For the last month or so we've been starting out Sunday night Bible group by telling our life stories. Last night was "Cindy's" turn. (I haven't told mine yet, I'm going last).
Cindy started out by telling where she was born and how many siblings she has, pretty standard stuff. Her family was rather dysfunctional (not uncommon). The turning point in her life came when she was a teenager attended a revival and was scared out of her wits by the evangelist. Well, scared out of her wits isn't how she put it but I can think of no other way to describe what happened next. When she got up to answer the altar call, her father grabbed her and made her sit back down. For the next decade or so, she said, she lived in absolute fear of dying and going to hell because she wasn't saved. Until someone shared the Gospel with her. She said, "I was one of those people Pastor was talking about, that wanted someone to come talk to me about Jesus."
Deep down inside I was appalled. This poor woman suffered needlessly for years because apparently nobody ever told her that she was already "saved"; it's not necessary to get up in front of everyone. Lots of people have said the "sinner's prayer" privately and alone. Does that make them less saved? But apparently it never occurred to her to do so. She went through absolute torment, for nothing. And nobody in the room pointed this out to her. Do they really think, as she obviously does, that God would reject her just because she was prevented from answering the altar call? Something is terribly wrong with this kind of logic--if you can even call it that.
Anyway it was an appropriate introduction to the evening's topic, which was about spiritual warfare and putting on the whole armor of God. We read the passage and the leader asked if there were any questions. I was ready, having done my homework. "How do we know when we are under spiritual attack, since demons are invisible? What kind of things should we look for?"
Well, the leader said, that is a very good question, and he threw it out for discussion. Well, well, demons are not what they used to be. How do you know when you are under demonic attack? When you start feeling negative about yourself, when you start believing bad things about yourself. That's Satan telling lies. No kidding. That was the group consensus.
I am not so sure that John Calvin would agree, nor would the townspeople of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Nor would many African Christians. There is a discussion going on right now on the Rick Ross Cult Information Network forum about people who are being murdered in Africa for the crime of witchcraft. Today. In 2012. By Christians, in the name of Jesus. This type of fundamentalist Christianity is spreading rapidly throughout Africa and is making its way to the more developed world as people migrate. These people take demon possession and witchcraft very seriously. And they are willing to put their beliefs into action, to do what they feel they have to do to protect the rest of the community. What happens when they butt up against the rest of us? They may indeed have a more accurate understanding of what Paul was talking about than those who would soften his words. This idea that Satan attacks primarily through affecting our self-esteem is a fairly recent one. It's not what was taught throughout most of Christian history--and we ignore that fact at our peril.
Because the idea that those who don't believe in Jesus belong to Satan is alive and well. It came up in our discussion without one word of challenge. That's right. Satan doesn't attack us nonbelievers because we already belong to him; it's the Christians he goes after. And they really believe this, too.
Meanwhile they welcome me with open arms, not knowing who or what they welcome.
Cindy started out by telling where she was born and how many siblings she has, pretty standard stuff. Her family was rather dysfunctional (not uncommon). The turning point in her life came when she was a teenager attended a revival and was scared out of her wits by the evangelist. Well, scared out of her wits isn't how she put it but I can think of no other way to describe what happened next. When she got up to answer the altar call, her father grabbed her and made her sit back down. For the next decade or so, she said, she lived in absolute fear of dying and going to hell because she wasn't saved. Until someone shared the Gospel with her. She said, "I was one of those people Pastor was talking about, that wanted someone to come talk to me about Jesus."
Deep down inside I was appalled. This poor woman suffered needlessly for years because apparently nobody ever told her that she was already "saved"; it's not necessary to get up in front of everyone. Lots of people have said the "sinner's prayer" privately and alone. Does that make them less saved? But apparently it never occurred to her to do so. She went through absolute torment, for nothing. And nobody in the room pointed this out to her. Do they really think, as she obviously does, that God would reject her just because she was prevented from answering the altar call? Something is terribly wrong with this kind of logic--if you can even call it that.
Anyway it was an appropriate introduction to the evening's topic, which was about spiritual warfare and putting on the whole armor of God. We read the passage and the leader asked if there were any questions. I was ready, having done my homework. "How do we know when we are under spiritual attack, since demons are invisible? What kind of things should we look for?"
Well, the leader said, that is a very good question, and he threw it out for discussion. Well, well, demons are not what they used to be. How do you know when you are under demonic attack? When you start feeling negative about yourself, when you start believing bad things about yourself. That's Satan telling lies. No kidding. That was the group consensus.
I am not so sure that John Calvin would agree, nor would the townspeople of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Nor would many African Christians. There is a discussion going on right now on the Rick Ross Cult Information Network forum about people who are being murdered in Africa for the crime of witchcraft. Today. In 2012. By Christians, in the name of Jesus. This type of fundamentalist Christianity is spreading rapidly throughout Africa and is making its way to the more developed world as people migrate. These people take demon possession and witchcraft very seriously. And they are willing to put their beliefs into action, to do what they feel they have to do to protect the rest of the community. What happens when they butt up against the rest of us? They may indeed have a more accurate understanding of what Paul was talking about than those who would soften his words. This idea that Satan attacks primarily through affecting our self-esteem is a fairly recent one. It's not what was taught throughout most of Christian history--and we ignore that fact at our peril.
Because the idea that those who don't believe in Jesus belong to Satan is alive and well. It came up in our discussion without one word of challenge. That's right. Satan doesn't attack us nonbelievers because we already belong to him; it's the Christians he goes after. And they really believe this, too.
Meanwhile they welcome me with open arms, not knowing who or what they welcome.
