I just took the fur babies on a long walk and listened to a Timothy Keller sermon on "spiritual warfare" (download fo' free here). Matt and I actually listened to it a few months ago, but it was a good one for me to hear again.
Before delving in the subject of "the devil", Keller poses a few ideas to skeptics. Not necessarily skeptics of God, but skeptics of God's antithesis.
1. Consider that you are the one with the simplistic view...believing in God, but no demons or devil.
2. Consider the fact that you're being culturally narrow-- millions in India, Africa, Asia have no trouble believing in the forces or evil/the devil. Are you much wiser than they?
3. There was one more...but I can't remember. Just listen to the dang sermon. This guy is so good...I've never regretted spending 30 minutes listening to him.
This is a tough to digest topic because so much of what we, as a culture, believe is based on behaviorism. We become who we are because of influences, traumatic events, who we were raised by....Keller gives an example from Andrew Delbanco's book "The Death of Satan". Delbanco quotes a scene from "Silence of the Lambs".
FBI Agent Starling (Jodie Foster) asks how Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) became a cannibalistic serial killer...she was not speaking to Lecter, but the captive overheard the question and ultimately answered:
"Look at me, Officer Starling. Can you stand to say I'm evil?"
No, we can't stand it. Delbanco's point is we, as humans, need a reason for the evil within someone. It cannot just be the devil indwelling, it must be because of something that was done to them. Wow, this resounded with me. How many times has justice not been served because someone takes advantage of society's need to justify a person's evil inclinations? This is not to say every wrongdoing is THE devil. Keller uses the metaphor of finding your pitch on a piano. The devil has found your pitch and knows that plucking certain strings will vibrate you toward accusation and/or temptation....
We are either too guilty all the time or too arrogant all the time and that is how we justify our actions:
Example 1. Accusation (guilt): Well, I can't do anything right anyway, so I'll just do this and add it to my pile of shortcomings/sins.
Example 2. Temptation (arrogance): Well, God is merciful and will forgive me for this too.
Why do so many successful men/women have affairs? Because they work so hard, they deserve some extramarital loving.
I know there are moments in every hour of every day that I justify my actions with some rubbish. Keller recommends Puritan minister Thomas Brooks' book "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices" to help recognize when and what we say to justify some of our more ridiculous actions. I haven't read it yet, but I will. Then I'll let everyone know what my most common justifications for "sinning" are. Here are a few scenarios that come to mind:
Thought: Maybe I should call that person to see how they're doing.
Rebuttal: I'm sure they're busy. I shouldn't bother them. (But really, I'm just lazy...)
Circumstance: Driver doesn't use signal, turns super slowly, runs a red light, proves to be a generally terrible human by their driving skills.
My thoughts: THAT IDIOT! Don't they know I'm running late?! My life is more important than theirs. I'm a much better driver...I'd NEVER do that. Internal sailor language ensues...cursing a complete stranger.
I feel like the road rage thoughts are the most common form of condescension in my inner dialogue. But I don't just do it on the road...I do it in life. Why do I think I'm better than people?
"For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" 1 Corinthians 4:7
I probably should have started with this, but the scripture tied to Keller's message on the existence of evil, the devil/demons is from Ephesians 6:10-13.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
To have any hope of winning this spiritual struggle against pride, insecurity, anger, impatience we need to be equipped to detect when our strings are being plucked. If we don't know, how can we ever change/stand our ground? We are not, by nature, good. My human tendencies were revealed the first time I started feeling jealous, compared myself to a "lesser person" to build myself up, refused to share a toy with a friend or blatantly disobeyed my parents as a child. When our life revolves around our self, we will continually justify our own behaviors. There's so much talk of spending time on ourselves, but the more time I pamper and puff up my self, the less significant I feel. The less of an imprint I feel I'm making. We were not built for that.
Why does it feel good to share, to serve, to give our time? We are programmed to give more of ourselves, not get more of ourselves. I believe the deifying of "me" is the biggest cause of depression and discontentment in our society. I feel tremendous value when I'm reminded that I was created for a reason. Any time I feel insecurity rise up, I should be able to "put on the full armor of God", knowing that not me, but He can provide the strength needed to serve a purpose and make a difference in a self-worshipping world.