The SIAFU Guidebook

44 The SIAFU Network Guidebook

Unmobilized Means Unused: How the Disunity of Urban Believers Provides a Foothold for the Devil in the City

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Nothing can dispute the radical and amazing power of unity. When any enterprise, team, or group unites around a common purpose and commitment, they are able to attain dramatic results, in both the natural and spiritual realms. Today, urban churches are under siege – they often lack connection with other churches, struggle with countless moral issues, wrestle with all kinds of practical problems, and, on top of all these, also face the tricks of the devil, the temptations of the world, and the intimidating tactics of evil. All of these antagonists they may fight, in their own minds, by themselves, each one, disconnected, alone, and vulnerable. Even when the tiniest creatures combine their energies and efforts around a common, central bond and goal, anchored in both shared perspectives and resources, they are able to accomplish great things, far more than what any one of them could have accomplished in their own strength and by their own efforts. The devil knows that if he can keep urban churches and leaders from joining forces to seek the glory of Christ and the well-being of their neighborhoods, he can continue to ravage them. But, in order to do this, ~ Ephesians 4.1-7