Christians can become vulnerable to satanic manipulation if they fail to remain spiritually discerning and grounded in Scripture, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, has cautioned.
He gave the warning while preaching at the investiture of Very Rev. Prof. J. O. Y. Mante as Chancellor of the Akrofi Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture (ACITMC) at the Victory Congregation, Fafraha, last Sunday.
Preaching from Matthew 16:21 to 28 on the theme “The way of the cross, from self to sacrifice,” the Moderator said the passage reveals what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ. He explained that the text begins with the phrase “from that time” because it forms part of a larger conversation in which Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was. After reporting public opinions, Jesus asked them directly, and Peter made the Great Confession that Jesus is the Christ, a revelation Jesus affirmed came from God.
The Moderator noted that immediately after this confession, Peter rebuked Jesus when He spoke about His suffering and death. Jesus, discerning the source of Peter’s words, rebuked him sharply because “from the lips of Peter, Jesus heard Satan’s name.”
He said this shows that following Jesus involves denial, sacrifice and taking up the cross of shame and humiliation. Reflecting on verses 25 to 27, he reminded the congregation that those who seek to save their lives will lose them, asking, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?”
He drew two key lessons from the text. First, Christians can be opened to satanic manipulation. He said Satan does not always come directly but often works through people around us, including trusted Christian leaders. He cited Peter as an example of someone called by God who momentarily became an instrument of Satan.
He also referenced 1 Kings 13, where a prophet who had obeyed God was deceived by an old prophet who lied to him. “Humans can change at any time. It is only God’s word that does not change,” he said.
He warned that many people trust anyone in a clerical collar, yet even Peter was manipulated and even the old prophet lied. He urged Christians to verify every message by returning to Scripture and not allow themselves to be misled.
He prayed that under the new Chancellor’s leadership, the Akrofi Christaller Institute would continue to stand for excellence in theology and true stewardship, adding, “May we not be manipulated by the enemy. May our lips speak God’s word.”
The second lesson, he said, is that true Christian discipleship comes with denial and sacrifice. Peter understood that Jesus was the Christ but did not understand the mission of Christ. “Today, many of us are like Peter. We see the Christian life as a life of comfort,” he said. He added that a small shaking of faith often leads Christians to yield to other powers instead of remaining faithful to Christ.
He stressed that the Christian life involves surrendering personal desires, interests, pleasures and comfort. “Before we became Christians, we lived for ourselves, but now we cannot be children of God when we live for ourselves,” he said. He added that Christian suffering is not empty suffering or suffering for wrongdoing but sharing in Christ’s sacrificial life.
Quoting Romans 12, he reminded the congregation that presenting one’s body as a living sacrifice is an act of worship. He emphasised that the Christian faith is not an idea but a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His life for humanity and taught the way of service.
By Jerome Otchere
