Satan’s Role in a Church Crisis: Instigator of Spiritual Warfare or Instrument of Divine Discipline?

The annual congregational meeting had started with hopeful prayer but ended in excruciating pain. The controversy began with accusations that the preacher had been spouting false doctrine. A group, claiming they possessed the “gift of discernment,” was ready to brand him a heretic. But the minister had his supporters too, and they were livid at what they felt was a misrepresentation of his teaching. Someone called for a vote whether to retain him. The pastor leaned forward in his chair, his face buried in his hands, so heartbroken he could not look up.  When the votes were tallied, he barely kept his job. The “discerners” stormed out and began a new church in another part of town.

To what can we attribute this all-too-familiar church crisis? Is it the product of spiritual warfare, Satan working to destroy a church? Or might it be an expression of Divine Discipline on a congregation? Does the latter sound unfamiliar or far-fetched? In this era of church history, marked by a heavy emphasis on grace, it is hard to imagine God sending pain into a church to discipline it. But that is exactly what we at Blessing Point Ministries have found. Convincing churches and church leaders of it is a challenge though.

The spiritual warfare interpretation is the usual conclusion; the Devil is causing mayhem in a congregational setting. While this may be plausible, it can only be with Divine permission, and must be understood as disciplinary. Churches are under the protection of Christ, and church crises are not beyond the scope of His sovereignty. If Satan is at work, it is because he has asked for permission to afflict a congregation and received it! He could not afflict them otherwise. Satan’s true role in a congregational crisis nearly always goes overlooked by church leaders.

Consider the crisis which occurred during Abimelech’s day in Judges chapter 9. We read in vs. 23, “And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem . . .” What are we to make of the statement that God sent an evil spirit amidst His people? Commentators are divided whether the Bible refers to an actual evil spirit (a demon) or a spirit of “ill will.” Most lean toward the former, but it manifested in estrangement within the congregation of Israel, between their leader and the people who called him to lead.

Similarly, Jesus told the church in Smyrna “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation” (Rev. 2:8-11). He wrote that to a church. Jesus foresaw the opposition the group would face, envisioned its intensity, knew how long it would last, declared its demonic agency, and stated its purpose.

In these cases, what the parties experienced as a spiritual attack was God’s discipline to draw attention to deeper issues which He sought to draw out: Abimelech had murdered 69 of his half-brothers to grasp leadership. We do not know what dross was refined from the church at Smyrna, yet the “smelting” process (the crisis) did not come without Divine knowledge or permission.

So, how do these passages affect the way we view a church crisis? We cannot escape the conclusion that God sometimes uses Satan to release a spirit of “ill will” within or against congregations.

Unfortunately, if the parties involved settle for a superficial assessment of their crisis, attributing it to spiritual warfare without understanding the Divine intention behind it, they are apt to remain afflicted as they do not deal with the root cause for the discipline. They need to seek the Lord about the real nature of the crisis. God won’t answer prayers for relief from the spiritual attack because the church is not praying according to the will of God. Unless they recognize the possibility that their crisis is an expression of corporate Divine Discipline, the disciplinary pain will continue.

Has a spirit of “ill will” entered your congregation? Before you unsheathe your sword to make war with the brethren, or lay responsibility at the feet of the devil, take time to seek the Lord about the real nature of the crisis. Jesus will not hide it from you. He longs to present your church to Himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. He will even use Satan as an instrument of corporate discipline with the hope that you will start seeking Him about the real nature of your church’s crisis.

Is your church under God’s discipline? Try our free ChurchScan Inventory to see if this may be the case.

Rev. Mark Barnard serves as president of Blessing Point Ministries which works to heal churches that have been wounded by painful crises. Mark is the author of Screwtape vs. The Church: Letters on Exposing and Expelling Your Church’s Demons.