World conditons are never ideal; Christ and the Spirit are infallible but we are not
From a human perpective, the history of the church moves ina zigzag pattern
Jesus entered the world to fight a battle against the devil and his allies
The real enemy is not flesh and blood
The devil's weapons are half-truths and lies to enflame lust for glory, honor, and power
He instils fear of humiliation, obscurity and death
His most powerful weapon is the threat of death - Hebrews 2:14
Jesus' willing acceptance of shame, pain, and death showed to those at the time their slavery to the devil and blindness to the truth and found themseleves powerless to intimate Him
The church can erode over time and become worldly - 1 John 2:15-17
Volunteer organizations and assoications have identities expressed in rules/laws, ceremonies/symbols.Every organization demands that its members confirm to that identity and help achieve its purpose - weather good or bad
What happens when the group goes astray? This can easily happen in world when priorities are in a different order