The Lie:
The devil, Satan, our enemy, is a murderous, scheming, joy-robbing liar.  But he is still very dangerous and cunning, very clever, sadistically deceptive.  As the 'father of lies' (John 8:44) he has been very busy implementing a strategy that effects souls in the physical realm and has a parallel spiritual aspect as well.  As a result, our corresponding physical and spiritual lives depend on discerning and dealing decisively with this evil strategy.

The human body is composed of millions of cells of all shapes and sizes and functions.  God created, in the physiology of man, an unequaled masterpiece.  Only in the mind of the science fiction writer has any success been achieved in duplicating God's handiwork, and even there the imitation's shortfalls are freely admitted.  But Satan has 'created' a work of his own; he has devised a living 'thing' that resides in the human body as an impostor.  He is the author of cancer.

The twisted heritage of this offspring is manifest in two very telling traits.  First, in it's function.  It has only one job - to devour healthy human cells (1 Peter 5:8) and destroy them, thus robbing the very life from it's host (John 10:10).  The second, and most paternally characteristic trait, is it's ability to deceive the host body thereby preventing the built-in God-designed defense mechanisms from disposing of the unwelcomed invaders.  Cancer, the child of Satan, is a liar and deceiver and life stealer just like it's father.

Spiritual Cancer:
As is usually the case, there is a direct connection between the physical and the spiritual.  There exists a parallel spiritual manifestation of cancer possessing an equal destructiveness that threatens the Body of Christ, the Church.  It is this spiritual form of cancer in the Body of Christ that we must be wary of.  In fact, the Bible specifically warns us that it will manifest more markedly in these last days than ever before.

"For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible." Matthew 24:24 

"I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth".  Acts 20:29-30

That is why Jesus told us to be wary; to watch (be discerning) and pray (Matthew 26:41) in order that we may avoid the temptations that spiritual cancers evoke.  Like it's physical counterpart, spiritual cancer robs the life of it's host.  It eats away, often undetected for years, until it is discovered.  The corpse of a dead church and the shipwrecked faith of many of it's members is all that remains.

"I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Wake up!  Strengthen what remains and is about to die . . ."  Revelation 3:1-2

The medical community, using specific technical nomenclature, classifies many malignant forms of cancer, but they are all cancer.  Left unchecked, they will all kill the body eventually.  So too, does spiritual cancer operate.  Being an offspring of a liar, cancer in Christ's Body also masquerades in various forms: apathy, laziness, indifference, compromise, gossip, slander, greed, pride, anger, racism, false doctrines and legalism.  Any number of these effects place the Church in direct violation of Romans 12:2. - "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  And yet Christ's Body can withstand most forms of spiritual cancer with one notable exception: prayerlessness.  This, above all, will lead to a dead church.  This cannot be overcome.

Discernment or Death:
"Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.  That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." 1 Corinth 11:27-30.

If the human body could be persuaded of the violent and destructive nature of a cancerous cell, it would react swiftly and decisively to dispatch anti-bodies that would attack, kill and dispose of it.  But that's the problem; the human body can't discern a healthy cell from a cancerous one.  The cancerous cell is a liar, deceiving the body as to it's true nature and motive.  It's most diabolical trait is the fact that it begins as a normal, healthy cell.  Remember Paul's warning to the believers in Ephesus; "Even from your own number (some) will arise and distort the truth . . ." For reasons that remain a medical mystery, this healthy cell mutates into cancer and begins it's destruction.  Every cell in the human body can turn cancerous, and science doesn't know why.  When they do mutate, they adopt the satanic characteristic of insatiability.  You see, a normal, healthy cell grows to it's God-ordained size and shape and then stops.  A cancerous cell however, doesn't stop growing and multiplying.  It takes over wherever it takes root and devours everything within reach.  The term, 'spreads like cancer' is well coined.  It sets up home, nice and cozy, and it's soon-to-be-devoured neighbors are none the wiser.  They can't discern it!

In similar fashion, intruders appear in the midst of Christ's Body and perpetrate quiet yet devastating destruction.  These intruders may be active or passive, willful or duped, close friends or family; they may even be ourselves!  We may not know that we are cancerous, yet the law of sowing and reaping still holds.  We have sown spiritual cancer, and are reaping the results in Christ's Body.  As a Body of Believers, we have failed to recognize the Body of the Lord, as Paul tells us, and have therefore visited judgment upon ourselves.  Ask yourself, why should a child of the King, a brother or sister of the Great Physician, be subjected to such a painful and debilitating disease of the enemy such as cancer?  Could it be that we have failed to discern the Body of our Lord?

The physical bodies of some within Christ's Church suffer physical ailments - such as cancer, because the spiritual Body of Christ harbors spiritual cancer, the highest and most deadly form of which is prayerlessness.

Attack:
There is a direct link from our physical world to the invisible spiritual realm.

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven."  Matthew 16:19

We must attack this cancer at it's source, and our attack must come spiritually via prayer.  But just as the physical body has defense mechanisms that react regardless of where the intruder is found; head, stomach, or big toe, so too the Body of Christ must unite as one (Ephesians 4:3, 16) and attack this deadly intruder with our spiritual anti-bodies - our prayers!  We are the Body of Christ, and we must pray for the discernment to recognize that we are His Body and pray out of the Body that which is cancerous!

Lung cancer kills the whole body.  Brain cancer kills the whole body.  Spiritual cancer, anywhere in the Body, will eventually kill the whole Body - unless it is attacked and defeated.  Our Lord has given us the directive to attack, saying, "The gates of hell will not prevail" against us.  Those are not defensive words but words of attack.  Our prayers must be aimed towards seeking discernment of His Word, and of His Body.  We must pray fervently to discern that which is cancerous in us and in the Church.  We must seek forgiveness and display repentance for our prayerlessness.  Then we will be armed and capable to pray physical discernment in those afflicted with physical cancer, so that their bodies can "see" the cancer and fight it.  Our prayers should be directed to uncovering the lies that our enemy has created in all areas.  "Loose" it here and it will be "loosed" everywhere!  Our Great Physician is more than able!

Cancer In The Body
The Goodsoil Discipleship Ministry
By Bro. Andy Madonio
June 18, 1996
Introduction:

This is another story about prayer flavored with warfare.  It's origin was born amidst an onslaught of cancer which touched many, and took some of those I knew personally.  We have spiritual warfare, physical warfare and civil warfare befalling our churches today.  While the battles are raging, we must learn to look and listen for God at all times and in all things, both good and bad.  He is there to help us and to teach us and lead us, but we must discern His Presence.

This lesson may be applied to many of our own saints battling physical cancer (which can be physical and/or spiritual in nature), as well as the cancer of prayerlessness which slowly strangles the life of our churches.

We, as disciples, must remember that we are the body of Christ, and proper behavior is required of us.  Discernment comes only to those who spend time in prayer with their Lord.  Discerning 'cancer' requires prayer, and cancer in His Body requires corporate "Body Prayer."