Satan Only Needs One Person
There are two critical lessons we need to learn from the account of Ananias and Sapphira:
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Satan can wreak havoc in the church through just one person.
William Still once said:
“Satan only needs one individual in a fellowship to give him an opening—to let him in to wreak his havoc on the work of God.”
It doesn’t take a full-blown rebellion to derail the church’s mission. It takes one person, one couple, one heart open to deceit.
Consider Achan’s sin in Joshua 7. One man’s disobedience cost Israel an entire battle. Satan loves to use the sin of a single individual to bring devastating consequences upon the people of God.
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Satan loves to work through marriages.
The first recorded attack of Satan was through a marriage—Adam and Eve. He targeted their union to bring sin into the world. We see the same pattern in Abraham and Sarah, and in Ananias and Sapphira.
This may be why Paul places his teaching on marriage (Ephesians 5:20-22) within the context of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Eric Alexander warns:
“The first warning note of danger in the church is seen in Ananias and Sapphira’s marriage… They made a travesty of the marriage bond, which was intended by God to help a man and woman live for His glory. Instead, they used it to rob God of His glory, lying to the Holy Spirit and putting the whole church in jeopardy.”
Those who are married must be especially vigilant against Satan’s attempts to distort and misuse their union.
