The Gates of Hell
By Matt Watson
God’s people were slaves in Egypt. He rained down plagues and death to redeem them out of slavery.
God’s people were caught between a sea and an army. God parted the sea and led them through it with a pillar of fire and cloud.
God’s people stood before the Trojan-like walls of Jericho, seeing no way through. God led a war hymn and then demolished the walls.
God’s people were oppressed by enemy nations after they worshiped false gods. God sent judges as champions for his people. Imperfect men who were assassins, strategists, connivers, and improvisers.
The story of God that permeates throughout Scripture is his covenantal love for his people. They are his, and he is theirs. Even in the midst of judgment, even when surrounded on all sides by people who hate them and want to kill them, God is there.
But “but one little word shall fell him.”
One of my favorite hymns is “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” written by the great Reformer himself, Martin Luther. It’s a declaration and reminder to the church that our God is more powerful than anything, even our worst enemy. It's a war hymn that proclaims that the gospel of Jesus Christ will succeed in this world and that the gates of hell will not prevail against God’s church.
The third verse reads:
“And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.”
“One little word shall fell him”, we sing. That is how weak our enemy is when even one little word can kill him.
“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”
Infernal Propaganda
However, that messaging is very different from the propaganda we see and hear every day.
In World War II, both the Allies and the Axis Powers utilized radio propaganda to spread their messages to the populations of the opposing side in an attempt to demoralize them and undermine their leaders.
Satan does this too. That dragon, the father of lies, wages psychological warfare and tells us that the gods of our culture are winning. He attacks those made in the image of God through the lies of gender ideology and child sacrifice disguised with terms like reproductive healthcare. He shows us The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence twerking on images of a crucified Jesus at baseball games, and adults exposing themselves to children. His message is clear: the gates of hell are encroaching on the territory of the church.
Don’t believe it. Not for one second. Christianity is not dualistic, with two equal opponents on either side vying for worship and converts. It’s not Yahweh against Baal, or Ashteroth, or Moloch, or Satan. It’s Yahweh against no one because there are no other gods, just One. The others are false gods, but the demons behind them are real. As is our sin and lawlessness. But Jesus killed our sin and rebellion on the cross, shaming his enemies, including Satan.
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. ”
The gates of hell have no real power behind them because it was removed by the cross. Christ is king now. He is on his throne now. He rules the nations now (Psalm 2). It’s a contested rule, but his people contend for the gospel (Jude 3-4), and nevertheless he reigns and every enemy is being subjected to under his feet (1 Cor 15:25-28).
Make war
How do you fit in? How are we supposed to respond to the lies around us? Make war. Here is how:
Don’t doubt. Worship.
Satan wants you to believe that it's no use. Some in our own circles say that we lose on earth. They are drinking the dispensational Kool-Aid. God was able to save Saul, the persecutor of the church. God managed to save you. He can manage to save your lost loved one. He can open the eyes of the Muslim, or the "spiritual but not religious", or the atheist just as much as he can make any blind man see.
King David struggled and doubted. He cried out to God with one breath and with the next he praised him. Go and do likewise. Pray through Psalm 42. Get out of your head and go outside and touch grass. Look up and let the heavens declare the glory of God.
Past Mistakes, Future Victories
Do you feel like God can’t use you because of some stuff you did in the past? Even a past as recent as two minutes ago? In the third chapter of Judges, God raised three champions. Only one of them, Othniel, was a good dude from a good family. Ehud came from a family that deliberately disobeyed God, but God used him to rescue his people. Shamgar probably came from a family that worshiped one of the demonic false gods of the culture, but God also used him. He can use you too.
Did Christ not die for your sins past, present, and future? Then look to the cross and fight sin. Get in a discipleship group. Confess your weakness, and be encouraged that you are Christ’s and he is yours.
Reject the Lies, Embrace the Truth
The gates of hell will not prevail against the church, because Jesus said so (Matt 16:18). Therefore, reject the propaganda around you. Don’t meditate on lies but on the truth. Do this by being disciplined in reading your Bible so that you know what the truth is, how to wield your sword, and how to cut through the crap.
Joyful Warfare
Laugh. A lot. Laughter is warfare. Even Jesus mocks his enemies with scorn (Psalm 2:4). Worship is warfare. Sing and sing loud! Find a hymnal, or even better a Psalter, and sing.
“And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City.”
Eat, Drink, and be Merry. Host barbecues or grill nights and invite both your Christian and non-Christian friends. Have fun, drink beer, and eat brisket to the glory of God. The devil hates it when God's people are happy, because it means they are glorifying God by enjoying him.
Stand Firm
Resist the enemy and he will flee from you. Fear not and stand firm, because Jesus wins the culture war. Some will see his sword, and others his shepherd’s staff. Learn how to not compromise while showing compassion, and pray for the lost and those who persecute you. They don’t know what they are doing, because they’ve believed the lies.
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.”
This article was originally published by Matthew Watson with Awake! Put on strength!, and is used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.