Writer of “Amazing Grace,” John Newton once said, “If I might read only one book beside the Bible, I would choose The Christian in Complete Armour,” by William Gurnall.
English author, scholar, preacher, and puritan, William Gurnall was born in the 1600s and wrote much about spiritual warfare and the duty of believers in Christ. He stated:
“It is the image of God reflected in you that so enrages hell; it is this at which the demons hurl their mightiest weapons; …God himself underwrites your battle and has appointed His own Son ‘the captain of [your] salvation’ (Hebrews 2:10)…The soldier is summoned to a life of active duty, and so is the Christian. The very nature of the calling precludes a life of ease.”
We are in a battle. At the core it’s spiritual and yet, it manifests throughout this natural, physical realm. We can see cultural fallout from this battle nearly everywhere. One blatant attack on the biblical worldview is the rejection of God as Creator.
Most of you heard about what happened just days prior to Resurrection Sunday four weeks ago. But just in case you missed it, one headline read, “Biden Admin Banishes Christian Images, Celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter.”
They banned religious images at the White House and declared March 31 (Easter) the “Transgender Day of Visibility.” Biden proclaimed, “Transgender Americans shape our nation’s soul,” and added that those who identify as transgender “help America thrive” and they deserve the “fundamental freedom to be their true selves.” True selves?!
VP Kamala Harris proudly added, …“we celebrate transgender and nonbinary Americans,” and “We won’t stop fighting for you.” We know exactly what side they’re on and where they stand!
Isaiah 3:9 states:
The expression of their faces bears witness against them, And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.
The culture is so saturated with LGBTQ propaganda let’s just all agree it should be called, ‘Queer all Year.’ It’s hard to keep up with, but there are good sources tracking all the various days celebrated by these sex cults. To give you an idea of how much ground we’ve surrendered as we’ve been busy with our lives, here’s a partial listing with a few terms I had to look up.
- March 21-25 – LGBTQIA+ Health Awareness Week
- April 6 – International Asexuality Day
- April 26 – Lesbian Visibility Day
- April 22 – 29 Lesbian Visibility Week
- May 17th – International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia
- ENTIRE MONTH OF JUNE – PRIDE MONTH
- June 28 – International LGBTQ+ Day
- July 16 – International Drag Day
- September 16-23 Bisexual Awareness Week
- ENTIRE MONTH OF OCTOBER – LGBT HISTORY MONTH
- October 11 – National Coming Out Day
- October 19 – International Pronoun Day
- October 23-29 Asexual Awareness Week
- ENTIRE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – Trans Awareness Month
- November 5 – Trans Parent Day
- November 13-19 – Transgender Awareness Week
I’m sure you get the idea just from this partial listing. This is the Satanic world system propelled by the devil and those he influences. They cannot reproduce so they have to recruit. And truth be told, the demonic left are making more disciples than us.
The church in America has generally failed to understand the war on Christ, His truth, and His church. And if we don’t understand it, how are we supposed to engage? Sadly, too many professing Christians seem to have a cruise ship mentality rather than a battleship view of our role as believers in this world system.
There is so much more I could say but let’s go straight to the Word of God.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, Philippians 2:15
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19
…with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:25-26
Let’s be clear: some people are doing the devil’s will – and others (Christians) are striving to do God’s will!
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4
Let’s look at a few key words and phrases.
This world, means the current mind-set expressed by the ideologies, opinions, agendas, values, and general worldview of the majority.
Blinded the minds of unbelievers – using this world system, Satan blinds and deceives people about God’s truth. This system caters to the darkness and depravity of unbelievers, but our sovereign God is allowing it at this time in history.
Christ, the Image of God means Jesus is of the same substance, the exact representation of God Himself.
Hebrews 1:3 states,
“And He (Jesus) is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
Jesus, the Truth, Creator and the One who sustains all things, is the target. The world hates Him and by default, they hate Bible-believing Christ followers and the true church.
I looked up “worldly,” and according to Websters 1828 Dictionary, it means:
1. Secular; temporal; pertaining to this world or life, in contrast to the life to come; as worldly pleasures; worldly affairs; worldly honor; worldly lusts.
2. Devoted to this life and its enjoyments; bent on gain; as a worldly man; a worldly mind. (Your Best Life Now!)
3. Human; common; belonging to the world; as worldly actions; worldly maxims.
I looked up biblical references to worldly and generally it is anything contrary to sound doctrine meaning it contradicts God’s Word. Worldly, of this present, evil system; doctrines, philosophies, teachings, ideologies.
Colossians 2:8 warns,
“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Notice the language. Worldly philosophy and empty deception can take you captive or prisoner. Elementary principles mean simplistic, or ignorant, far from godly wisdom.
Sounds like an accurate description of this present darkness we call secular culture, post-Christian America, and the world generally. Believers and conservative citizens have been concerned about the decline of biblical morality in America for many decades. And rightly so! But one problem is people don’t understand that the destruction of Christianity throughout our culture has been a demonic, purposeful, communist agenda, and therefore, most people don’t know what to do about it.
Utopian socialists in recent history promise freedom and peace if you buy into their ideology but first, the current social systems would have to be abandoned. This would require overturning the pillars of present civilization including Christianity, God-ordained natural marriage, family, and capitalism.
Speaking of promising freedom, 2 Peter 2:13-14, 19 states,
These [immoral men] …count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime… 14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls; …19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.
Christianity is the obstacle to demonic agendas. To deceive and entice unstable, naive souls, they promise happiness, peace & safety, and a global socialist utopia.
Increasing attacks on Truth, biblical morality, cultural stability, churches, and the Image of God are ramping up. It starts with attacks on life in the form of population control for the sake of the environment or convenience.
Let’s look at some headlines but first go back one hundred years. 1924. John D. Rockefeller Jr. donated $5,000 (a lot of money at that time!) to Margaret Sanger’s American Birth Control League, and a second time a year later as part of a vision to help reduce the population. FAST FORWARD 100 YEARS.
Here’s the next headline (HL): “Planned Parenthood Performed More Abortions Despite Decrease In Patients, Latest Report Shows”
Nearly 393,000 babies murdered last year alone. That total is more than 18,000 higher than the number of abortions committed the previous year, (Abortions are more than 97% of their pregnancy resolution services.)
Abortion is in the top four leading causes of death in the United States, after heart disease, cancer and COVID-19, and Planned Parenthood reported more than $2 billion in revenue in the latest report, and thanks to the generous Biden Democrats, taxpayer funding has increased to almost $700 million – which is nearly $2 million a day.
HL – “Abortions Hit Highest Level in Decade Due to Growing Access to Pill” These are new methods of evil and Democrats ramped up their game after ROE was overturned and with the help of the pill, wickedness has advanced to another level.
HL –“Biden’s Title IX Rewrite Obliterates Female Spaces, Free Speech, Due Process” (read explanation at the Federalist or Riley Gaines quote)
HL – “Why do More Christians Now Support Same-Sex Marriage?”
In 1996, only 27% of Americans thought same-sex “marriage” should be legal – while in 2023, 71% of Americans think same-sex “marriage” should be legal.
THAT’S good marketing! It’s called the marketing of evil. But when it comes to regular churchgoers, 41% have no issues with homosexual behavior. This proves biblical illiteracy and apostasy.
HL – “Staggering Percentage of Gen Z Women Identify as LGBT, Survey Shows”
The explosion of LGBT-identified youth should not come as a surprise! They have saturated our culture. But get this! The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — have also pushed for LGBT ideologies to be promoted as normal. What’s their interest?
The CDC released materials last year urging public school educators and administrators to embrace LGBT causes, all in the name of inclusivity. The self-assessment document is posted on the CDC’s website. It’s called, “LGBTQ Inclusivity in Schools”
It encourages educators to display rainbow flags in classrooms and unisex signs in bathrooms. It also urges teachers to incorporate LGBTQ content in their lessons, use student-preferred pronouns, and attend LGBTQ training. The document also tells teachers to “describe anatomy and physiology separate from gender,” and it goes on…
These ideas and agendas are taking real tolls on families and destroying our culture.
HL – “Record High Share of Americans who say Religion’s Influence is Declining.” Eighty percent think religion is losing influence in this country!)
And that leads to another study:
HL – “Growing Number of Americans feel their Religious Views are at Odds with the Mainstream”
Theologian, John RW Stott once stated:
We should not ask,” what is wrong with the world?” for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, we should ask,” what has happened to the salt and light?”
Where has the church been? The remnant of biblical truth defenders have been grieved by Satan’s cultural influence as well as apostate, lukewarm, seeker-sensitive churches.
Since I wrote a chapter called “Souls Tormented by Evil” in my recent book, I’ve been speaking about the fact that at times, we can feel oppressed or overwhelmed due to the dark and moral decline of America.
2 Peter 2:6-8
“…and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds)…”
How does Peter end his second and final letter to believers? A warning and an admonition. 2 Peter 3:17-18 states,
“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Here’s one more headline that demonstrates the growing intolerance toward true Christianity: “Church Attacks Increase 800% in 6 Years: FRC Report.” Between January 2018 and November 2023, there were at least:
- 709 acts of vandalism
- 135 completed or attempted arsons
- 32 bomb threats
- 22 gun-related incidents
- 61 other incidents (assault, threats, interruption of worship services)
These acts of “religious intimidation” send the message “that churches are not wanted in the community or respected in general. This attitude is growing and is dangerous for those who value religious freedom and the ability to share the gospel.
Society seems to have less tolerance for and in some cases hostility toward Christians for simply believing the basics: there is one true, living God, human beings are created in His image and every human life has value, that God defined and established marriage and family, mankind’s core problem is sin, and our only hope for redemption is by faith in Jesus Christ.
The basic theories of atheism, Marxism, and progressivism today start with human beings evolving as our own creators in charge of our own destiny. The core problem (to them) is religious restrictions, economic structure, private property ownership, and business owners exploiting workers and “enslaving” the oppressed. Their solution is revolution, to overthrow the system by whatever means necessary.
Humanity’s only hope is found in Jesus, and there’s wonderful news for those of us who have already found and trusted in His grace. Ephesians 2:1-2 states:
”And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.“
We used to be of the world, and when he says the “course of this world,” Paul is referring to the world order, i.e., human values and standards apart from God and Christ.
“The prince of the power of the air,” is Satan. In John 12, Jesus mentions the “ruler of the world” meaning the devil who operates the system of darkness. He said, “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” (John 12:31)
Let’s close with one more caution, this time from the Apostle John, and then some encouragement:
1 John 2:15-17 states,
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”
We’re out of here very soon and very soon, so let’s hold on loosely to this world, keep watching, working, and keep looking up!
Finally, 1 John 5:1, 4-5 states,
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him… For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes Jesus is the Son of God?”
Jesus has overcome, truth wins, God will judge this world, and we have the victory in Christ because positionally, we are already citizens of heaven. But we’re still here and have much work to do. Encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ not to grow weary and lose heart in the battle, knowing this life is a vapor, and we have such a blessed hope and Mighty God who will make all things new.
