Think about that. Satan isn’t waging war by building temples to Baal in the suburbs. He’s working overtime to create a version of church that’s almost right. That sings the right songs. That uses the name of Jesus. That teaches morality. That maybe even teaches Scripture—but never calls anyone to surrender. Never confronts sin. Never invites transformation. Never makes disciples.
It’s a masterclass in counterfeit
strategy.
It’s as if he’s saying, “Why fight the church when I can franchise it?”
If Satan can’t get you to reject church, he’ll give you one that looks right but leaves you unchanged. He’ll give you inspiration without conviction, community without commitment, comfort without cost. He will give you religion as long as it keeps you from Christ.
The Danger of a Church Without Fruit
Jesus once cursed a fig tree for having leaves but no fruit (Mark 11:12–14). It was a
living parable of His judgment against empty religion.
God is not impressed with leafy churches.
He’s looking for fruit.
Galatians 5 tells us what kind of fruit He’s looking for:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-control
This is the evidence of the Spirit’s work in our lives. Not attendance. Not involvement. Not knowledge. Fruit. Loving people. Gracious
people. Contented people. Grateful people. At-peace people.
A church full of people who go through the motions but lack this fruit is not just ineffective—it’s dangerous. Because it convinces people they are close to God when they are actually miles away. It convinces the world that God has nothing to offer. Nothing that is worth having.
We’ve traded fire for fog, conviction for comfort, the Holy Spirit for high production value. We’ve replaced repentance with relevance. And when the
world looks in, they don’t see anything different. They see a club. A crowd. A show. But not a Church.
That’s not just a mistake. That’s a spiritual emergency.
Why This Matters So Much Right Now
There has never been a generation more churched and yet more unchanged.
More exposed to truth and yet more apathetic.
More filled with religious content and yet more biblically illiterate.
We binge sermons like Netflix but rarely obey. We have podcasts,
devotionals, apps, conferences, worship nights—and still struggle to live a consistent, holy life. We’ve mistaken exposure for transformation.
And here’s what breaks my heart: some of the nicest people I know, people who genuinely believe they are Christians, have no real hunger for God. No desire to grow. No love for the lost. No prayer life. No brokenness over sin. No spiritual fruit. But they attend a church. Regularly.
They are friendly. Helpful. They may even volunteer. But they
are spiritually asleep. Numb. Detached. Busy, but barren. That’s what makes the pseudo-church so dangerous. It inoculates people with just enough religion to keep them from the real thing.
It offers a Christ that doesn’t ask for surrender, a Bible that doesn’t require obedience, a community that doesn’t challenge, and a mission that doesn’t cost.
But There’s Hope
If you’re reading this and you’re starting to feel uneasy… good.
I’m not here to condemn. I’m here to shine
a light. To help us wake up. To plead with the Church—let’s stop playing church. Let’s start being the Church.
Let’s repent of the empty motions. Let’s ask the Spirit to breathe on us again. Let’s return to the gospel that changes lives. Let’s measure our churches not by seating capacity but by sending capacity. Not by how many attend but by how many are being transformed.
Let’s ask tougher questions:
- Are we making disciples or consumers?
- Are people more like Jesus
after a year in our church?
- Is the fruit of the Spirit growing in our community?
- Are we living in dependence on the Holy Spirit?
Let’s call the pseudo-church what it is—a counterfeit. And let’s choose the real thing, even if it’s messier. Even if it’s smaller. Even if it costs us everything.
Because the real Church is still the hope of the world. Not because of our strategy—but because of our Savior. Not because we gather—but because He reigns.
Let
the Church rise. Let the fog clear. Let the remnant be bold.
