Hey what's up people. First let me start by saying that Baron Davis is a baller.
Ok now that we have that out of the way...last night they showed the first DVD of the Truth Project at Metro Life (my church) and it was sweet. I'd already seen it, but it was wonderful to be hear, yet again, about the importance of truth. One of the things that is stressed is the idea of what the Truth Project calls the "cosmic battle" the great fight between Truth and Lies, and everything that that entails.
After the 45 minute presentation, we broke down into small groups, and one of the guys in my small group said something very profound. Joey asked the question, "do we live our lives as if we're actually in a 'cosmic battle.'" At the risk of misrepresenting what he said, the man said something to the degree of, "In America, with all our blessings and comforts, it's hard to imagine ourselves in any sort of spiritual battle, or even a cosmic battle. It's hard to pray 'give us our daily bread' when there's a roast in the oven. In some third world countries, when they say 'give us our daily bread' it's b/c they need something to eat! That might be why it's so much easier to see themselves in a battle."
It reminded me of a part of Randy Alcorn's book Safely Home where Ben asks "why aren't there demons in America?" and Li answers "There are. In America demons have much nicer voices."
My question is a weird one: do you guys think there's more demons/spiritual warfare in Third World countries, or do you think in America we're simply blinded by our comforts/blessings/entertainment?
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9 comments:
Good question.
There is spiritual warfare everywhere. It is just manifested in different ways.
In third world countries, you see a lot of different manifestations. Like when I was in Bolivia, there were more superstitious religions, whereas in America, we are a "Christian" nation. So when I went to Bolivia, I was unprepared for actual manifestations of the demonic. You rarely see that here. Their culture itself is filled with superstition, but not here. That is sometimes how they even survive in their poverty. We don't have to worry about that here.
I think Mr. Alcorn it right. There is just as much of a demonic presence here (now, don't read into that statement. I'm not one of those people who looks for demons behind every bush.) Their voices are just more disguised.
I think it's easier to "see" demonic activity in nations where the enemy doesn't have to hide himself. Everyone knows he exists. Certainly our greatest enemy is our own sinful hearts, but the devil is still alive and well, "seeking whom he can devour." In other countries, idolatry is often expressed in actual demon worship or literal worship of carved images. Here, our idolatry is much more "sophisticated." We idolize sports and on screen stars, wealth, entertainment, ease, reputation. The same enemy that uses the idolatrous cravings of sinful hearts in the jungles of Africa to invents gods to protect and provide for them uses our cravings for worldliness and entertainment to attempt to seduce our hearts from things godly and holy. Same devil; different but equally serious seductions.
I think it's an important question and I’ve been pondering it for several days. I realized pretty quick that since my travels into third world countries is so limited so as to be basically non-existent, I can't really think in terms of a comparison. I hear plenty of stories but it is my nature to be suspicious, keeping 1 Thes 5:19 in mind of course.
That said, I think that the anonymous commenter said pretty much what I think. I'm not sure what he meant by the enemy having to hide himself, but I think I understand everything else he said, and it sounds pretty close to what I was thinking.
I'd like to unpack two of his points though sense you asked:
One-when I think of the attributes of God, i.e. provider, and protector, I can see in this country where much of those words now seem to point to the Federal Government. I'm often amazed at what many people think the Feds are capable of. Look at Katrina; here you have a class 5 hurricane that hits a major city which also happens to be below sea level, and people couldn't believe it when there were folks that had to spend more than a day on the their roof. And that's a small example compared to the Government being able to change the temperature of the planet. These are attributes that are normally associated with God. So perhaps that's one way we corporately as a nation are being idolatrous.
Two-It was about ten years ago that I almost completely stopped watching TV. Since then I've actually reduced viewing even further to the point that I can honestly say that I probably watch less than one hour of TV programming a month if that much. I believe that this has had a profound impact on both, my relationship with Jesus, and the way I see the world. I'm actually still learning more about that impact. That said, I think that TV’s desensitizing effect has wrought major damage on the western Christian's ability to discern the demonic. When I speak of the demonic, I'm not here speaking in terms of a manifestation as in a possession, but rather the level of evil and disobedience that permeates all western culture, where God is almost continuously mocked and impugned with almost no discernable reaction from "the church". For example, how can someone go to an incredible prayer meeting and seek the face of God for a whole hour or so, crying out to him, then go home and turn on the TV, and not be heart-broken and repulsed to the point of turning it off? I don’t know the answer to that question but I think it reveals a problem with western Christianity if in fact they both are happening. This, I think, also is a form of idolatry as anonymous pointed out.
When it comes to idolatry there is a reoccurring theme throughout scripture of becoming like that which we idolize. I think the best example of this is Psalm 115, but there’s another that I think most would agree hits the bull’s-eye pretty good for us and that’s Rev 3:18 which speaks of the eyes. So to sum it all up, I don’t think we see the demonic in America because we don’t have the eyes to see it.
BTW, Thank you so much for the link.
Danny, good thoughts. My only comment would be that TV has done more to build the social, economic and political framework of this country since its inception than pretty much anything else. But bravo to you for removing something that can also be a conduit into that which is sinful.
hey...I don't know what the deal is w/ comments being deleted...it's not me doing it but w/e. If someone is making sweet points that are being deleted I apologize..make those points again :-)!
You are welcome for the link, Danny. Your blog is tasty.
Somehow when I posted my last comment it was posted twice, so I deleted one of them. This is an option that the person making a comment has for his comment only.
Brent Detwiler said that demonic activity in America is most commonly found in prisons and psychiatric wards. He was not saying that everybody in prison is possessed, obviously, but that 'domesticated' America has a way of locking up people who have allowed the enemy's influence to have a stronghold. His comment was "if they emptied out all the criminals and mentally ill onto the streets, we might see a bit more strange activity, perhaps demonic."
ooh good poinst Jesse...didn't think about that. Perhaps the judicial system isn't as screwed up as Roy O'Bannon thought it was.
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