Watch for Wolves

Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith
by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught.
Stay away from them.
Such people are not serving Christ our Lord;
they are serving their own personal interests.
By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.
(Romans 16:17–18)

Trouble in ministry is nothing new. Even in the first century, there were Pharisees with their legalism. There were heretics with their false teaching. There were defectors who became cynical and bitter. There have always been deceivers and impostors with their cunning and duplicitous actions, fighters who took on various apostles and fellow Christians.

Paul, by his own admission, was himself ravaging the church when he was lost (Acts 8:3; 9:1–2; 1 Timothy 1:13). He knew to warn the Ephesian elders at Miletus to “be on guard” against the savage wolves that would rise up from their own congregation (Acts 20:28–31). There were also legalists who threatened the Christian liberty of the Christians in Galatia (Galatians 2:4). Paul’s implacable enemy was “Alexander the coppersmith” (2 Timothy 4:14). John the aged apostle warns of “Diotrephes, who loves to be first” (3 John 9 NASB).

Now, obviously, God could stop every single boar in every single vineyard, but He doesn’t. He often lets them stay on the loose. (Someday, I hope to find out why.) As men and women in ministry, we need to face the fact that there will always be those who will cause dissensions and hindrances. It is inescapable. So we must stand against them. Often I call to mind Paul’s words to the Romans, written just after the warning about the boars:

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (Romans 16:20 NASB)

Aren’t we grateful for that promise? I confess, however, that I am impatient for it. I often think, Lord, I know You’re sovereign . . . I know You’re powerful . . . I know You’re good . . . so will You please hurry up! We want God to crush Satan now. But He hasn’t yet. Why? Because Jesus is still building His church. In the meantime, Satan continues to attack it.

By the way, the adversary would love to work through you or me to carry out his diabolical plans. If we aren’t careful, we can become boars ourselves. We can change from critical thinkers to cynical naysayers. We need to guard against our impulsiveness in taking control . . . against operating our ministries in the flesh . . . and against a perfunctory spirit in ministry.