Religion is a mountain capable of shaping human thought and determining human action. This is why having control over this mountain means having control over an entire society. Hence thinkers like Karl Marx could declare that religion is the opium of the people.

Through religion, it is possible to keep a society in a dreamlike state, creating multiple ideals that imprison people without ever prompting them to act concretely. Conversely, when properly directed, religion can become the driving force—the motivation—for a society’s development and commitment.

Religion has the power to define good and evil within a society. That is why we speak of political systems such as theocracy, a form of government in which sovereignty belongs to a divine authority.

Theocracy is based on the belief that God does everything and man can do nothing in terms of governing society. It is, therefore, apolitical.

Over time, this view evolved—especially from the time of Alexander the Great. After his time in Egypt, and in a text on the Stele of Ptolemy IV Philopator (the so-called “Raphia Stele,” dated 216 B.C.), the king is presented as the earthly instrument of the gods who “make him act.” Thus, the theocratic sovereign claims full submission to divine will, which becomes the basis for the legitimacy of his power.

This illustrates the sheer power of this mountain—capable of leading an entire people.

If individuals are willing to take their own lives and die as proud martyrs in the name of religion, then we must understand that this mountain is highly influential. It can even restructure cultures and customs. Naturally, the religion that dominates most will also dictate daily habits. When this mountain is misused, it can lead to destruction. Today, the Devil attacks this mountain on two fronts: from the outside and from within.

These internal and external attacks are described from a Christian perspective. Externally, we are witnessing the fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy to Peter:

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18

We are witnessing a global race among religions: which one will become the most widespread and accepted? Christianity is under attack in this race. The enemy’s goal is to portray it as the “bad” religion—one that allows no freedom to its followers. The ultimate aim is to discourage new converts from joining. Contrary to appearances, Christianity is, in fact, the most persecuted religion in the world.

In an article published on March 7, 2022, the CATO Institute cited statistics from Open Doors USA, showing that in 2021 alone, 360 million Christians lived in countries where persecution was significant: approximately 5,600 Christians were murdered, 6,000 imprisoned, and over 4,000 kidnapped. Additionally, more than 5,000 churches and places of worship were destroyed.

According to a more independent source, Pew Research, Christianity ranked first among the most persecuted religions in its 2018 report.

This sufficiently proves the ongoing war we are facing, just as it was predicted to Peter in the Bible. But what is tragic is that most Christians today fail to grasp the seriousness of the situation. We are the most targeted religion. We are the main target.

The aim is to silence us, to overthrow the Church, just as Christ warned Peter. This is a war of influence that can only be won through power. The Church, as the body of Christ, needs a fresh fire—a revival that will restore its radiance and draw attention to it.

One of the overlooked miracles in Jesus’ ministry, in my view, is His ability to draw thousands of people without ever sending out invitations. Yet today, despite all the marketing tools available to the Church, it struggles to gather people at its events.

“Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.” – Matthew 24:28

When the Church truly offers what the world lacks, the world will come to the Church.

But just as this mountain needs to be taken by external victory, it also requires internal victory. In these end times, the Devil has infiltrated the Church from within. When he fails to destroy it from outside, he chooses to destabilize it from the inside.

Christ said that any kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Yet, that is what we are witnessing. The Church of my time is sick. And in its current condition, it is not ready to be set on fire by revival—for fear that it might cause more harm than good.

Internal divisions, lack of love, loss of honor, and loss of the message—these are just some of the many ailments afflicting the modern Church. I will briefly explore a few of them:

– Internal Divisions

As the prophet Joël Francis Tatu once said, many leaders have lost sight of the bigger picture—the corporate vision of the Body. Regardless of our denominational affiliations, we are all members of Christ’s Body. Communities should not behave like gangs, forbidding their members from going elsewhere. Many have forgotten that it is Christ who died for us. We are saved to belong to Christ—not to a particular leader.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

– Lack of Love

The Church must return to the teaching of love. It is sad to see that among Christians, love—the bond of perfection—has become such a rare quality. What should be a natural sign of our salvation has become something people desperately seek.

“We know that we have passed from death to life because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” – 1 John 3:14

One of the main reasons is that the Church has abandoned the message of love. The Good News is, above all, a message of love and forgiveness.

– Loss of Honor

This concerns especially the honor due to our leaders—those whom God has placed before us as shepherds and role models. Here, I would like to quote a powerful testimony from evangelist Billy Graham, when he was interviewed in the wake of Jimmy Swaggart‘s scandals.

Jimmy Swaggart and Billy Graham were two great evangelists whom God used powerfully in the United States.

On October 11, 1991, Jimmy Swaggart was caught with a prostitute—a second scandal following the first, which had occurred three years earlier. Despite his public repentance, his punishment came quickly: suspension and defrocking by the Assemblies of God.

His church was subsequently removed from the denomination and became an independent, non-affiliated church. Abandoned and forgotten, Jimmy Swaggart was left alone.

Then came the day when Billy Graham—considered his rival and potential replacement—was scheduled for a televised interview.

People expected Billy Graham to rejoice at Swaggart’s downfall. After all, he had the perfect opportunity to sway Swaggart’s followers with his words. The journalists asked him what he thought of the situation.

To everyone’s surprise, Billy Graham replied:

“If it happened to Jimmy, it could happen to me. I believe he is a man of flesh, not an angel. I believe he is a holy man of God. He spent his youth in God’s service. He won thousands of souls to Christ. He is already wounded—let’s not finish him off. Let’s heal him and lift up our soldier.”

That response speaks directly to the Church of our time. Despite the scandals surrounding our leaders, let us not be the ones to destroy our spiritual fathers. There is a powerful verse from David after the death of Saul:

“David said to him, ‘Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?’” – 2 Samuel 1:14

Let us cover the nakedness of our fathers. Let us not expose them to the world or deliver them to public shame. For if we do, we will be the orphans—not the world.

– Loss of the Message

The Church now preaches about everything—except what it was meant to preach. As a result, many converts retain a worldly mindset because they do not know where to go.

The greatest need of a non-believer is conversion.
The greatest need of a convert is transformation.

The chain breaks at transformation—due to a lack of sound teaching. Between wolves that have infiltrated the flock and others who neglect sound doctrine, the Church is in dire need of internal reform.

Revival on the mountain of religion will only come through this dual effort—internal and external.

But one thing we know for sure: whatever the enemy does, he will never prevail. Because we have a promise:

“The gates of Hades shall never prevail against the Lord’s Church.”

The fire is coming to this mountain…

This text is an excerpt from the book “THE REVIVAL Seen by a Son” writting by Jefferson Grace Mango.

We invite you to read the next article: “THE REVIVAL AND THE ARTS”.