Demise: Miscommunication

One of Satan’s strategies to further the demise of you and/or the church is . . . Miscommunication. God is not the author of confusion but Satan loves to cause confusion. Disrupt or confuse your enemies communication and you can seriously hinder their ability to succeed.
The first thing you must ask yourself is: Are you Jesus’ or are you Satan’s? "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:43,44, NASB) Why aren’t you understanding God’s communication? Who’s side are you on? "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters." (Luke 11:23 NIV) In order for you to understand God’s words you must be on His side. There is no middle of the road when it comes to God.
How then does Satan cause miscommunication among the believers? First, he uses distractions (see previous posts) to make sure you don’t listen properly. You may be bored, you may be tired, you may be busy with something else. Satan realizes that and will keep you distracted to keep you from getting the proper communication. If you’re not listening and don’t hear it correctly, you will misunderstand what was being said.
If you don’t understand what is being said, it is difficult to do the task. What is it that we do that leads to the misunderstandings. First we don’t asks questions. If we don’t understand something, our pride and ego, most of the time, won’t allow us to ask a question for fear of looking stupid. If you don’t understand something, you must ask the questions. Especially if your salvation is dependant upon it.
Second, not talking it out with someone leads to misunderstandings. If someone says something, but you hear the tail end of it, you may not fully understand what it is they are talking about. If you think they said something that they didn’t say, or said it differently than what you heard them say, leads to the same misunderstanding. What Satan thrives on when our miscommunication leads to misunderstanding is the affects it has on the people. What are those affects?
The most prevalent one is gossip. You start talking about the other person. Since you are unaware of what was actually said, you are then unsure as to what was meant. (This type of Satan’s strategy will be discussed later) The worst aspect of the gossip is slander. You say nonflattering things about someone. All of these are based on false perceptions of what was said about you are a situation. You then speak out against that person in a false malicious way. You may not even think or realize that’s what you’re doing. So, to avoid that, stick with the old axiom, "If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all." Most importantly though remember what is written in Ephesians. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Eph 4:29 NIV)
What does miscommunication create? Divisions within the church. Miscommunication destroys the trust one has with other believers. People start taking sides, against one another. They start working independently of each other. They start going against the pastor or leadership of the church. They place themselves, or perception thereof, ahead of the general needs of the church. That all leads to a destruction within the church and within yourself.
To combat Satan’s schemes of miscommunication we need to focus on Jesus. Approach each other with love when we don’t understand something, whether it was said, or done. Don’t jump to conclusions that only lead to divisions and hurt. Don’t let Satan’s schemes lead to the destruction of the church or yourself. Satan loves to cause confusion, turn him away and keep your eyes focused on the prize.
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg