There has been a lot of talk in some areas that our work in Kenya is too difficult and that perhaps our mission partnerships should be elsewhere. There was a deaconess I met in Kenya that told me that when we started doing mercy and mission work – acts of care with Gospel proclamation – that all kinds of hell would break out and she was right.
Robert Preus talked about the “satanology” of the Lutheran Confessions. It seems to me that when we undertake mission endeavors of any kind, and when we seek to do mercy work such as we are in Kenya we must be informed of the demonic forces that will come against us. In this way mission and mercy become truly “confessional”. We confess the old evil foe is utterly defeated even though he seems strong and powerful. We confess the theology of the cross. That means that we do not see Christ and His power in the successes of the world, but in the seeming failures of Crosses and difficulties and opposition within and without.
The devil badgers the church from all sides and tears us from faith, hope, and love,
inspires false security in our hearts and draws us into unbelief and abominable
sins. We spend our lives striving against his darts. “It is always against
the church that he lies and fumes day and night. And we must count on this. “For
where God’s word is preached, accepted, believed, and bears fruit, there
blessed holy cross will not be far away”. The Devils whole purpose is
to take from us what we have received from God. “He not only obstructs
and overthrows spiritual order, but also prevents and hinders the
establishment of any kind of government or honorable and peaceful relations on
earth”
Robert Preus
James 2:13