EXPOSED: Satan’s End-Time Strategy to Destroy the Church

We find out details about the strategy of the antichrist in Daniel 7:25:

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws (KJV).

The antichrist’s goal is to wear the saints down. Due to the lateness of the hour in which we live, I believe the antichrist has been born and is walking the earth right now. However, he is unable to reveal himself because of the restraining influence of the Church. His goal will be the same regardless of when he appears—he will attempt to wear out the saints. Never forget that the goal of the antichrist spirit is to weary you. Don’t let him!

How does the spirit of antichrist accomplish that? What is it that causes the saints to grow weary? We don’t grow frustrated because we question what God can do. We know our God can do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according to His power at work within us. He is, after all, Jehovah, Yahweh, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is all-powerful! We are not wearied by questions concerning His ability.

However, there is another question—when? There is a question that can distract us from the intention and purpose that God has for us. There is a question that can weary the saints of God as they lay in a hospital bed, struggling with a diagnosis. There is a question that can weary a heart that is living in a home that is not all that God has called it to be. It is not about what God can do, but when God will do it. When will the miracle break through? When will the manifestation come? These are questions that can weary any believer. What is it about waiting that wearies us? Anyone who has ever had a vigil in a hospital waiting area knows that what I’m saying is true. There is absolutely nothing for you to do except wait, and yet it seems as though it is the most wearying thing you have ever done. Waiting can be wearying—especially when the end of the wait is unknown.

In Exodus 32, God’s people are at Mount Sinai after having been delivered from Egyptian bondage. The mountain is ablaze. Smoke rises to the heavens. The ground is shaking, and a voice speaks like thunder. Instead of maintaining his distance as everyone else was doing, Moses goes up the mountain into all that chaos. He is gone for over a month. Nobody has seen him; nobody has a clue what has happened to him. The consensus is that he must be dead. Exodus 32:1 (KJV) says:

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

They became impatient because they had to wait longer than they thought they should. Someone got the bright idea that they should go back to what they just left: bondage in Egypt. The incident with the golden calf followed.

Israel’s first king became impatient. First Samuel 13:8-13 (KJV) tells this story:

And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done?

And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not with the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

Samuel called what Saul did foolish. It wasn’t that Saul did not wait; it was that Saul was not prepared to wait. He was prepared to wait for as long as he thought he should wait for Samuel to show up. However, when the prophet did not come as expected, Saul was uncertain about what to do. He did not realize that the thing he needed to do was to do nothing until Samuel appeared.

Once again, I remind you of what Peter said about impatience and its consequences:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation (2 Peter 3:3-4 KJV).

Scoffers are sent to weary you in waiting. Every generation has had its scoffers who mock the saints for believing that Jesus is coming. Listen to this message from Jesus Himself in Luke 12:35-45 (KJV):

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

According to Hebrews 6:12, it is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises. Satan knows that a prime time to tempt you is during a period of waiting. Between the time you believe that you receive and the time that you actually possess the promise, the devil will whisper lies in your mind. He attempts to weary you in the waiting.

One of the greatest temptations of disciples of any age is that they think the promises of God will always produce instantaneous results. When things don’t happen according to their timetable, they become discouraged and are tempted to quit. Listen to this admonition from Luke 19:13 (KJV):

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

Whether the appearing of Jesus is near or distant, we have business—kingdom business—to accomplish. Keep fulfilling your God-given purpose whether it lasts for days or decades. The parable of the ten virgins drives this home:

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for your- selves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know not (Matthew 25:1-12).

In verse 2, the Greek word for foolish is moros, from which we get our English word moron. There are many interpretations concerning who the 10 virgins are, but there is one central truth. Jesus is saying to all of us, watch and be prepared to watch for however long it takes. Regardless of who the virgins represent, there is one reality of which we can all be sure: Those who hold their faith through the darkness will eventually be vindicated. It can be easy for anyone to become weary, regardless of the thoroughness of their preparation. These virgins all had one thing in common—they all slept. They all are virgins, they all have lamps that work, and they are all looking for the bridegroom. These ten are the elite, the best of the best. They were all expecting the same outcome, but five were wise and five were foolish.