I, more than ever before, am one that thinks believers do not understand the nature of the devil or his schemes. Satan is downplayed too often as the mischievous arch enemy of God, whose functional relationship is similar to Loki and Thor; rather than the biblical version that scripture presents of Satan being a liar, out to kill, steal, and destroy. Many believers have forgotten that “testing the Spirits” is a biblical command not a recreational option. By failing to do so we find ourselves in a very difficult cultural moment. This article intends to expose the main scheme the Devil is using on everyone, especially Christians. There are three guides that will assist in this expose’. The first is a quote(s) by Amy Chua, Yale Law professor and author of a few books, most notably, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.” The second guide will be an excerpt from a 1950’s sermon by Presbyterian minister Donald Grey Barnhouse. The third will be four verses from second Corinthians eleven. Satan is truly deceiving us.
Amy Chua’s Epistemology
Until recently I was unfamiliar with Amy Chua. I vaguely remember hearing about her book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.” I wasn’t drawn to it for obvious reasons. Gangsta’s don’t read about books about motherhood. What I am drawn to is good thinking and Amy has plenty of that. In a recent interview on Youtube, Amy and the interviewer, Coleman Hughes, were talking about Political Tribalism. The topic was the substance of Amy Chua’s latest book, “Political Tribes,” in which she explains how political tribalism, or a more familiar term “Identity Politics,” is now the main conceptual framework for most people. Here is an excerpt of tribalism’s origin that she shared with Coleman Hughes and in a column she wrote for The Guardian:
"With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the anti-capitalist economic preoccupations of the old Left began to take a backseat to a new way of understanding oppression: the politics of redistribution was replaced by a “politics of recognition”. Modern identity politics was born." "As Oberlin professor Sonia Kruks writes, “What makes identity politics a significant departure from earlier [movements] is its demand for recognition on the basis of the very grounds on which recognition has previously been denied... The demand is not for inclusion within the fold of ‘universal humankind’ ... nor is it for respect ‘in spite of’ one’s differences. Rather, what is demanded is respect for oneself as different.”
This peaked my interest to say the least. Quite possibly because I have shared identical insights but with different linguistic expressions. I resonate with her conclusion albeit her data points are different than mine. The above quote led me to a youtube search of her work and I stumbled across another interview with JD Vance, author of the fantastic book, “Hilbilly Elegy.” In the inertview JD and Amy were talking about her book Poltical Tribalism, and her claim that the United States doesn’t seem to understand the tribal diversity in other nations. This is the reason, according to her, that American foreign policy, which is to establish democracy in developing countries, doesn’t often work. JD asks, “Why are we so blind to the fact that all over the world ethnic identity, racial identity, religious identity matters more then national identity, as the United States and its people often conceive of? Why does it matter more than we often give credit to? “
Here are two of the three response Amy gave. “So, there are three simple reasons that we tend to be very blind to these more primal identities. The first is that democracy has worked very smoothly in this country for a very specific reason. America for most of its 200 year history was dominated, overwhelmingly economically, politically, militarily, and culturally, by a white majority. Obviously with white being a moving target, you know not all groups are considered white, but basically whites have dominated this country. So then what happens is democracy is very stable, from a political point of view. There are plenty of of tribes and voices in smaller groups but they’re all oppressed. So free market democracy, in a situation where you have one group that is overwhelmingly dominant economically and politically is very stable. So you know we felt like there’s now a lot of people like, “why is there so much tribalism, right now, and all of this dissent?” But there’s always been tribalism. There’s always been these groups. It’s just their voices were suppressed before and they didn’t have a voice. Two, is what I already said, we have had a very successful history of assimilation, so our blindness is also rooted in some of our deepest best values.” She concludes by saying, ”democracy is not ethnically neutral and markets are not ethically neutral. The principles may be, but they disproportionately benefit different groups.”
To my knowledge Amy Chua is not a social justice warrior or a Democrat. She is a conservative. More than that, she is trying to frame the coversation about tribalism truthfully, not tribally, or as weve come to understand it, standpinot epistemoligically. Her point is that democracy works in America because it has largely been the determined destiny of white people; And blacks and other people of color have assimilated into a national identiy as Americans more than an ethnic identity. Where other nations do not care about a national identity as much as an ethnic one. That is the beauty of America. People come here to be Americans, not white, black, or any other ethnicity. This is true but only to an extent. For to be truly American, historically at least, one had to be a certain kind of white. That is for a different post. Amy Chua’s observation is bi-partisan. She has concerns for both sides of the political tribe. Her instincts are accurate but not deep enough. Amy insightfully acknowleges that because of past (some would say present too) oppression, voices from distinct groups are now expressing themselves as never before; or at the very least the expressions are being accepted where they weren’t historically. This is a shift in the cultural ethos, and while tribalism is still a force to be reckoned with, an underlying premise exists that is deeper than political tribalism, but hinges on the outcome the tribes hope to have. Recognition and Equity.
The push for what America should be idealistically, for many, is called equity. This usually refers to equal economic outcomes for everyone. However, in most of the other areas of life equal outcomes would not work. Can you imagine the NCAA tournament if everyone won the championship? What would the first few weeks on American Idol be like if everyone made it through? With equity there would be no reason for competition. There would be no striving to be better etc. These arguments fall in line with the concerns people have for socialism. I agree with those concerns. But I do not agree that most people are after equal economic outcomes. Amy Chua’s research uncovered that many Americans don’t have a problem with Capitalism. To restate an excerpt from above’ “The demand is not for inclusion within the fold of ‘universal humankind’ ... nor is it for respect ‘in spite of’ one’s differences. Rather, what is demanded is respect for oneself as different.” People don’t want inclusion they want recognition. The equity they are after is surprisingly more attainable than equal financial outcomes. Even under socialism there will always be some difference of outcome. That may be some people’s goal but it’s definitely not Satan’s. He’s got a better plan. Equity is his goal but not the way most people think.
Donald Grey Barnhouse’s Epistemology
In the 1950’s Presbyterian pastor Donald Barnhouse gave an illustration of what a society designed by Satan would be like. In his sermon he makes an insightful claim in the vein of C.S. Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters.” Barnhouse’s illustration is brilliantly prophetic:
“If Satan took over Philadelphia, all of the bars would be closed, pornography banished, and pristine streets would be filled with tidy pedestrians who smiled at each other. There would be no swearing. The children would say, “Yes, sir” and “No, ma’am,” and the churches would be full every Sunday … where Christ is not preached.”
What makes this illustration brilliant is that it is the opposite of how most people think of Satan. We gravitate towards a dystopian future devastated by nuclear war, senseless killing, rape, torture, and all kinds of abuse. This is what we think would happen if Satan were to ever be in control. We don’t think of morality. We imagine as much immorality as we can stomach; which was somewhat of a reality at the time Donald Barnhouse preached that sermon. Jim Crow was prevalent. Communism and the Red Scare added to the tension within America. The Holocaust was just a few years prior. There was no need to imagine a society that Satan would approve of. In some senses it was already happening by the evils of racism alone. A moral society seems antithetical to what common perceptions of the Devil are. The illustration is brilliant in this way.
The other reason why it’s brilliant is that it describes the American Dream. Absent the picket fence, the dog, and 2.3 kids, the description is what most people want their society to be like. Barnhouse is giving a description of the application of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In a nutshell, he’s describing a society where equity and equality are the norm. In the 1950’s, that may have been possible in some neighborhoods; but that could only exist with the willful ignorance of the surrounding culture of the day. Donald Barnhouse’s illustration of America is satanic; and that’s another reason why the illustration is brilliant, it’s moral Satanism.
The reason the illustration is prophetic is because it is happening as we speak. The application is slightly different though. There has been a lot of dialogue about the viability of economic equity. This means making sure people have not just equal opportunities but equal financial outcomes. This is just short of impossible for a number of reasons I won’t get into because that’s not the point of this post. There are some, however, who think equity could easily be done through various forms of wealth redistribution. But there is no real movement in that direction, at least not that I see. I don’t believe that most people think financial equity is doable, even if it seems like it would be beneficial. I do think people want people to have some sense of fairness in light of a history of extreme injustice. The fairness is not financial though. There is a different equity that America is slowly moving toward.
“Identity Equity” is an attempt, by many in our society, to try to accomplish the American Dream for as many as possible. There is no society in theworld that has equal financial outcomes for everyone. Deep down inside we all know that’s not going to happen, and many people, for a variety of reasons, feel guilty about it. This is true especially among those who are “privileged.” Those with more means are the ones calling for equity more than those who have not. There is a degree of guilt accompanied by a sincere but misguided attempt to right past economic wrongs; And yet the progress is slow. A better way to make up for it is to give equity to people’s identity. This entails affirming, cheering on, standing up for, and defending the psychological identity that those who are less fortunate economically have created for themselves. It is the road to recognition. The end of discrimination and the rise of anti-racism. From the cheap seats these are amazing developments in society. The sensitivity to offending other people is a welcome shift, even if my twitter feed shows that the vaccine of no dsicrinimantion hasn’t been taken by many just yet. I applaud racial sensitivity and hope that there is discernible progress in and out of the church.
This equity of identity pursuit is also causing challenges. An attack on discrimination misses a foundational reality for humanity. Discrimination is almost as necessary as breathing. Just about every decision we make is a form of discrimination. Oxford English Dictionary has three definitions for discrimination.
The first description listed above is evil and has been one of the main storylines of the Impediment of the American Dream for blacks and other non white ethnicities. Amy Chua, above, vividly describes the reality that oppression and its consequences are as American as American pie. This discrimination is what people should be going after. Sadly it is still the source of much conflict, especially in the church, among those who profess that Jesus has torn down the wall of Hostility. This discrimination is easily identifiable as satanic. But that is not the only definition of discrimination.
In the second definition we see something more fundamental. Discrimination has to do with making choices. It’s distinguishing between moral rights and wrongs, preferences, desires, safety issues, restaurants, what gas station to go to, etc. This discrimination is fundamental to being a human. In fact, Jesus instructs us to be wise as serpents, which means we will have to use discernmen and discriminate. Discrimination is about decision making but sadly this aspect of discrimination is forgotten. People are largely acting as if discrimination only has one definition.
This is problematic. But more than that it’s strategic. By focusing on only one definition of discrimination it appears as if the sole focus is on treating people fairly. It gives the impression that everyone is or should be on the same page of a commitment to affirming the identity most people have of themselves. To do otherwise is discrimination. This ideology is what gave birth to “Identity Equity;” an equal outcome of emotional and intellectual support for who you think you are. Notice that we’re not affirming people’s financial status’. We’re affirming people’s psychological status’. We are respecting or supposed to be respecting what everyone thinks of themselves or else. By everyone, I used to mean those who have experienced the most challenges (often economically but not only) in our society. But the oppreseed as we’ve come to think of oppression has changed. In this day and age everyone feels oppressed; from Christians to white males, to transgender folks to conservative & liberals. Viva la Oppression!
Make no mistake this is not a right or left thing. As a country, we have shifted to psychological identity distinctions. What Amy Chua calls Political Tribalism is less about politics and more about individual identity recognition. Some of that just so happens to feed into a larger group with a shared psychological identity. Gay, Trans, White Nationalist, Christian Nationalist, Social justice advocate, non-gender non-binary, Bi-polar, Latinx, and immigrant, are among the many identities that people want recognized. This is not merely political. We are upstaging any psychological advantage that people have in hopes to level the playing field; and the looming guilt for everyone not having equal financial outcomes makes this reality much bigger than “white guilt,” an arrogant assessment that paints white people, particularly on the conservative right, as the only ones pressured to think and feel a particular way. No. This is deeper than both the left and right can even imagine. We are striving to be more approving as a society.
On one level this is a good thing, but more often than not it is disrupting society as we knew it. Reason being is that you can’t affirm people’s identities unless you approve of people’s view of themselves. This is like making you love food that you hate because we need to approve of the person who made it. You can’t make up for what people don’t have economically by giving it to them psychologically. This is the Psychological American Dream, and it’s a nightmare. It doesn’t look like a nightmare though. At face value, it looks like people are becoming more tolerant, accepting, and loving. This is what Jesus called us to do and it looks like the world is doing a better job than the church. Sure there’s vitriol from the outliers in society who are on the wrong side of history but the truly committed will get it. “Everyone else will eventually catch up or be canceled.” This is the logic of “Identity Equity.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for going after racism and discrimination. But not all discrimination is racist. And the way that people are going about it is satanic. How so? Donald Barnhouse’s quote above described it as “Christ is not preached.”
God’s Epistemology
2 Corinthians 11:12-15
[12] But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about. [13] For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. [14] And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. [15] So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.
Have you ever wondered why there’s so many religions? I went to India in ‘04 & ‘06. At that time there were estimates that India had 3.3 million God’s that people worship, and that was just India. There is so much religion in the world. There are “god’s” that people worship instinctively, and it is fascinating to think that billions of people who have never heard of Christ somehow belive in a god(s) that they must try to appease. The “eternity that God has placed in their hearts,” helps them know there is a being(s) that has given them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There are millions of religions that, if you’re a Chrisitian, you have to believe are demonic. I would venture to say that there are far more religious people on the planet then there are atheists. With Satan being given the authority to wreak havoc on earth, why are there so many religions instead of the dystopian third world destruction we would expect from the Enemy? The reason is that Satan has no problem with morality. He has a problem with Christ motivated morality.
Look again at the verse above. Verses 14 & 15 give away his greatest scheme. He disguises himself as an angel of light. He pretends to be about righteousness and goodness. He pretends to promote the fruits of the Spirit. But who does he pretend to? Us! He’s not pretending to other demons; he’s pretending to be a beacon of hope to humanity. His aim is not dystopian. His aim is that people do good things without Christ and his glory. Satan’s light distrascts from the light of Christ because his light looks similar from the outside. It looks like approval. It can look like anti-racism. It can look like convincing people there is no real racism and they just need to be loving the best way they know how. It can look like fighting discrimination while simultaneously discriminatiing against others who disagree with some of the approval that’s being demanded. It can look like passing laws that legislate morality where the goverment is the ultimate herneneutics and homiletics professor. It can look like so many “good” things. But the goal is to get there without being motivated by God’s glory. What Satan wants is for people to see that they can be more loving and accepting without Jesus; so that it makes the preaching of the message of Jesus irrelevant. Why submit to the prince of peace when we can attain it on our own? This is where believers are being decieved the most.
In Genesis 6 we learn something important about humanity. Genesis 6:5 “When the LORD saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time..” Humanity at its core has an inclination to do evil. This is speaking to the motives and desires of the heart. Most of us believe this as part of our anthropologcal framework but we often forget that Christ, to obey God perfectly, had to have his motives/desires perfect as well not just his actions. Jesus makes this clear to the discioples in John 4. “John 4:34 My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work," Jesus told them. In John he says, “John 5:30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” Jesus’ notive was also perfect not just his actions. Jesus had to redeem our motives. The works by themselves are not enough. Our motive to obey God is important to him. “1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God,” Paul instructs us to remember. Glorifying God is the motive that creates obedience. An affirming society, though well meaning, can only accomplish: The kingdom without the King, Reconciliation without the cross, Obedience witout reliance, help without true hope. We can appreciate some of the strides society is making on being sensitive to racism and the plight of the poor in society. Along with that we must also remember 2 Corinthians 11:15. “So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.” There are servants of Satan among us. They appear as servants of righteousness but they are not righteous. So how do we spot them?
Those “servants” who profess to be believers, look closely for fruits of the Spirit towards other believers. In particular love for the bretheren. Love has become the laughing stock among many of the “TheoBros” of our day. They mock it as a sign of submission to the left and the acceptance of a “leftist agenda”. They think true love is to contending for the faith. But sadly many of them are contentious for the faith. They treat love as something Jesus would rather have them scarcifice for a tough flipping over tables, for god’s glory, kind of Christian. Spoiler alert! Jesus never told us to flip over tables. In fact, scripture doesn’t call us to see unbelievers as suppressors of the truth. This kind of mentality puts us at war with people whom Jesus said we are to love as we love ourselves. It’s not faithfullness, it’s Satanic morality. John gives some insight in his first epislte. “1 John 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” A lot of these platform epistemologians better be careful. The love they mock as weak is the evidence of their genuine conversion. Lastly, watch those who twist scripture to affirm what God does not want us to affrim.
Those “servants” who do not profess to be believers will demand that love be seen as approval without discrimination. As believers we want to applaud what is realistic but not approve of things that we cannot realistically accept. To do so is satanic morality. It may appear that society is improving on itself but we can’t be led to be so accepting of it that we forget that good works have to be attached to the perfect motive of Jesus. The culture is trying to return to Babel where everyone has one mind and one voice, but Jesus didn’t come to bring peace he came to bring to a sword, and there will be times that we need to be Zorro. We want to support policies that make things better remembering that policy is not mission. Government is not Matthew 28. A better society is not our goal. Satan wants a better society. We want society to have a better eternity. The push for identity equity is the push for a better society. But it is a society without Jesus. We have to learn how to appreciate but not assimilate. We have to be graeftul but also mindful. This scheme of the devil is doing it’s job effectively, trying to take the sociological and economical deficiency’s that people have and assuage them psychologically. It is trying to give people equity in their psychological identity that will, in some senses, create the euphoria of the American Dream; which they may never be able to attain in finances and economic status; yet they are making progress in their psychological identification. This American Dream wil be a nightmare for all of us. In this sense we all need to be woke.
You Can’t Handle This Truth! But thanks for reading and sharing it anyway.
My next article will return to the Tryth (truth & myth) of Systemic racism part 4
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