Would Christians Dance With the Devil?

I seriously doubt that any real Christian would knowingly and willingly allow the Devil to use them for his desires, but there is a real problem with godly people not recognizing the Devil's schemes. There are many places in the Bible where it says, "Do not be deceived." We are told to renew our minds in Romans 12:2. The Lord himself issued a dire warning in Hosea 4:6 stating that, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."

The purpose here is not about finding a demon hiding around every corner. The issue is that Christians are called to a higher standard. The world system is, has always been, and always will be, very wrong. If your ideas are even remotely similar to the world's ideas, I recommend reexamining them.

A religious mindset is equally dangerous, perhaps even more dangerous. Jesus warned that tradition is actually strong enough to nullify the Word of God. That is a powerful statement! God's Word is His bond, His authority, and yet it can be nullified. You can be sure of this; if the Devil can introduce lies into Christian theology, he can hinder or cripple those who believe those lies.

This article will be way too short to butcher very many sacred cows, or even the most important or dangerous ones. This is the most crucial point I can make: read the Bible! Try not to let church theology get in the way of understanding what it says. It is not hard to understand if you have the Holy Spirit helping you. Religion all too often complicates the message.

I have long been concerned over some very unbiblical ideas being taught in many churches, perhaps even most churches. There is a lot of teaching on stewardship, which is good, but shame on the way many leaders are teaching it. Certainly, the Devil has a lot to gain by perverting our ideas to render Christians ineffective in fulfilling God's purpose.

Over the centuries, the Devil has had ample opportunity to water down the gospel and get people to believe lies that sound wise. The idea of stewardship being taught as glorified budget counseling certainly makes sense on the surface, but God's Word presents His ideas, not ours. Your mind is the real battleground and this is a spiritual war.

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have the divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:4-5, NIV)

The byproduct of misinformation being perpetrated on the church is that many Christians believe stewardship means having enough to take care of their needs, living on a budget, and taking advantage of every bargain they can find. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with any of that, none of those items are on the biblical list of good stewardship.

When Jesus told the parable of the good steward, only those who were profitable and doubled what they were given according to their ability were rewarded. There is an important principle in that parable that is about both life and money. The idea that as long as you have your daily bread and don't expect any more from God because you don't want to seem greedy, may seem very spiritual, even commendable. In reality, it's very selfish.

This information will not set well with tradition, but Christians are supposed to be blessed in abundance so they can do more good in this pathetic world. Money is not evil, the love of it is. Having enough to meet more than just your own needs is not just a good idea, it is a command from God. This does not necessarily mean you need to be a millionaire, but you are supposed to be blessed so you can be a blessing.

"Now he who supplies bread to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." (2 Cor. 9:10-13, NIV)

Did you catch the part about obedience? Have you been duped into believing that this is only talking about spiritual blessings and not money? Read it carefully. Being blessed is more than a privilege, it is a responsibility and a command. I know you are not likely used to being told that, because the last thing the Devil wants is for Christians to be blessed enough to accomplish God's will. Do you think you can fulfill the will of God without money? If so, read the Bible more carefully.

Because of the erroneous teaching that prevails about stewardship, I have seen Christians do things they should not be doing, even shameful things that ought to violate their conscience. They have been taught to believe they are saving "God's money" when in fact, they are behaving like non-believers. Even many non-believers would not consider some of the things being done in the name of stewardship.

One example is to shop for an item they know very little about by going to an expert to get reliable information, someone whose livelihood is based on helping people make informed decisions, then go buy the item from a bargain seller just to save money. This is the behavior you can expect from people who do not share the Christian faith, but it is totally inappropriate for Christians. If you are taking advantage of someone to save God some money, wake up. He is holy and cannot reward you for that.

Satan's most effective tools are doubt and fear because they are the exact opposite of faith. If you obey the Word of God, believe it, proclaim it before the demons of hell, read it and speak it, especially in areas of money because that is the ultimate test of faith, you will not dance with the Devil. You will defeat him at every turn. He has to seek whom he may devour because he cannot devour just anyone. Resist him, submit to God, and the Devil will run from you in stark terror.

 

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers