hub. Mark 10:43-The only one who could have passed the test of "perfect dictator", Jesus, instead came as a servant of all. He gave a knockout blow to His arguing disciples when He told them the only fit leader in God's Kingdom was one with a servant's heart. Memorize these scriptures in Mark in order to avoid any temptation to be a dictator who lords it over others.

10.  RELIGIOUS MASK

Leadership can be lonely. It can also be dangerous if we do not have faithful family and colleagues who pray for us and who point out lovingly and boldly any weaknesses or sins in our lives. It's possible to appear to be faithful in our ministries and yet be trapped in sins that will eventually destroy us (adultery, pornography, homosexuality, etc) are more and more common among Christian leaders. We must get clean-or get help if we feel overpowered by the devil in any part of our lives. Then we won't wear a mask while hiding sin.

Hebrews 3:13-We are all told to exhort and encourage each other daily to prevent something far worse than hardening of the arteries-the hardening of our hearts through the deceitfulness of sin. 1 Timothy 4:1, 2-God warns us that times will only get worse before our Lord says "That's all!" and returns to reign. Until then, we must discern and defeat by the power of the Holy Spirit all of hell's seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.

CONCLUSION

All Christian leaders are special targets of the devil. The reason is simple. Cause a leader to fall and many others looking to him as an example may grow discouraged and turn back from following the Lord. This can only happen when Jesus is not our first love (Revelation 2:4). Let's pursue-24/7-an intimate love life with our Savior that is nourished by daily time in His Word and in prayer. Then others will see in us the visible results of such spiritual intimacy and many will seek the same. Instead of being a target of Satan, you will be a Holy Spirit-filled vessel able to say to others needing a godly example, "Follow me as I follow Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1)