Sárospataki Füzetek 14. (2010)

2010 / 1. szám - TANULMÁNYOK - Byl, John: Világnézetek háborúja: a keresztyénség és kihívói.

War of the worldviews

As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God; my soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

(Psalm 42:1-2)

Thus man’s apt punishment for rejecting God is to be left with an unquenchable thirst for the transcendental Absolute.

The Long War against God

If God alone can satisfy man’s deepest needs, why does man not turn to God? Man’s initial downfall was his desire to be like God, prompted by Satan’s seductive words, “ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). His punishment included a darkened mind, trapped in self-delusion and pride.

This became the common plight of all men. As the aposde Paul writes: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind...” (Romans 1:28). Man, seeking to become divinely wise, becomes enslaved by the empty delusions of his own fertile imagination. In the end times man’s depraved condition becomes even worse: “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thessalonians 2: 11-12). Fallen man, instead of humbly serving His creator, fights a bitter war against God and His Truth.

As Christians, we must be actively engaged in this warfare. This entails first that we should be fully prepared:

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.. .the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:11-17)

Second, we must be alert to the fact that this war has much to do with ideas and their consequences:

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the opinion of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (II Corinthians 10: 4-5)

This requires that we be very discerning, submitting all our thoughts to the test of Scripture:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

SÁROSPATAKI FÜZETEK 41