THE GATES OF HELL

[Albert Finch]

Matthew 16:18 - "On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Where precisely are the gates of hell? Where does the devil sit in power?

The mind is the gatekeeper of the Kingdom of God. It is the place of access, transition, and power. It follows that the gates of hell are set up in people's minds. Jesus made this clear:

Matthew 16:23 - But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

He didn't say, "Peter, you devil worshiper!" He didn't say, "You are filled with all kinds of occult practices and deceits." He said, "Your mind is filled with the things of man."
The devil is empowered by human agreement. That mental posture was a gate from which satan was released to bring Peter's destruction.

Humanity without Christ at the center is satanic in nature. When you've been given the Spirit of God, you lose the privilege of claiming, "I'm only human." Paul rebukes the church at Corinth for behaving like mere men (1 Corinthians 3:3).

The gate of hell is in our minds any time we agree with a man-centered perspective or natural wisdom that does not know God. We empower demonic forces and become a gate to release his power to kill, steal, and destroy our lives.

AFFIRMATION:

I am a gateway for heaven's reality to take over every part of my life, and the lives of people who I influence, no matter how big or small the specific situation is.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
http://afministry.ning.com/