There is no question in my mind that Satan is an underestimated foe whose schemes disguise his plan to make God irrelevant. As any good illusionist knows the key to a successful magic trick is to get people focused on what you want them to see while you attend to what you don’t want them to see. Recently we have been addressing issues of inequality in our culture but Satan is sowing the seeds of division through the introduction of ideas, labels and phrases that illicit emotional and defensive responses. Words are launched like missiles in a retaliatory strike against those who are considered the enemy while the real enemy goes about his evil plan undetected.

White Privilege. The word privilege has been used for a very long time to describe those born into money and position who have never had to work a day in their lives. This label, no matter how hard people try to say it does not, suggests that white people don’t work hard. Satan introduces division over a phrase so that inequality is not addressed which is the evil plan that covers up an even more evil plan.

Systemic Racism. This label really has no defined meaning so it is open to as many interpretations as there are people and that’s where the “yes there is – no there isn’t” fight starts. Satan introduces division over a phrase so that inequality is not addressed which is the evil plan that covers up an even more evil plan.

White Supremacy. It wasn’t long ago that this phrase would only be used to describe the most despicable ideologies. Nazis, KKK members and skinheads would not only be assigned this label they would embrace it. Now you can hear the phrase used in reference to any person who is white or system that is currently in place. Is there any reason why people would think that this label is acceptable to use as a generic term? Satan introduces division over a phrase so that inequality is not addressed which is the evil plan that covers up an even more evil plan.

Words hurt. Words are weaponized. People who may otherwise not be violent cause deep wounds often because of the wounds they are carrying around with them. We have removed derogatory labels and phrases on one side only to insert new ones from the other side. One side fights to regain their sense of self through hurting back those who look like the people who hurt them while the other tries to maintain their sense of self through digging in. Satan introduces division so that inequality is not addressed which is the evil plan that covers up an even more evil plan.

While you were looking over there…

Racism is evil. One person created in the image of God suggesting that another person created in the image of God is a lesser being is pure evil that can only come from the mind of Satan himself but this is only a part of his plan. Plan A is to divide us by race, plan B is to divide us as we try to address the evil of his plan A but the bigger plan is even more evil. While we are preoccupied with the tangible results of Satan’s evil plan, while we strive to put ourselves on the right side of history; the redemptive message of God’s grace, the good news of the gospel, the ministry of reconciliation we are given, takes a back seat.

I know I am a white guy saying this.

I know that I am not the one having issues finding a job, getting pulled over or accused because of the way I look. I know that this message is easier for me to say because it costs me much less to live. While this is true the truth of the Bible does not change. As we all strive to align with “the right side of history” Satan will do everything to bring division not so that we remain in the evil of earthly oppression although that is a nice bonus for him, but rather that we fail to recognize the eternal consequences of the oppression of un-repented sin.

 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Mark 8:36 (NIV)

Right Side of History Wrong Side of Eternity