by Alan Langstaff

Reality is defined as that which is real, that exists as compared to what is imaginary or non-existent. The question is how is a Christian to understand Reality? What is real for a believer?

Let me suggest a way to view reality from a Christian point of view, based on the Bible because it is not necessarily how other people understand reality.

I want you to use your imagination. Suppose I take a sheet of paper and then I place another sheet of paper on top of it and then repeat the process about 4 or 5 times. Let us look at reality like a pile of sheets of paper.

SHEET # 1 – OURSELVES (THE FLESH)

This is the sheet that describes our life. There is good and bad on it but for the moment we will just consider the bad. We are all sinners according to Romans 3:23 and we all are motivated in various ways by what the Bible describes as the flesh.

These issues will greatly affect our view of reality and it will affect our lives in so many ways. Now, the impact of early childhood experiences and all that has happened to us across the years affects our reality. Behind it all however is what the Bible declares, that goes beyond our own sin and impacts reality.

SHEET # 2 – THE CULTURE (THE WORLD)

We are not Robinson Crusoes stranded on an island and isolated from relationships with the world. Many passages in the Bible attest to that. Simply put it is the world – the culture that is all around us, impacting us every day on the Radio, TV, Computers, Internet, YouTube, Billboards, Advertisements, Movies, etc. On and on we can go.

It is all around us and we face it every day. So much so, Paul calls for the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2), and as J.B. Phillips, the English scholar, puts it –

“Don’t let the world squeeze you into its own mold.”

We are all affected to varying degrees by the influence of the culture of the world. Take TV for example. When I grew up we were greatly protected from unclean scenes and words, etc. Today, the TV is full of the very opposite – swearing, using God’s name in vain, etc, etc.

The culture all around has affected us more than we realize.

SHEET # 3 – POLITICS

Whether we realize it or not our lives are impacted by political decisions and actions. These affect all our lives and how we live.

Business men and women are affected by the regulations that govern their businesses, our children are impacted by such as to going to a particular school, etc. There is hardly an area of our lives that is not affected by politics and the like. We are also affected by “big business.”

Now, unfortunately, politics and politicians are not always good. From a biblical point of view they often permit, even promote actions that are contrary to the Word. Abortion is an example of this.

SHEET # 4 – GLOBALISTS

There are many people who are committed to the concept of “one world government.” This is something for the near future and it is real. People of different political parties are involved in this.

It is the concept we are no longer to be nations but as a nation, we are to be submitted to “one world government.”

Most people are not aware of how this is developing. There is an organization called the World Economic Forum and that has proclaimed the need for “the Great Reset.” People argue that this is not attempting to install a world government; however the worldwide COVID crisis showed how this could happen in regard to health.

At the national level, there is what is sometimes described as “the swamp.” The idea is that people behind the scenes are making decisions. Some people would see the present Vice President being elevated to Presidential candidate as being an example of actions being impacted from behind the scenes.

The United Nations is also involved and during the recent gathering of the U.N. a number of meetings were held proclaiming a “Pact for the Future.” Behind it all is a plan to give more power and authority to the Secretary-General and the United Nations.

SHEET # 5 – DEMONIC

Now many people do not realize that beneath it all is the realm of the demonic. Satan has always desired to completely take over the world which in some ways has already happened as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden as recorded in Genesis.

The Devil sought to tempt Jesus in this regard (see Mathew chapter 4). He took Jesus to an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and said to Jesus “All these things I will give to you if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus of course resisted this, and the other temptations Satan proposed by using the powerful word of God.

We must remember that he is still active today, together with his demonic spirits, and is still seeking to take over the kingdoms of this world.

ACCUMULATED EFFECT

Now all of the sheets, so to speak, are laid on top of one another and together they come against individual Christians and the Christians together as the church. We are involved in a battle whether it be as individuals, homes, communities, states, nations, or the body of Christ as a whole.

We need to recognize our opponent, the one we face is Satan. It may not necessarily be people, or political parties, or deviant organizations alone. Satan is seeking control. Ephesians, brings it all together in chapter 2 –

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” (Ephesians 2:1-3 NKJV)

So we have the accumulated effect of our individual sinfulness, the pull of the world, political actions including globalists, and the demonic forces that are at work in all of them.

For example, a man may be attacked by the sin of lust. This is impacted by the world, through TV imagery, etc. and eventually pornography. Behind it all is demonic activity seeking to destroy a child of God.

Now two of the weapons that the enemy uses against believers are deception (“Did God really say that”) and our fallen nature that leads to sin and rebellion.

So, it all comes together – the world, the flesh, and the devil (Ephesians chapter 2). So often in a war, the enemy will fight on more than one front. So too we are to resist and fight on the various fronts when we face the enemy.

Now this is the reality that faces everyone, whether we like it or not. A reality that is made up of various factors that affects every one of us. As the picture of the sheets illustrates it.

In the next Langstaff Letter, we will look at how we are to stand against all these dimensions that make up the reality of our lives.