Satan does not want a person to be saved. If a person has made it into the kingdom of God by being born again of water and of Spirit (Acts 2:38), Satan does not want that person to grow up in Christ and to become fruitful and used by the Lord in ministry.

One way to keep a believer from growing in the Lord, is to keep them from the knowledge of sin in their life.

Sin is revealed by the Holy Ghost working in a person’s life and directing them in paths of righteousness and holiness. Sin is also revealed by the preaching of the word.

John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

1 Corinthians 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

Both of these ways make it clear to a person what things in their life are sin, allowing them to repent, turn away from these things, and to remove sin from their life.

If a person refuses to recognize something in their life as sin that the Lord has revealed to them as sin, that person cannot repent of that sin. It remains in their life. That person’s growth in the Lord is stifled. Their use in the kingdom is limited. They risk shutting the door for entrance into ministry.

According to the Bible, it is Satan that takes away the word sown in a person’s heart.

Mark 4:15 “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.”

Luke 8:12 “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”

Here are a few methods to accomplish this: the spirit of rebellion, disobedience, lack of submission, pride, arrogance, a haughty spirit…

Ezekiel, a minister and prophet of God, was called to be a watchman to Israel.

Ezekiel 3:17 “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.”

God refers to his pastors (“elders”) as shepherds.

1 Peter 5:1-5 “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

God calls the ministry His gifts to men. These gifts are for the perfecting of the saints (believers). They are for the purpose to help believers to grow up spiritually. They are to equip believers so they will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and not be deceived by false doctrines. They are to teach believers to operate in love as one body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:8 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”

Ephesians 4:11-16 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”