The Reality Of Evil In Post Christian America: Be Spiritually Armed"

In Jesus Holy Name August 26, 2012

Text: Ephesians 6:10-17 Redeemer

“The Reality of Evil In Post Christian America”

The Need to Be Spiritually Armed

Today, we understand the physics of an expanding universe and the mysterious behavior of quarks. We know how to create vaccines and custom genes. We can replace body parts and build space robots that send photos back from Mars. Our knowledge of life and the universe continues to grow dramatically in every field imaginable. Except one.

We don’t understand evil…what it is how it works, and why it so routinely and effortlessly ruins our lives. Despite the human race’s extraordinary capacity for invention and progress, we clearly have a millennia old blind spot in the area of the reality of evil.

Consider: While living in an age of exponential growth in knowledge 20 to 30 million Americans currently take powerful, mood altering psychiatric drugs to deal with depression, bipolar disorder, and a slew of other “mental health” problems, despite the troubling link between drugs and extreme violent behavior. Our relationships are falling apart.

We can’t seem to stay married; divorce and family breakdown are still rampant. We are not even sure what we believe any more. Americans are forsaking their traditional faiths of Christianity and Judaism in favor of witchcraft and other pagan or New Age practices ….which makes Satan very happy.

During an interview with Larry King Neale Donald Walsch the bestselling author of “Conversations with God”, a New Age guru who has sold over 7 million books states: “There is no judgment in what you call the afterlife…there is no accounting…..only humans are judgmental….” When Walsch talks about sin he states: “This alleged state of imperfection in which you are said to come into this world is what your religionist have the gall to call original sin…. There are whole misconceptions and theologies built around this word.” Regarding sex…. Neale Donald Walsch sounds like Helen Gurley Brown…. “Of course sex is “okay”. Play with sex. Play with it. It’s wonderful fun… Sex is sacred, too. Both joy and sacredness do mix…..

By golly, I think I’m beginning to understand why millions of people love Neale Donald Walsch and his “God”. There is no sexual immorality, no sin to run afoul of, no devil, no judgment, no hell. Everyone goes to heaven.

Today’s young people have been immersed for years in Harry Potter books and movies, featuring beautiful, heroic young wizards and witches zooming about on broom sticks and waving their magic wans. When I think of witches I remember a witch that was frightfully ugly, work a black robe and hood, had a hooked nose with a big wart and was obsessed with killing Snow White. Most “witches” today at least in the Western world are followers of the Wiccan religion.

Listen to how the U.S. Army chaplain’s manual describes Wicca.

“Wiccans worship the sacred as immanent in Nature, often personified as Mother Earth and Father Sky. As polytheists, they use many other names for Deity. Individuals can choose Goddesses or Gods from any of the world’s pantheons… Wiccans do not in any way worship or believe in “Satan,” “the Devil” …they point out that “Satan” is a symbol of rebellion against Christian and Jewish traditions. The Bible is just one book of many in the world’s mythic systems… Wiccan covens worship in the nude as a sign of attunement with Nature. Some Wiccan groups practice magic…they dance, chant, and have creative visualizations to focus and direct psychic energy for the purpose of healing, protecting and aiding members in various endeavors.”

Goddess worshipers worship “creation”… Mother Earth, with her flowers, trees, mountains, clouds, rocks and rivers because they’re in rebellion against the Creator Father. They are totally identified with Mom because they have a problem with Heavenly Dad, the biblical, Judeo-Christian God of the Bible who seems too judgmental, to stern and out of touch.

The Apostle Paul already warned 1st century Christians as he warns us in chapter 4…”no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” And yet people are choosing to be tossed back and forth!

Here is the reality. (David Kupelian in his book “How Evil Works” writes:) “The Creator of the Universe has created every human being in “His Image” and for his purpose. Embedded in our DNA is the desire to “know” God and His will for our lives. His truth was revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. If for any reason we are not ready or willing to submit to God, who annihilates our selfish pride, our desire to be our own “god”, then by default we find ourselves attracted to “false gods”.