Chapter 1
A Distinction without a Difference
Fiery trials make golden Christians—Charles Spurgeon
Centuries ago, St. Francis of Assisi said we should witness for Christ a thousand times a day and occasionally use words. His clear message was that we should be different from those around us, and this difference should be recognizable—not because we are religious—but because we are Christ-like.
His admonition was for all of us—not just for a few saintly, otherworldly believers. According to St. Francis, being Christ-like should be our normal Christian experience—not a lofty, unattainable goal reserved for super spiritual people like Mother Teresa or Billy Graham.
Unfortunately, this isn’t what most people’s experience is. Our lives are far too similar to those who have never accepted Christ. In fact, there is very little empirical difference between them and us. They worry; we worry. They try to gain value and meaning by obtaining the approval of others; so do we. Often, we seek approval from the same people, using similar means to achieve it. Non-believers are tormented by past failures; so are people of faith. They can’t escape their feelings of failure; neither can we. We often share the same sense of loneliness and alienation. Surveys from over 10,000 Christians indicate that more than 70 percent struggle from loneliness, precisely like non-believers.
Non-Christians are unforgiving, and so are we, despite our denials to the contrary. When non-Christians awaken each morning, anger, fear, and frustration greet their day—just like most of us who profess to be Christians.
The list could go on and on, but I believe the point has been made. We like to tell others how different we are, especially in our canned three-minute testimonials but, based on the evidence, it simply isn’t true. Despite our protestations that our lives are qualitatively better, we are doing little more than making a distinction without a difference. This is why non-Christians routinely call us hypocrites, which is accurate more often than not. We testify that we are different, while pretentiously insisting we are. For most of us, however, our behavior simply does not match our confident assertions.
The major distinction between non-believers and Christians is we do realize there must be more to life than what we experience. Most non-believers don’t have such expectations. What they encounter is as good as it gets, which most are willing to accept as their lot in life.
For us, it’s different. We know God meant for our lives to be better than what we experience. Knowing this produces discontentment and disappointment at the core of our beings. We know our lives are unfulfilled; we recognize it keenly. This realization adds to our frustration. Obviously, the question we need to ask ourselves is, “Why?” We also want to know, “Can it can get any better?”
When we ask these questions, we ask them as if we live in a vacuum. It’s as if we control our own destinies, which we certainly do not. Only a fool believes he does.
Incredibly, most of us do not detect the Enemy at work disrupting our lives. We simply don’t think about it. More often than not, we are unaware of the attacks we have undergone or are going through. Although we comprehend spiritual warfare theologically, we don’t operate with the realization that we have an Enemy who has been attacking us from the day we were born.
This Enemy has diminished our accomplishments and our capacity to achieve, either directly or through the world system of ideas he has created. His attacks have changed our entire perspective on life, as well as our daily outlook. He has deceived us into embracing many of his lies, distorting our foundational beliefs in the process.
The Enemy has been around thousands of years, during which he has become an expert at deception. God calls him the “Deceiver.” The Enemy is so accomplished at what he does; his work goes unnoticed more often than not. Most of us discount his work completely. Few are aware of the extensive nature of his influence or how much his deception actually impacts their lives.
Yet, at the same time, the Scriptures clearly teach about our need to be aware of our Enemy’s machinations. The Bible says:
- Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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 (Ep 6:11-12 KJV).
- Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pe 5:8 KJV).
- Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (Ja 4:7 KJV).
For all practical purposes, when most Christians read these verses, they skip over them in their minds, barely paying attention. For us—the enlightened Christians of the twenty-first century—these verses don’t seem relevant. We’re rational thinkers, and such verses seem archaic—something for an earlier, more mystical generation.
From our modern perspective, it’s difficult enough to have Christ consciousness, let alone make the effort to consider being aware of any satanic influence. We prefer to focus on the tangible, emotional, and rational sides of life—that which we can see, touch and feel—rather than anything with an otherworldly, spiritual dimension. To adopt another perspective seems weird and a little crazy. That’s how most Christians view it.
If you think about it, isn’t this your perspective? Most of us operate from this rational framework. To do otherwise rarely enters our minds. If you are willing to accept this as an accurate description of this generation’s worldview, let me ask you some additional questions:
- Is discounting these verses something you do?
- If so, have you ever asked yourself why you do so?
- Does it make sense that these verses arouse so little concern?
- Is passing over them, both mentally and emotionally, wise?
- Is dismissing them, as having little practical application, doctrinally sound?
Hopefully, these questions will make you pause to think about the spiritual dimension of life.
Here is the reason most of us are dismissive of these verses: we prefer to be comforted by the vague notion that God’s children are exempt from satanic influence. We believe this, despite the fact these verses are specifically targeted for believers like us. We also reason that if Satan was a problem for Christians, surely our spiritual leaders would express concern about him, addressing spiritual warfare in sermons routinely. Because that doesn’t happen, we remain in a perpetual state of spiritual obtuseness, which we believe is healthy, balanced, and biblically sound, but it isn’t.
There is an additional reason that causes most of us a real problem. Because the people who are concerned about satanic spirits are occasionally emotionally unstable, we tend to “throw the baby out with the bath water.” We don’t want to be like these zealots or, more accurately, we refuse to be like them. Such people are consumed with—“Satan this” and “Satan that”—which makes us believe they are a little out of touch. Because their mysticism seems weird and uncomfortable, we distance ourselves from them and their bizarre ways. We definitely don’t want anybody to think we are like “one of those lunatics.” That seems worse than accepting what the Scriptures clearly teach as true. Hence, we dismiss this entire concept as being unstable, never considering how big a mistake that might be. As a result, our mindset has become distorted.
Based on deceptions we have accepted as true, we have formed heartfelt beliefs, which have become operational convictions. These convictions influence our actions and decisions, which are based on significant distortions of the Word of God. The effects of these deceptions can be seen more easily in some lives than in others.
Nonetheless, each of us carries the mark of the Great Deceiver and his allies, the deceiving spirits. In your life:
- Would it be fair to say you have marginal Christ consciousness, while giving almost no thought to Satan and his deceiving spirits?
- Have you ever thought this could be a large part of what makes your life unfulfilled?
- Does being challenged by these questions cause disquietude in you?
- For most of us, being this spiritually minded makes us feel uncomfortable. Have you ever considered this might be one of the reasons your life is so similar to your non-Christian friends?
While this assessment is accurate for most of us, The Search for Reality is not a book about spiritual warfare in the typical sense. The purpose of this book is to alert you to the deceptions that influence your life—deceptions that rob you of your happiness, joy, and peace—all of which God intends for you to enjoy in abundance.
Three decades ago, I wrote my first book, The Search for Significance. Its purpose was to show how we have accepted a false basis for determining our identity. Since its publication, God has used The Search for Significance in the lives of more than three million people, helping them destroy critical deceptions in their thinking. The book also shows believers how to replace self-destructive thinking with truth from the Word of God. Because people still have problems with embracing a false identity, The Search for Significance continues to be effective and remains in high demand.
If you give The Search for Reality a fair hearing, you’ll benefit from it as well. It will free you to renew your mind to think the way God thinks, which is His goal for you. This can happen, and it will, if you will allow it.
Before proceeding, there are some things you need to realize. Like God, Satan has a specific goal for your life. Many years ago, as a college student, I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ. That ministry has a booklet explaining the gospel entitled, The Four Spiritual Laws. This booklet states, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”
There is an alternative plan that goes something like this. “Satan and his deceiving spirits hate you. They have been deceiving you since your birth, and it’s their purpose to keep you from becoming the person God intends for you to be.”
The initial satanic goal was to keep you from accepting Christ. Having failed at his first task, his alternate intention is to make your life as miserable as possible. Demons know how to accomplish their task, and they will, if you permit them to do so. Believe it or not, most Christians do. These demonic spirits deceive us into believing the life we are now living is as good as it gets.
Most of us are very unfulfilled. We talk about having a life full of joy and contentment, but most of us just go through the motions, day after day, never achieving our goal. Our lives aren’t bad, but they are “the good that is the enemy of the best.”
We hope for something better, but we have no idea about how to obtain it. We want to be more like Christ, but we are clueless about how to get from where we are to where we want to be. As far as capturing every thought and making it obedient to Christ, this concept is so far from our reality that it might as well be Albert Einstein talking about nuclear fission. In fact, that’s all it is—a concept. For nearly all Christians, it has little basis in reality.
We believe such an idea is beyond our capacity to achieve. Being a Christian is one thing, but actually thinking like Christ is another. Because it is beyond our grasp, we pass over the idea—and the relevant Scriptural passages—as if they have no application. We want to change and be better than we are, but rarely do we experience any meaningful results from our good intentions. All we seem to be capable of achieving is one baby step after another. We change a little here and a little there, but we never make the progress that is clearly stated in the New Testament as being the norm.
Thinking about your own life, has this been your experience? Does the truth of what you are reading sting you? If you are being as honest with yourself as you need to be, you’ll admit this is exactly how you feel and precisely what you believe. This means Satan’s plan for your life is working as well as God’s plan, which is a conclusion most Christians have difficulty accepting.
In Satan’s earlier existence, he was in the presence of God. He was beautiful, brilliant, and powerful. His role was to reflect God’s glory, but Satan was not a mechanical robot. He had the ability to choose, and he exercised his choice by rebelling against God. Satan’s goal was to arrogate authority to himself, rather than be content with the authority God had bestowed upon him. In the Bible, Satan’s attitude was, “And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God,” (Is 14:13 ASV).
When Satan did this, he was thrown out of Heaven, along with the angels who joined in his rebellion. From that point forward, he and the fallen angels—one third of the heavenly host—have been irretrievably lost. “And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in Heaven,” (Re 12:7-8 ASV).
Satan and his rebellious cohorts, including some very powerful principalities and ruling angels, were forever alienated from God. There is no provision for Satan and the other evil spirits to find redemption. Consequently, they have no purpose other than to express their wickedness before being dispatched to Hell—the place created for their final destination. It is also important to note that God did not dispatch Satan and his demons. Instead, He relied on His loyal angels. Now, it’s our turn, as God calls upon us to carry out the victory Christ has already won.
We do not know why God allowed the Devil to be part of His interaction with human beings, but it is apparent Satan’s goal has been to entice Mankind into rebellion. Knowing they have been damned, Satan and the other evil spirits desire as many men and women as possible to join them in their alienation.
Prior to Satan’s initial rebellion, it’s important to understand what his attitude was—the mindset that led him into rebellion. By considering this, perhaps you will recognize areas where you have identified with Satan’s thinking.
If you do, it will be an essential insight, helping you immeasurably in your Christian growth. For each of us, recognizing how similar our thinking has paralleled Satan’s is necessary to renew our minds.
Perhaps this is something you prefer not to consider, but it’s important to reach beyond your comfort zone. It’s how to become unstuck in your mediocrity. It’s how to obtain fulfillment and enjoy the abundant life God desires. It’s how to become who you were created to be.
Although, we don’t like to think we would ever respond to Satan affirmatively, if we were being honest with ourselves, we would have to admit we possess some of Satan’s attitudinal characteristics, which served as the basis for his rebellion:
- Satan Was Discontent: He did not recognize or value what God had done for him. Instead, Satan was fixated on what he wanted to achieve. Most of us share Satan’s attitude. At times, life can be very unpleasant. The only way you can keep from murmuring against God is by maintaining a contemplative attitude about all He has done for you. You must be consistently mindful and grateful that He sought you out and invited you to be a child of His. No matter what the condition of your life might be, nothing should ever be powerful enough to outweigh your thankfulness for His salvation.
- Satan Focused on Himself: Often, we respond to pain, misfortune, and being emotionally wounded with an attitude of self-pity. In times like these, we think, “It’s all about me,” and become completely self-absorbed and self-serving. We may not wish ill upon others, but all that really matters is our own situation, regardless of what that might be. When hard times come, like Satan, we concentrate on ourselves to the exclusion of almost everything else, and it costs us—just as it did him.
- Satan Believed He Deserved More: The Scriptures state that Satan wanted to place his throne above all the stars in Heaven, referring to other angels. He wanted to be like God. Incidentally, “like” is the same word God used to describe making Man in His image. Reflecting on his self-importance, Satan concluded that being the most powerful angel was not enough. He wanted all the angels to serve him. Do you ever wonder how long he contemplated being rebellious before he acted upon it? If you think about your life, do you see any parallels with Satan’s thinking? The longer we think about what we “should have,” the more likely it becomes that we will act in a way to obtain it—even if it is means rebelling against God.
- Satan Believed God Was Not Fair. Prior to choosing his own path, Satan convinced himself God was unfair. Once he convinced himself of this, what followed became inevitable. We do the same thing all the time. At one time or another, most Christians become resentful because of some perceived unfairness, originating with God. The longer you think God is unfair, the more you are embracing the thoughts of Satan, which should be a sobering thought for you.
- Satan Refused to Accept God’s Authority. How often do you operate on the theory that it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission? In spiritual matters, most of us do this routinely. It’s an indicator we are harboring rebelliousness in our hearts—just like Satan did. It means there are areas in our lives we refuse to submit to God’s authority.
When Satan is influencing us, which he does when we have a rebellious mindset, we harbor many of the attitudes listed above. A friend recently told me, “I have been waiting for the Lord to come through for so long, I can’t stand it. I know He wants me to be patient, and I am, but it just doesn’t seem fair. Everybody else is being blessed all the time, but not me. I just don’t get it. Why me? Why have I been singled out to experience suffering?”
As I listened, I couldn’t help but think that was exactly how Satan must have felt before he rebelled against God. Offering instant gratification and fulfillment was what Satan tempted Christ with in the wilderness, wasn’t it? Satan didn’t understand the mind of Christ, which isn’t surprising. What is surprising is that most of us miss Christ’s thinking in precisely the same way.
After reading this, you may feel concerned about your own state of mind. If you do, that’s exactly where you should be and how you should be thinking. It’s a perfect place to proceed. Before any progress can be achieved, however, each of us must make a commitment to be rigorously honest about the exact state of our minds and hearts. Without such honesty, no progress can be achieved. By being scrupulously honest and admitting the truth about ourselves, much can be gained.
We began this chapter by stating there isn’t much difference between Christians and non-Christians. Empirically, we think and behave exactly the same way. With this in mind:
- After reading about Satan’s plan for your life, as opposed to God’s plan, do you understand why you behave similarly to non-believers?
- After reading about Satan’s attitudes before he rebelled against God, do you recognize parallels with your own attitude about life?
- Now that you’ve read this, do you want to understand spiritual warfare more thoroughly?
If you do, then you are ready to proceed further with The Search for Reality.
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