Spiritual Warfare in the Church

Located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, just thirty miles north of the Sea of Galilee is the once impressive Greco-Roman city of Caesarea Philippi. The city was named after Philip, the son of Herod the Great. In Jesus’ day, it was a worldwide gathering place of worship to numerous false gods. One of the main gods worshipped there was the fertility god named Pan, a half human, half goat looking creature. One can visit the city today and still see a cave at the base of the cliff that the ancient citizens called the “Gates of Hades.” There was a huge spring that ran from the mouth of that cave and was one of the main sources of the Jordan river. To the pagan mind, the cave and the spring water was the gate that led to the underworld where fertility gods lived during the winter and returned at spring. The people believed their city was literally at the gates of hell. Herod the Great built a temple right at the mouth of the cave in honor to Caesar Augustus. The temple area including a courtyard dedicated to the worship of Pan along with five other areas of worship to false gods.¹

People visited this temple complex from all over the ancient world. Children would be thrown alive into the entrance of the cave as a sacrifice to the god Pan. They believed this would satisfy the gods and bring fertility to their crops. Some even believe that men would mate with goats in the courtyard of Pan in ritualistic fertility acts believing this also would help their impending harvest. It was a cesspool of evil and represented the worst that Satan and sinful humanity could offer.² It was a place that devout Jews would avoid at all costs because of the despicable acts committed there.³ This begs the question, why would Jesus bring His disciples to this loathsome place? The fact that they stopped there just before Jesus began His final pilgrimage southward into Judea and Jerusalem to die on the cross for the sin of the world was no accident. Caesarea Philippi would provide the perfect backdrop for one of the greatest declarations in the gospels. It was here that Jesus elicited a response from His disciples that would summarize their mission and the mission of the church worldwide for ages to come. Matthew records:

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-16 (ESV)

In contrast to all the false being worshipped at this site, Christ established through the declaration of one of His disciples, Simon Peter, that He was the only true and living God that should be worshipped. Peter’s confession was the result of a direct revelation from God. Jesus responded to Peter by saying:

17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:17–18 (ESV)

Despite the erroneous interpretation of the Roman Catholic Church regarding Peter being the rock upon which the church is built, the Rock is Christ. Peter himself clearly understood Jesus’ affirmation of his confession. He would later refer to Christ as the Cornerstone upon which the church is being built (cf. 1 Peter 2:4-8).

When Jesus said the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church, He was using the metaphor of siege warfare. Gates were used for defensive purposes. They were designed to keep the enemy from entering a city. When an army wanted to capture a city, they would storm the gates. Contrary to what some might believe, the church is not on the defense in stationary mode standing its ground. Jesus’ response to Peter forcefully conveys military language that the church, built upon the Rock, the Living Son of God, is on the offensive and the gates of Hell will not be able to withstand its force and power. Standing there in Caesarea Philippi, as they were, at a literal “Gate of Hades,” Jesus presented this clear challenge to His disciples, and to the church as a whole throughout generations to come. He doesn’t want His people hiding from evil. He wants them to storm the gates of Hell. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (cf. 1 Timothy 3:15). It has the only message that truly changes lives. The pure and powerful gospel is the message that we use to storm the gates of Hell. Paul would later write:

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (ESV)

Paul is using the same kind of siege warfare language to describe his battle against the false apostles that were dividing the church at Corinth. The strongholds that need to be destroyed are the fortress of false doctrine, ungodly ideas, and philosophies that keep people in spiritual prison. The only weapon that can demolish them is the truth of God’s Word. Nothing else will do the job. That is why we must be committed to the preaching and teaching of the Word. Each time we proclaim the gospel and sound theology we are attacking the gates of Hell. That is what spiritual warfare is all about. May God help us to remain committed to this challenge given to us by the Captain of our Salvation.

¹ Brian Algie, “Caesarea Philippi,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

² DeVries, LaMoine F. Cities of the Biblical World. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1997.

³ Schurer, Emil. The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 bc–ad 135). Rev. and exp. ed. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1979.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jerry Harmon is the president of Faith Theological Seminary and Senior Pastor of Grace Bible Baptist Church in Catonsville, Maryland. Harmon graduated BS from Hyles Anderson College, MDiv and PhD from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, and studied Hebrew at Johns Hopkins University. Harmon has pastored Baptist churches for over 30 years in Louisiana, New York, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Maryland. He has self-published two books and travels extensively for mission work. He and his wife Carolyn have four children and four grandchildren.