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What Hinders Revival Once It's Started? Part 2: Sectarianism, Legalism, Misdirected Zeal

Satan is not sovereign. He cannot thwart what God intends. When God chooses to revive, He will. Yet while God is sovereign, we are responsible to respond to His Spirit in repentance, obedience, and faith. God moves; we respond. That’s revival. That’s the Christian life.

So how does Satan try to disrupt revival? One day, he’ll launch a final assault against Christ and His people, leading the nations to rebel against the holy city (Rev. 20:7–9). He will fail then, just as he fails now when he attacks God’s people head-on. But he succeeds through subtler means.

One of his most effective tactics is the divide-and-conquer tactic—especially in the weeks and months after revival begins. Here are some of the ways we unknowingly join him in undermining God’s work.

1. Sectarianism

Sectarianism occurs when loyalty to a subgroup becomes divisive, leading to suspicion, rivalry, and exclusion.

One group thinks they’re more spiritual because they raise their hands—or because they don’t. They sing hymns—or they refuse to. They follow Preacher A—or they don’t. Satan has been sowing this kind of pride since Eden.

Paul rebuked the same spirit in Corinth (1 Cor. 1), reminding us that the only thing that makes us spiritual is following and obeying Jesus Christ.

2. Legalism

A close cousin of sectarianism, legalism focuses on rule-keeping rather than abiding in relationship.

Revival produces obedience born of freedom. The sinner repents, is cleansed, filled with the Spirit, and walks in Christ’s liberty. But Satan hates that freedom. He tempts us to shift our gaze from our own repentance to another’s sin.

He whispers reminders of others’ failures to those most likely to gossip or judge. Soon, self-righteous talk replaces humble gratitude. Division follows—and division kills revival, because God is never divided.

3. Misdirected Zeal

Misdirected zeal hijacks the passion of revival, focusing it on the feeling rather than the Father.

It fuels both sectarianism and legalism. The only cure is continual humility—remembering the price Christ paid for our sin and thanking Him for His mercy. Revival thrives in humility; it dies in hearts poisoned by pride, sectarianism, legalism, or misplaced zeal.

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