What the Church Can Learn from a Pack of Wildebeests

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

When I lived in Africa for two years I went on several safaris. I didn’t get to watch a lion hunt in the flesh but I did get to watch a three cheetahs attack a group of wildebeests, and their hunting patterns are similar. There were three cheetahs versus maybe 40 or 50 wildebeests. The wildebeasts weren’t as fast as the cheetahs but they were just as strong and they heavily outnumbered the cheetahs.

It was fascinating to watch the strategy of the cheetahs as they split up and begin to approach the pack of wildebeests from all sides. They weren’t looking to attack all the wildebeests. They weren’t strong enough for them. They just wanted one. They were looking to peal one wildebeast from the herd. One who was too old, or too young, or too sick. They wanted to peal one off from the herd and attack three on one. That’s their strategy. The wildebeests best protection is to stay together, stay united, and look after one another.

Satan’s strategy is the same as a roaring lion. He knows he can’t defeat us when we’re united. We’re too strong. We have the spirit and authority of Christ within us. He can’t take us all on, so he’ll try to peal one of us from the herd. If he can separate one of us from the church, get one of us isolated from the body of Christ, that’s when he’ll pounce. Our strategy should be the same as that of the wildebeests: stay together, stay united, look after one another.

You may know folks (friends, family, neighbors) who have been cut from the herd. One way or another, Satan got them isolated from the body and he pounced. They haven’t been in church in awhile. They’re under attack from the enemy. As long as they’re isolated, Satan wins. If you want to begin to fight back, here’s something practical you can do: be the church for someone this week.

Check on someone. Serve someone. Invite someone. Someone who’s been cut from the herd and has been under demonic influence for too long. If they’ve been cut from the herd, then let’s bring the herd to them. You have the authority to wage war on their behalf. You can make a difference.
Satan is powerful, but we serve the One who is all-powerful. You can make that truth a reality this week.