In 2018, an article in Psychology
Today addressed the topic, “How to change people’s minds.”[1] Although this article focused on how to teach
students who have deeply rooted beliefs, the process has been, and continues to
be, used by manipulators even today.
Here is the process:
- State
and emphasize the central claim (i.e., the alternative position).
- Present
and reinforce the central claim through core evidence.
- Address
the erroneous information as a myth.
- Explain
how the myth is erroneous (while keeping the truthfulness of the
alternative position center-stage).
If you’ll notice, the new beliefs
we want someone to accept are repeated and reinforced while continually denying
the truth of the old belief. That’s the
strategy. Repeat this often enough and an
individual will begin to question what is true.
You
need to know that this strategy to question your beliefs is a tactic
Satan uses against a faithful person of God.
His desire is to have you change your beliefs, your convictions. “No one actually believes this nonsense” he
chides. “You’ll end up on the wrong side
of history unless you compromise.”
Since the beginning of time, Satan
has used this strategy – questioning what is true – to turn people away from a
life of faith. He did this to Eve and
Adam. “Did
God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”[2]
(Genesis 3:1). Satan caused Eve to question God’s Word. It’s too bad she didn’t have God’s words in
writing. Maybe it would have helped her
to stand against the devil.
Does this strategy sound
familiar? Ever hear, “You’re mistaken; gender
is fluid.” “That’s not true; morality is
relative.” “We now know that homosexuality
is normal.” “The atonement of Jesus is a
myth.” Well, this is society using step
#3 & 4; insisting repeatedly that your old beliefs about these things are
not true.
Do you think God knew Satan would
use this tactic; getting us to question what is right and what is true? I believe He did because the Bible is filled
with individuals who were able to withstand the sly deceptions of the
Devil. As kings and kingdoms attempted
to turn the godly away from the Lord, the champions were, “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” They were able to, “stand firm against all strategies of the devil”
(Ephesians 6:10-11).
Consider the story of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego. Pressured by the king to
bow before a great golden statue, these three young Jewish men refused to
comply. Why? I believe it’s because they knew the Word of God. These three young men knew what God had
declared and what Moses had written down.
3 “You must not have any
other god but me. 4 You must not make for yourself an idol of
any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You
must not bow down to them or worship them”[3]
(Exodus 20:3-5). Or what about Peter and
John. As the Jewish religious
authorities forbade them from teaching about Jesus, these two Apostles replied,
“We must obey God rather than any human authority”
[4]
(Acts 5:29).
Where did these champions find the
strength to stand while, all around them, they were pressured to comply? It’s because there was a sword in
their heart that defended their beliefs – their convictions.
Throughout this series on being
battle ready, we’ve examined the importance of all the pieces of armor that
defend us in this spiritual battle.
However, the last piece of armor Paul mentions is a soldier’s only
weapon of offence.
“Put on
salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God”[5]
(Ephesians 6:17). A Christian who
desires to remain standing in this spiritual battle against Satan and his
demons must reach for their sword – the Word of God. The
Battle-Ready Christian needs to reach for the sword of the
Spirit; it is not automatically placed in his or her hand. To stand while the world attempts to change
your beliefs, a Christian needs the sword of the Spirit – knowledge and
understanding of God’s Word.
It was this knowledge and
understanding that Jesus used against Satan while in the wilderness. Satan tempted Jesus for 40 days. As Jesus became weak from hunger, Satan
launched an all-out attack. In each case, Jesus used the sword
of the Spirit – the Word of God – to stand firm. “No, the scriptures
say,” was His reply (see Luke 4:1-12).
The challenge here is obvious; in
a world where truth is determined by consensus – where popular opinion
determines what is right or wrong - you are going to face pressure from the
world and from the devil to surrender.
You will be pressured to “take a seat” rather than stand. Satan
wants us to comply with the ways of the world rather than stand
firm. And, in some Christian circles, even pastors
and teachers are calling us to adapt to the ways of the world – to show tolerance
and forbearance rather than stand.
For example, a recent exchange on Facebook led one pastor to say, “I think it would be hard to determine what is the correct
view. All voices claim Biblical authority for their positions or soap boxes. It
comes down to interpretation but then again, can we ever agree on what is the
"correct" interpretation.”
That, my friend, is a sad example
of a refusal to stand. Rather than
permit the Sword of the Lord to say what it should, many Christians today end
up haggling over what they feel it should say… where consensus
determines truth. The problem with this
is when you get a strong majority of individuals who reach a consensus on
certain parts of scripture, they naturally begin to practice steps 3&4 –
insisting that what you believe is a myth and in error.
There
is a difference between teaching the Word and questioning
the Word. When someone is teaching you the Word of God
or helping you understand its meaning, they are allowing the Sword of the
Spirit to stand on its own truth. They
are helping you recognize the authority God’s Word has over your
life. In contrast, when someone comes
along questioning the Word, they are, in fact, saying, “Did God really
say this,” or “Did this event really happen.”
And when someone begins questioning the Sword of the Spirit – the
Word of God – they are placing the Bible beneath their scrutiny.
My Christian friend, you need to
take up that sword because it’s not just the devil or the world who is trying
to change the deeply rooted beliefs of Christianity. Some pastors and teachers are trying to sway
your beliefs as well. The battle isn’t
just “out there.” Some who claim to be
religious are using tactics #3&4.
Some pastors insist that there are
certain parts of the Old Testament we don’t accept to be true. Others teach that the incident with Daniel
and Belshazzar (the handwriting on the wall in Daniel 5) was a myth. Some religious leaders today will have you
question the authority of the entire Bible.
I know one who matter-of-factly claims the atonement of Jesus is a myth;
that we’ve been misled to believe Christ’s death on the cross was necessary. Do you see the tactic here? It’s the same old strategy; “Did God really
say this?”
In my life as a Christian, I have always
been drawn to those pastors or teachers who encourage me to take up the Sword
of the Spirit. Unfortunately, there are
many who stand in their pulpits calling people put down the Sword and question
their beliefs. This is why you and I
must take up the Sword of the Lord and never let go. Hold it tightly in your heart. It is your only weapon in a world that is
attempting to destroy your life of faith. Unless
you and I wield the sword, we are easily overcome. Without the sword of the Spirit – an
understanding of what God has said and what it means – we will eventually comply
rather than stand.
[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thoughts-thinking/201804/how-change-people-s-minds?eml
[2] Tyndale House
Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ge 3:1). Carol Stream,
IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Tyndale House
Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ex 20:3–5). Carol
Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] Tyndale House
Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 5:29). Carol Stream,
IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[5] Tyndale House Publishers.
(2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Eph 6:17). Carol
Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
No comments:
Post a Comment