Weekly Sermon

Resisting the Gates of Hell (Part 1)

Stand on the rock, because the gates of Hades will not overpower the church of Jesus Christ.

Related Scripture

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

29 Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Dr. Jose Nacionales opens Matthew 16 and moves from the subject of courage into resisting the gates of hell while standing on the rock. He brings the church back to the revelation of who Christ is—“You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”—because flesh and blood cannot sustain spiritual warfare, only revelation from the Father can. As he explains the meaning of gates in ancient times, he shows that the gates of hell represent seats of power, influence, and strongholds of darkness. But the church stands on the rock, armed with the keys of the kingdom, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.