Unsigned Notes
Dr. Dave Williams

Dave Williams served as pastor of Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan, for more than thirty years. In that time, Dave trained thousands of ministers through the Mount Hope Bible Training Institute, Dave Williams’ Church Planter’s School, and Dave Williams’ School for Pacesetting Church Leaders. Dave is a teacher, speaker, author, and trainer. He coaches church leaders, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and followers of Christ on how to live a pacesetting life. His three-pronged approach—spiritual, attitudinal, and practical—has transformed ordinary people into extraordinarily successful leaders in every field of endeavor. Click here to learn more about Dr. Dave Williams.

Every pastor has received at least one.

Wayne Benson once called them “sniper notes.” That’s a good description.

Young pastors, and older alike, across the nation have struggled with unsigned “sniper notes,” wondering who wrote them. In many cases they can guess, but unless the Holy Spirit gives them clear discernment, they will probably never know who sent them.

Sniper Notes Come in Varieties

These sniper notes come in all varieties. Some express personal opinions. Others question the pastor’s motives, tear apart his personality, or trash his character. They usually come during an already stressful time in the life of the church.

Someone who doesn’t have the courage to ask the right questions, or go to the right person for clarification, tries to influence the pastor or others through secret letters. Sometimes they are even written in a prophetic tone as if the Lord were speaking.

One pastor I know received a secret sniper note from “Jesus.”

I used to get these quite often in the earlier years. People had their opinions and if they didn’t harmonize with mine, I could count on an unsigned note arriving. I would look out at the congregation wondering which member it was. Sometimes it was obvious, but I could rarely prove it.

Stingers of the Enemy

When I’d receive an unsigned note, I couldn’t understand why my stomach would twist up in knots. It was frustrating. I wanted to respond, but to whom? It was difficult to pray, because my mind would go back to the words in the sniper note.

Then I realized something. Fiery darts are actually satanic “stingers.” That’s why these unsigned notes bothered me so much. They were designed by the enemy to bother me. This is exactly what the devil wanted – to get my focus off God’s plans and goals, and onto the fiery stinger of the wicked.

Ephesians 6:10-16
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

How to Deal with Them

I asked the Lord how to deal with these notes. Here’s what He told me: “Don’t ever read another letter that is unsigned. Throw them away immediately.” After that, whenever I would read my mail, I would first check to make sure there was a signature before I would read it. No signature – it got tossed.

I announced to the congregation what the Lord had shown me. Soon, the immature, carnal people drifted off to other churches where the pastor would be motivated by their controlling habits.

Wicked

Unsigned notes that contain stingers are always wicked. That’s why they are called, “The fiery darts of the wicked.” Wicked means “twisted,” like wicker furniture. A candle has a wick right in the center of it. Wickedness, like a candle’s wick, comes from the center – the heart of a person, Jesus taught us (Mark 7:20). A person who sends unsigned notes and letters is twisted and has a real heart issue that’s not being dealt with appropriately.

Occult

Secret letters. Stop and think. The word “occult” means “secret.” When you have a hem-occult test, you are checking for hidden – or secret – blood in your stool. The word occult means secret, or secretive. Paul talked about the “hidden principle of rebellion.”

2 Thessalonians 2:7 AMPL
For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world …

The Shroud of Secrecy

Your enemy loves to work in a shroud of secrecy. He likes to keep his tactics hidden. And people who use these “secret note strategies” are operating in an occult activity without realizing it. They are infantile in their faith and don’t know any better. Some think they are doing God a favor, without realizing the nature of the spirit that is actually motivating them.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Don’t read unsigned notes. Throw them immediately in the trash. Speak this: “I have the shield of faith engaged and every fiery stinger of the wicked is extinguished, in Jesus’ Name.”

2. Ask the Lord to bring the writer of these “sniper notes” to repentance. Judas secretly betrayed Jesus without realizing the consequences to his own life. The writer of a sniper note needs help.

3. Ask the Lord to give you and His other sincere servants clear discernment and the gift of discerning of spirits.

4. Don’t negotiate with people who use these kinds of occult tactics (if you are aware they are doing it.) Just as you cannot negotiate with terrorism or tyranny, you can never negotiate with a person who is dishonest and hypocritical enough to send out an unsigned letter.

5. Don’t hang out or fellowship with people in rebellion or who use secretive measures to influence others. Get away from them like you would get away from Dathan or Abiram in the Bible before the earth swallowed them alive. We become wise by walking with the wise, but we get hurt when we walk too closely with those who are operating under another spirit.

2 Corinthians 11:4 AMPL
For [you seem readily to endure it] if a man comes and preaches another Jesus than the One we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the [Spirit] you [once] received or a different gospel from the one you [then] received and welcomed; you tolerate [all that] well enough!

6. Commit to keeping your own heart pure and your own hands clean. Never use the tactics of these cowards. If you have something to say, sign your name to it.

7. Always remember the words of St. John: “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4). You are an ambassador for Christ; “snipers” choose to be ambassadors for the devil.

2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ …

Pastor, do not despair when you find yourself under the attack of snipers. It’s happened to all of us. I believe it’s a sign that you are about to be promoted to the next level in your ministry.

Everything designed to be a curse in your life will reverse, and God will turn it into a great blessing for you!

Your enemy loves to work in a shroud of secrecy. He likes to keep his tactics hidden. And people who use these “secret note strategies” are operating in an occult activity without realizing it. They are infantile in their faith and don’t know any better. Some think they are doing God a favor, without realizing the nature of the spirit that is actually motivating them. …read more