If an enemy can undermine the leadership of any group or a nation, he would eventually be able to undermine its people (followers or dependents), because everything (in this world) rises and falls on leadership as John C. Maxwell, an American leadership expert rightly puts it. Also, the scriptures have said, “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Zech. 13:7). This is how important leadership is to the survival and success of any group, whether great or small.
The King of Aram (Syria) seems to have appreciated this very fact. Therefore, when he sent his men out to war with Israel, he instructed them, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel” (1 Kings 22:31). They went out and did as their master had commanded. They wounded the King of Israel, and that was the end. All day long the battle raged against the people of Israel because the king, the one who carried the authority of the Lord to execute judgement and justice in Israel, had been eliminated (1 Kings 22:35).
The strategy to “fight the king only” has been the strategy of the devil (or enemy) throughout history. The enemy employed it against Adam when he made him transgress the Law of God by eating of the tree and subsequently brought a wreck on the very first home (marriage) ever created on this earth. The consequences of this have lingered on to date.
The enemy employed this same strategy against David and made a wreck of one of the most powerful kingdoms in human history when he turned David’s son, Absalom against him. As they conspired against the King at one of their meetings, this is what the enemy planned, “Strike down the king and bring [colonize] all the people… [For] The death of the man [king] you seek will mean the return of all [his followers]” (2 Sam. 17:1-4).
Ultimately, the enemy employed this same strategy against Jesus Christ, the Lord and Saviour of the world and all the disciples deserted Him and fled (Matt. 26:56). This made many fearful and hopeless. It drove Christianity into darkness and silenced their faith until the King resurrected from the grave! Hallelujah!
The enemy continues to employ this same strategy in contemporary times. This is evident in some marriages and homes where wives fail to recognise the headship of their husbands, and children have become rebellious.
He is ruining our nations, eliminating respect for leadership in the name of democracy and “politics of insults” which has been enhanced by the sophisticated social media of our day. All one has to do is to put a camera in front of themselves and say whatever they think about dignitaries. Jude says, “Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand… Woe to them! (Jude 1:10-11)
He is making a wreck of the Church of the Living God. He is trying to eliminate her from the schools and the activities of the society as he introduces imposters into the leadership of the Church whose characters are nothing to write home about and making it look like all church leaders are corrupt, causing many to lose trust and interest in the Church and many others to speak ill of the Holy Church of the Living God.
As believers, we must endeavour to understand this battle strategy that the enemy has been subtly employing and continues to employ against leadership (authorities) all through history so that we do not join in his attack like Absalom did but understand that it is God who establishes authority; as such, those in authority are the Lord’s servants for good. They wield God’s authority (Rom. 13:1-6) so that we would submit to them like Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah and Sarah did; petition God in prayers on their behalf as Apostle Paul instructs (1Tim. 2:1-4), and in wisdom and humility draw their attention to the possible flaws in their leadership like Nathan did with David (2Sam. 12:1-13).
Remember that we can address our issues and concerns to people in authority without undermining their authority. We can help our families, churches, organizations and Nations to succeed without buying into the devil’s scheme of “killing and eliminating our kings”. Let us not join in “killing our kings.” After all, who are we to judge another’s servants? To their own master (God, the author of all authority), they stand or fall. (Romans 14:4).
Written By P/Overseer Isaac Kwabena Tagoe (Nanton District, Tamale Area)
