To be fair, I don’t have solid, scientific evidence to claim that I know exactly which ploy is Satan’s “most insidious.” He has a full arsenal!
But I hope today’s topic will cause you to pause and consider how extremely dangerous this particular ploy is – and perhaps even give you a gentle response when faced with certain criticism.
Scripture tells us that, “Satan masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), and that, “when he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
That tells us that he doesn’t generally operate overtly. It’s sneaky. It’s intended to deceive us. It’s often subtle. It doesn’t always “feel” like sin.
Today’s topic falls squarely in that camp. It’s not always a clear ploy of Satan’s, but it is incredibly hurtful to the effectiveness of the Gospel.
Whether you would consider yourself a believer, a non-believer, or somewhere in-between, we’ve all heard the arguments:
- “Christians are no better than anyone else.”
- “The church is full of hypocrites.”
- “They won’t have anything to do with people like me.”
- “My deepest hurts have come from Christians.”
- “I just can’t believe the things they believe.”
And they aren’t wrong!
I grieve over the way Christians are viewed. And I am complicit in adding to that viewpoint.
I have hurt people with my words and actions. I have falsely proclaimed judgment over someone who believed differently than I do – or someone whose sin I thought was “worse.” I have failed to show the love of Christ to those who desperately needed it.
The list is endless.
I will continue to fight that struggle until the day God calls me home.
Now here is where the insidious ploy enters.
Satan wants us to use Christians as the standard-bearers for what Christianity is all about.
Why?
Because he knows we will never get it all right. We will continue to misrepresent Christ because we still fight our sin nature – even though Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins gives us a righteous standing before God.
But the reality is that we will still fail on a daily basis to be that “perfect Christian.” The one that the world expects us to be.
Here’s the crux of how we combat this particular lie of Satan’s:
When someone wants to understand what it looks like to be a Christian, look not to us fallible human beings.
Look to Christ!
He is the perfect embodiment of what it means to be a Christ-follower.
He was kind and generous and spent time with “sinners.” He spoke truth with love. He is the only one who lived a perfect “Christian” life.
That’s where we should look when we want to understand God’s intention for his people.
Of course, we pray that God’s Holy Spirit would continue to work in our lives to make us more like Christ. But in this life, we will never fully arrive.
Here’s how the Apostle Paul described his own struggle in Romans 7:18-20, 24-25.
“For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”
“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
This is where our understanding and our hope lie. The struggle is real, but Christ has paid the price for those sins.
Even as followers of Christ, we will continue to struggle with sin—and at times we will still tarnish the Gospel message.
When you can’t see significant differences between those who declare themselves to be Christ-followers, and those who don’t, remember this.
We are still sinners – but sinners saved by God’s grace.
Here are some scriptures that speak directly to this truth:
- “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
- “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I (the Apostle Paul) am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15)
- “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
So when our tendency is to judge Christians harshly for looking anything but Christ-like – when we feel those accusations aimed directly at us – point yourself and point others to the only one who perfectly reflects the true picture of Christianity.
Christ himself.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith…
Hebrews 12:2
good article