Some Jesus Things: The Serpent goes to Church

The Serpent goes to Church

Most Christians think of church as a place where Christians unite in fellowship at specific times; a safe haven for the lost and spiritually wounded. A place of comfort and rejuvenation. Holy ground where one can find sanctuary from the malevolence of Satan spread to a malignant carnal world.

WRONG! Satan goes to church religiously. God, Adam, and Eve dwelt in Paradise; in a unity of fellowship in the Garden of Eden. Satan ‘in the form of a serpent’ nefariously slips right into the middle of this small congregation of three. This is where Satan launched his quest of relentlessly speaking lies of doubt, dissension, deception, heresy, blasphemy, and apostasy into the ears and hearts of mankind.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. (Genesis 3:1-4)

God allowed Satan to infiltrated this small fellowship of three. It is no accident that Adam and Eve were sifted like wheat. This means Satan can certainly breach any Church congregation and meddle in its affairs. In fact, this is exactly what he was doing in the books of Job, Zechariah, 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Luke, and Revelation.

“Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God:“You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. (Ezekiel 28:12-15)

Notice that in all of the following instances that Satan is not coming and going ‘willy-nilly’ in and out of Heaven as he pleases. In every instance God is aware of Satan’s presence, conducting a meeting, or giving instruction. God is a God of order.

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40)

God is Omniscience having total knowledge knowing everything. Satan can not do anything or go anywhere without God knowing.

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13)

For He looks to the ends of the earth, And sees under the whole heavens, (Job 28:24)

For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (1 John 3:20)

Let’s take a look at the book of Job where Satan attends a compulsory meeting with the Lord.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:6-12)

In the very first verse (Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them) we have Satan attending a compulsory congregational meeting to present himself unto the Lord. We also can gleam from this passage that he knew in advance to attend this meeting at a preordained time. They were all there to give account before God.

Much the same; and in like manner, church-goers also do this today. Congregational members present themselves before the Lord in obedience, praise, worship, and for instruction as ordained by God.

Satan’s Perversion

Satan, his demonic fallen angels, or his wicked human followers sit in attendance of Churches throughout the earth. Their goal is consistently the same. This is the quest of relentlessly speaking lies of doubt, dissension, deception, heresy, blasphemy, and apostasy. (John 8:44)

Satan is relentlessly pursuing mankind in opposition to God.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

We know for a fact through present and recorded history; Satan has successfully commanded the leadership of his own Satanic Church. We know that Satan stands at the helm of many denominations, fellowships, and cults. Some of these congregations even ending in suicide and murderous deaths.
The sad part is that not only cults that have fallen prey to Satan’s quest. All denominations, fellowships, and home groups can suffer subjection to infiltration of evil on a daily basis.

Congregations everywhere fall victim to violence. This violence can be mild in the form of bickering; or severe in the form of shootings, stabbings, suicide and arson. If you want to buy gas, go to a gas station. If Satan wants to hurt Believers he goes to Church.

Satan wants everyone to believe that this violence is economic, religious, or race related. The truth is: This is ‘all out’ spiritual warfare disguised in trauma, manifesting itself in the physical through terrorism, bigotry, and Christianophobia.

No denomination, race, or creed is immune to this demonic onslaught in Satan’s quest.

The Serpent and Joshua

An Angel of the Lord talked with Zechariah and showed him Joshua the high priest. Joshua is accused like a criminal, but Satan is rebuked as Joshua is justified by the Lord. Satan the accuser in attendance stands at the right hand as adversary. The serpent is standing on the right hand, as the prosecutor, or witness, in accusation of Joshua the condemned prisoner.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:1-2)

The Serpent and Ahab

Scriptures give us two accounts of the same story by Micaiah. One account is given in the first person as a prophet. While another account is told as a narrative historian.

In both accounts a lying spirit is present within an assembly of the whole host of heaven at the very throne of God. This is in fact a fellowship meeting to discuss the fall of Ahab the king of Israel at Ramoth Gilead.

Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ (1 Kings 22:19-22)

Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.’ (2 Chronicles 18:18-21)

The Serpent and Peter

Once again we have the Serpent in attendance of Holy counsel concerning Peter. This is not unlike Job, Joshua, or even you. Satan stands ‘at the ready’ in opposition of God and all of His Saints.

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32)

This verse indeed shows us that Jesus is aware that Satan has met in an assembly with God in opposition to Him and His own. It also shows us Satan’s ongoing quest to derail believers just as in history’s past, starting in the Garden of Eden.

The Serpent in Revelation

Revelation bears witness to the immediate banishment of our accusing adversary from Heaven to the earth. Accomplish through the salvation power of the blood of Jesus at the point of his resurrection and His finished work on the cross.

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Revelation 12:7-12)

Take note: the last verse says, “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

Satan’s domain is set to the earth until the final judgment. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)

In Hebrews we learn that Jesus as our High Priest and Sacrificial Lamb offered his own blood in heaven for our eternal redemption. This is the point at which Satan was defeated in his quest and cast permanently to the earth.

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:11-14)

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:24-28)

The Church Serpent

Until the Serpents final judgment he is sitting in attendance of our Church fellowships either in person or by proxy. Wickedness which bides its time waiting to corrupt Believers and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24)

Sometimes the adversary can be our ‘so called’ friends and neighbors. The little ole’ gray haired lady sitting each Sabbath in the very same pew coiled like a rattlesnake ready to inject the poison of division and discord. The adversary cam be in the form of a handsome dynamic gentlemen with deceptive intent. Patiently waiting to interject doubt and turbulence to shipwreck the Gospel of Jesus.

It isn’t always a blatant attack by an arsonist or rouge gunman. Sometimes it is even a tender lie given by Counterfeit Clergy.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15)

I teach that everybody should look up everything everyone tells them concerning spirituality, the Bible, or God. Contest their words by checking alignment with the gospel as taught in the Bible. A key deception imposed by Satan is through assumption in opinion. Satan targets gullible people he can sucker into spreading his lies.

Oftentimes people are duped into believing false doctrine by forming an opinion and then looking for supportive verses taken out of context to support their personal theology. Then passing this new-found revelation along as a word given by God as prophesy or insight. (Mark 13:22)

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

In lieu of the aforementioned statement and the many supportive verses. I can summarize this entire article with an instance of a possessed man in the book of Luke who meets Jesus; this proves The Serpent goes to Church.

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Luke 4:33-34)