Subtle Shift

Subtle Shift:

The Apostle Paul wrote, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ… For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

We are misled in thinking that the greatest evils of the world are the Bin Laden’s, Saddam Hussein’s, and Hannibal Lector’s. The greatest evils are the subtle shifts in perspective – the ones that Paul said would lead us ‘astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.’

In the Garden of Eden the serpent didn’t flat out tell Eve to reject God.  It was a subtle shift. Question… instill some doubt… suggest an alternative reality… promise undying support… point out all the positives…  To Eve, Satan masqueraded as the lone voice of reason.

Serpent: “Evie-baby, let’s have some fun!  God is old and stuffy.  Adam is a dimwit and boring.  Just look at that fruit!  What God really meant was ‘Just Do It’ and he knew it would take a self-starting, independent, courageous person like you to figure that out! Besides, why else would God have put it right there in the middle of the garden if he didn’t REALLY want you to eat it???”

Oswald Chambers notes, “Satan does not tempt us to do wrong things… he does not come on the line of tempting us to sin, but on the line of shifting the point of view, and only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil.”  What Oswald is saying is that unless your ear if firmly and perpetually planted in the middle of your Father’s chest – there is no way you can hear his heartbeat.

God doesn’t have or need a “Plan B.” We read in the book of Revelation (not Revelations)  “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” Satan doesn’t have a “Plan B” either. He questions, instills some doubt, suggests, ‘harmlessly’ probes, promises, supports, illustrates, articulates…  Satan makes us think about us – and we fall for it every time.  Then Jesus came and Satan rolled up and said, “Man, I bet you are STARVING after being out here all alone for 40 days!  Oh, light-bulb moment, DERRR! You’re the Son of God! Hey, it wouldn’t be anything for YOU to turn these stones into some warm, fluffy, fresh loaves of bread right?”

How did Jesus succeed where Adam, Eve, you, me, and everyone else fail miserably?  Jesus’ treasure, focus, meaning, and life are all wrapped-up in His relationship with the Father – not Himself.  Satan’s temptation wasn’t to overthrow the Father… it wasn’t any blatant form of rebellion or rejection.  It was a subtle shift – away from the Father and His will over to hunger…  “Hey, since the Father isn’t taking care of you – you should take care of it yourself!”  It was a subtle shift from complete dependence upon the Father to independence.  In the second test Satan proposed a leap off the temple. “Surely if God loves you He will send his angels and they will lift you up and protect you” (paraphrase). Here we have a subtle shift from our depending on God in His providence – circumstances He ordains – to our dictating the circumstances and testing God’s faithfulness.  Lastly, Satan tried to tempt Jesus with power and authority to rule ‘all this’ if only Jesus would worship Satan.

Like Esau, we sell our souls for a bowl of soup, a promotion, recognition, an opportunity of a lifetime…  Satan was at the bottom of his magic hat and this was his last trick.  Jesus, Almighty Creator, and King of Kings is being offered the equivalent of an “Interim Title” of a defunct and bankrupt organization.  Ruling and authority apart from God’s Presence looks like every human government in history – whether democracy or dictatorship – problems, problems, and more problems.  Satan’s subtle shift was to get Jesus to look at all the power and all the stuff and to ignore human history and human nature – we’re a miserable bunch of ungrateful, unquenchable complainers and usurpers.  Where we arrogantly believe that we could actually do a good job as King – Jesus laughed and said, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

We are easily led astray in subtle ways unless, like Jesus, our treasure, our heart, and our mind are always exclusively the will of the Father.  If you find yourself thinking about what you deserve, what you need, how you can benefit…  just this once…  just enough to get back on track…  that’s the crafty enemy.  He’ll provide you with friends and family who will support and endorse you.  Everything will seem right except for that faint, quiet, nearly imperceptible zephyr…   Then you lean in against your Father’s chest, hear His heartbeat and find solace in the desert, satisfaction in His promises, and power in His Presence; and because of this you, like Jesus, say “Away from me, Satan!”  Just then His angels will come and attend to you.

Blessings,

Kevin M. Kelley