I'm seeing a "fog" settle over hearts and minds that is preventing them from seeing God's Word clearly, and it's making it dangerous to navigate the cultural landscape. Thinking is becoming clouded. Spiritual discernment is desperately needed.
I am more and more alarmed every day to see those that say they are Christ-followers not discerning truth from error, good from evil, wrong from right; they are either unable or unwilling to recognize wickedness for what it is. The ability to do this comes from an acceptance and understanding of Who God really is, and this “knowledge of the Holy” comes only from God's Holy Word (Prov 9:10). He alone is the Authority for what is good and what is evil, what is wrong and what is right. He is the Creator of all, and Savior of all that believe. He is not a god of mankind's own making, and neither is His authoritative Word. Man left to himself to determine good from evil with no guide, no moral or virtuous foundation, creates his own ideas regarding wickedness. The very essence of evil is to say God is not needed to determine good from evil, that man can do that for himself.
When faced with the cultural issues of our day, how do you determine what practices and policies are acceptable? When considering the current sociopolitical climate, how do you determine what is righteous and Christ-honoring and what is not? Who or what is most heavily influencing your thinking, influencing the way you view everything from relationships, to worship, to entertainment and leisure, to education, to politics? How do you determine what is wrong and what is right, what is good and what is evil? And why does this matter?
It matters because we are called to speak Jesus to people, sharing the rich love of God. We are to love, pray for, and show kindness to, even our enemies (Matt 5:44 ), being salt and light in this world (Matt 5:13-14). We are called to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15). This means we must be able to recognize evil for what it is, and be able to stand strong against its power (Ephesians 6:10-11). We are to resist the devil and be aware of his tactics (James 4:7, 2 Corinthians 7:14-15).
But how do we resist the devil when we are embracing devilish ways of thinking and behaving? And while it becomes increasingly the norm to slander, slur, bash, and trash-talk anything and everyone we might disagree with, there is no place in the life of a believer for that kind of conduct or conversation. The Scripture calls for a better way (I Cor 13). We do not use Satan's tactics and methods to fight spiritual battles. And good versus evil (God’s definitions of) is most certainly a spiritual battle we are engaged in.
Discernment, however, is grossly lacking today. Even believers, who have the Word of God as their guide, are either unable or unwilling to view all of life with a biblical worldview. A biblical worldview calls for everything to be viewed through the lens of Biblical Truth. Everything. From relationships, to worship, to lifestyle choices, to education, to politics, to social and cultural norms, to entertainment. For the believer, God's Truth is to guide our lives, be the basis for our choices, and govern our thoughts, attitudes and actions. When faced with the questions of whether or not I should align myself with some ideology or philosophy; when determining who or what I should allow to influence my thinking; when deciding what or what not to believe, the follower of Christ should turn to the authoritative Word of God. What God says should matter and take priority over every other way of thinking that is fighting for a place (Col 1:13, 18).
At the very root of evil lies a mindset, a philosophy or way of thinking that does not include God. The Bible speaks of the wicked as “not having God in any of his thoughts”. We all have been guilty of making a rash decision and not first praying about it. We’ve lashed out and reacted without giving thought to what God’s Word says about the right way to respond. But I’m speaking of a way of living and thinking that characterizes all of life, not a moment of failure or wrong choice. In several verses of Psalm 10 we find some answers about what characterizes wickedness:
1)A way of making decisions and choices with no thought of how God views that choice according to His Word;
2)No regard for consequences or accountability before God;
3)A belief system that is anti-God (this goes beyond just not including God in a thought process or behavior; it speaks of a philosophy/ideology that is openly and actively at work opposing God and anything He or His Word might represent especially as it relates to Light and Life, i.e. does it allow for, value and protect life; does it rejoice in deeds of darkness, etc…).
There are so many caught up today in philosophical systems of belief and practice that may not even realize that wickedness is reigning and they are aligning themselves with it. They are good people trying to be kind and generous and supportive and hard working, and considerate and compassionate. And as believers we are to be all of those things. But Satan and the world-system is well-versed in calling good evil and evil good. Satan and his ministers can even transform themselves into appearing to be angels of light and ministers of good and right (2 Cor 11: 14-15). Discernment to know the difference is desperately needed. Otherwise we may find that God, whom we believe we are serving, in actuality is being dishonored and the wicked favored (Psalm 82:2).
Believer, be discerning. Jesus promised that the Spirit would teach us and guide us into all Truth. Allow the Spirit of God to use the Word of God to teach you, guide you, and open your eyes to good and evil (John 14). We are to keep our eyes on Jesus, our gaze fixed on Him in order to filter the pure and right from the ungodly and wicked. We need to study the Scripture to show ourselves approved before God and not be ashamed (2 Tim 2:15). We have to be on guard as to who and what our greatest influences are. Satan's tactics are to confuse and mislead and divide even believers one with another.
Political parties will come and go, cultural norms will change, social practices are fluid. But God's Truth does not change. It is a trusted guide. We are to align ourselves with His Truth. We are to examine our life choices and philosophies to make sure they align with Scripture, not popular opinions, personal preferences, or political parties and philosophical ideologies. Just a slight shift in our focus, taking our eyes off of Jesus, can change our attitudes and activities from godly to ungodly before even realizing how influenced we have become by the wicked ideologies and philosophies of the world.
“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” Ephesians 6: 10-13
