When Christians go to Extremes

 28 Jun 2024

 

Combatting the Enemy’s Twin Tactics

A favourite twin tactic of the devil is either to discourage Christians from taking biblical teaching seriously, or, if that doesn’t work, to encourage them to take the teaching to unhelpful extremes. These are very effective and powerful weapons in the devil’s hands. Here are some examples of subjects where the devil clearly uses these spiritual weapons.

 

Mistaken approaches to eschatology

There are two opposing mistakes Christians make over eschatology (teaching on the End Times).

Some Christians avoid the subject because they see it as either too controversial or too complex. Some even regard it as a context for unbalanced Christians. Yet Jesus is quite clear that we should take the subject seriously. He says; “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Mt 24:42). He adds the story about the man who, because he hadn’t kept watch, had his house broken into, and the story about the servants who behaved irresponsibly because they didn’t know when their absent master would return.

Then he told the story of the ten wise and ten foolish virgins, ending by saying “Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” [of the Return of Jesus] (Matt 25:13). He adds “What I say to you, I say to everyone: “Watch!”’ (Mk 13:37). It is clear that Jesus wants us to note the signs of the End. Yet, many Christians do not obey Him by keeping watch and noting the signs.
 

It is clear that Jesus wants us to note the signs of the End. Yet, many Christians do not obey Him by keeping watch and noting the signs.

Other Christians go overboard on the subject. They major on it, to the neglect of other truths. They speculate on the timing of the Return of Jesus, and other eschatological aspects. They fall into naivety and wishful thinking, and are misled by popular teachers, often over social media and frequently from America.

For example, a recent TV documentary described a large group of Christians in the US who seem obsessed with the Battle of Armageddon, which they regard as imminent. One of their leading Pastors said “We want Armageddon. Bring it on.” They are training in a military sense for the battle, with guns on their belts. They also possess really ornate symbolical swords. They emphasise that Jesus is returning to fight in a literal, military, as opposed to spiritual, way (the rider on a white horse: Rev 19:11). They can’t wait to fight with him in the final battle for global domination. The documentary described this as a “weaponised Christianity.” It also claimed that evangelicals are pushing the US political policy towards war. (Of note here, for example, is the fact that in 2017 the US established its first official, permanent base in Israel, in the Negev desert.)

So, the devil seeks to neutralise Christians over the important subject of eschatology, causing some to ignore it and some to fall into mistaken, sometimes extreme, interpretations of it. We need to avoid both.

False prophecy is a sign of the End Times. Christians, including Christian leaders, are not immune from it. So here is some practical advice for dealing with eschatology issues:

• Major on prayer about it, including asking for the gift of wisdom which is promised in James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
• Read any relevant biblical teaching.
• Don’t just rely on your own thinking. Find a mature, prayerful, biblically knowledgeable person who majors on prayer and is positive about eschatology.
• Seek God’s protection and tell the devil you resist him. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7).

Many Christians ... pray, and hope God will answer their prayer, but they are not confident He will do so.

Mistaken approaches to prayer in faith

Many Christians take an ambivalent approach to prayer. They pray, and hope God will answer their prayer, but they are not confident He will do so. They cover their lack of faith by saying words like “If it be thy will.” Some relate this to Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, prior to His arrest; “‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” (Mt 26:39). But this was, of course, a prayer in very extreme circumstances: Jesus facing a horrific death in the context of His Father’s wrath against him.

It is very clear that there is a fair amount of important teaching, mainly from the lips of Jesus, encouraging confident faith when praying. Here are the main passages:

Jesus said:

• “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk 11:24).
• “I say to you: ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Mt 7:7).
• "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Mt 18:19).
• “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (Jn 14:14).
• “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (Jn 15:7).

Elsewhere, the apostle John says: “If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him” (1 Jn 3:21-22). And the Psalmist says: “Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps 37:4). All of this is not encouraging “if it be thy will” prayer, but providing strong confidence that God will answer our prayers.
 

There are conditions to the promises – but they are manageable conditions. We can fulfil all of them and then be confident of the answer.

Unfortunately, there are some who go to extremes with the “Name it and claim it” approach. They tell God what they want and claim a positive answer. Often this is related to money and material things. I have always rejected this approach because it doesn’t take the context of these promises seriously. There are conditions to the promises – but they are manageable conditions. We can fulfil all of them and then be confident of the answer. These are the conditions:

1. Faith, including ‘receiving’ by faith (Mk 11:24). We need to trust the Lord for the answer and to “receive” it in faith before we see it.
2. Persistence (Matt 7:7). We may need to persist in prayer before the answer is revealed.
3. Unity in corporate prayer (Matt 18:19). It helps to consult a spiritually mature friend and to reach agreement that the request is right, then pray together.
4. Pleading the ‘name’ (sacrifice) of Jesus (Jn 14:14).
5. Abiding in Christ and His word abiding in us, so that we make no selfish or inappropriate request (Jn 15:7).
6. Forgiving (Mk 11:25). We need to have the right attitude to other people, including forgiveness, where necessary.
7. Delighting in the Lord (Ps 37:4).
8. Consulting the Lord. We need to listen to the Lord and prayerfully decide whether the request is right.
9. Obeying the Lord (1 Jn 3:21-22) and repenting, where necessary.

We also need to accept that the Bible teaches that God will allow opposition and persecution, and will sometimes use difficulty and suffering (e.g, delays in answers to prayer) to strengthen us spiritually. But this should not be allowed to undermine the above amazing promises to answer prayer.
 

It is quite clear that the Lord wants us to be confident about answers to prayer when we are fulfilling the conditions.

It is quite clear that the Lord wants us to be confident about answers to prayer when we are fulfilling the conditions. So, on the one hand, we need to abandon the “if it be thy will” approach, and to pray in confident faith. On the other hand, we need to take these manageable conditions seriously, avoiding the “Name it and claim it” approach.

 

Mistaken approaches to the gifts of the Spirit

Some Christians don’t seek or show interest in the gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4:11-13, perhaps because they attend a church where such gifts are not encouraged or manifested. Some of these people think that it is no longer God’s will to give them such gifts. They read 1 Corinthians 13:8 which says; “where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

But we need to look at the context: Prophecies and tongues pass away “when completeness comes …. we shall see face to face …. then I shall know fully” (1 Cor 13:10-12). As the NIV Study Bible puts it “Verse 12 … seems to indicate that Paul is speaking here of Christ’s second coming” - “Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” Similarly, the Reformation Study Bible states “The context (especially v 12) suggest strongly that Paul is here referring to the Second Coming of Christ.” That being the case, we need to avoid an approach common to liberal theology – saying this teaching of Scripture (about the availability of the gifts of the Spirit) is no longer relevant.
 

Sadly, I have come across some prophecies conveyed over the internet, which I do not accept as accurate, yet which are accepted by other Christians.

On the other hand, there are many Christians who take a naïve approach to the gifts. Sometimes a person gives a prophecy and it is accepted uncritically. However, the Bible says we must weigh prophecy – “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said” (1 Cor 14:29). All prophecies must primarily be checked by Scripture. The NIV comments “The prophets themselves were to decide whether the messages of their fellow prophets were valid.” Prophecies are to be weighed, including by spiritually mature church leaders. This also applies to prophecies conveyed over the electronic media. Sadly, I have come across some prophecies conveyed over the internet, which I do not accept as accurate, yet which are accepted by other Christians.

I think it is vitally important to listen to God. Primarily He speaks through Scripture, but He also uses the gifts of the Spirit. Sadly, some churches do not allow freedom for that to happen in their times of worship. On the other hand, some churches have a “free for all,” which is unhelpful. Paul makes it very clear that the spoken gifts of the Spirit must be conveyed in an orderly way (1 Cor 14:26-40).

These considerations also apply to words of wisdom, the word of knowledge and to messages conveyed through tongues and interpretation. We should also seek the gifts of faith, healing, miraculous powers and distinguishing between spirits.

 

Mistaken approaches to spiritual warfare

Some Christians see demons everywhere. It is a recognised obsession. It dominates their thinking and leads to a lot of wasted time and energy. We are meant to live in victory, not to be constantly cowering before the enemy.
 

 We are meant to live in victory, not to be constantly cowering before the enemy.

Other Christians, however, don’t take spiritual warfare nearly seriously enough, if at all. Jesus did. His temptations show that the devil is a reality. He also prayed for the deliverance of people from demonic obsession or possession.

Paul, James and Peter are quite clear that we must be aware of demonic attack and opposition, resist them in prayer, and take a stand against them:

• “Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armour 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.” (Eph 6:11-13).
• “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7).
• “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Pet 5:8).

Yet, some Christians don’t take this clear biblical teaching seriously. They take a rationalistic approach to the difficulties, hindrances and suffering they experience, and deal with them using only human means. We should not live only on the basis of human experience and logic but on the basis of faith: God's promises and faithfulness.

Again, Jesus and New Testament authors are quite clear that we are in a spiritual battle, and must use (or include) spiritual means, especially prayer, to fight back. Like Jesus, we can resist the devil and rebuke the demons. But we must not allow the reality of demonic opposition to dominate our thinking unduly.
 

We should not live only on the basis of human experience and logic but on the basis of faith: God's promises and faithfulness.

Mistaken approaches to assurance of salvation

Evangelicals tend to emphasise the assurance of salvation – the truth that we are saved by faith and are secure in God’s acceptance for eternity. This is a wonderful truth. John writes “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 Jn 5:11-12). He also writes “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life … Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (Jn 3:16, 36).

On the other hand, sadly, there are Christians who don’t believe in such assurance. For example, the Catholic News Agency writes “As sinners we are not assured of our salvation.”

However, there is a danger associated with believing in the assurance of salvation. The danger is of not taking sin seriously. Yet, we believe Jesus died for our sins. There is also a danger of majoring so much on the wonderful truth of God’s love for us that we neglect to balance that with thinking about His awesomeness and holiness.

It is instructive that the psalmist says: “In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared” (Ps 89:7), and the angels know God much better than we do. Paul writes “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others” (2 Cor 5:10-11).
 

We live in an age when the Church is becoming tolerant of serious sin – it’s part of the ‘My rights’ culture. He wants us to be intolerant of sin.

Jesus strongly condemns spiritual lukewarmness in Christians. He says, “Because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Rev 3:16). Although we know we are saved, Jesus wants us to be radically biblical in the power of the Spirit.

We live in an age when the Church is becoming tolerant of serious sin – it’s part of the ‘My rights’ culture. He wants us to be intolerant of sin. So, for example, He made it quite clear that if a church member persists in a serious sin, the church leadership should seek to correct him lovingly. And if that fails, they are to discipline the person concerned until he repents (Matt 18:15-17).

 

Conclusion

It is important to remember that we are in a spiritual battle. The devil is, of course, very experienced in tempting and misguiding Christians. It is possible to be guarding and barricading the “front door” without realising the devil is behind us attacking through the “back door.” And he loves to use propaganda – false communication. So, we need to use all the spiritual weapons available to us:

• Prayer, including for wisdom
• Biblical teaching
• Consultation with mature, knowledgeable Christians
• Spiritual warfare – resisting the devil.

Tony Higton has been a Church of England Minister for over 40 years, led a ministry among Jewish people in Jerusalem for several years, and since 2015 has led a national ministry encouraging prayer and preparation for Revival.

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