There is a very common, well known scripture that says "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matt 16:18 (KJV) I want you to key in on the bold part, "the gates of hell shall not prevail".
For some reason (maybe the deception of the evil one) the Church has largely thought wrong about this verse. I, and many others, have understood it to mean that evil will not be able, ultimately, to prevail against the Church. Although this is true, it is not taught with this scripture. This says that "the gates of HELL shall not prevail". Are gates an offensive or defensive weapon? They are clearly defensive. So what this is saying is that the gates of hell will not be able to withstand the attack of the Church.
Reading through a few missionary biographies gives us a good picture of how those who have loved the Lord have gone boldly into the abode of the wicked and the gates of hell did not prevail. It takes bold action, led by God's Spirit, to defeat the evil in this world. My friends it is time to stop being content in our defensive posture and get on the offensive with the good news of Jesus Christ and start knocking down some gates.
Where is the abode of the wicked...look around and take your choice. Whether it's the watered down feel good gospel often preached in the U.S., the murder of millions of babies through abortion, or the trafficking of children into the sex trade industry, we have to get involved and boldly go to the gates with a battering ram!
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