SATAN’S INSIDIOUS TRENDS IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY

There are many areas where Satan is working in our nation today. Christians usually recognize what is blatantly evil, but they are often naïve, blind, and susceptible to the enemy’s areas of subtle nuances where he craftily sows deceptions to lead a person or a people astray. I am discussing here just a few areas where we see his deceptive activity.

His work is insidious. It appears harmless until it is too late to avoid the damage. It works as a snare hidden from view awaiting its chance to entrap.
Below is a short list of “the serpent’s” subtle and insidious work. These items will be obvious to those who follow Jesus and believe the Bible to be the word of God. However, the world along with professing Christians who question scripture will not recognize the danger in some of these practices and cultural trends. Here is a list of areas where the devil comes as an angel of light to deceive.

YOGA
Yoga is the new religion of Hollywood. It seems every other commercial shows someone on a yoga mat. Yoga is a Hindu religious practice and is a door to New Age spiritual meditation. It should be avoided by Christians. While some Christians present it as harmless stretching exercises Yoga masters take issue with the idea that it can be separated from its spiritual roots and influences. The postures in yoga were designed to attract various demonic spirits.  

MEDITATION
Meditation is a tool of Satan. It is being presented as an instrument of peace and a way to access the divine within. One of my friends was involved in meditation and went to India to be trained by a guru. He thought he was experiencing a path to peace and touching the divine. However, while in India he was frightened when certain experiences opened his eyes to the reality of the presence of evil spirits working in the process. He was not touching the god within but was opening himself to demonic activity. He renounced the practice of meditation, returned home, and gave his life to Jesus Christ.  

GENDER CONFUSION
The enemy is working hard to confuse the genders and to destroy Biblical and natural masculinity and femininity. We see this in movies, TV shows, and commercials. Men are being feminized, and women are being masculinized. Men are being shown in traditional feminine roles, and women are being shown in masculine roles. Little girls see no role models of femininity and motherhood. All TV commercials show girls primarily in sports, and physical activities and emphasizing “power.” They are shown in sports, driving the race car, heavy equipment, and lifting weights.
Commercials show the man doing the laundry and cleaning the house, caring for the baby while the wife comes home from work with the briefcase. Action movies show an unrealistic picture of women acting like men and fighting like men. It is rare, if at all, to see women portrayed as housewives. I must point out that I am in favor of women in sports and professions. I have no problem with that. My problem is the over-abundance and saturation of these things in the media while there is a glaring absence of traditional examples of masculinity and femininity. Biblical role models are rare in commercials. Motherhood and fatherhood are despised. This will eventually bring a bad harvest in our children as they grow older. God created male and female. They are different, and each is important and vital to a healthy society.

SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND PERVERSION
TV, movies, and commercials are propagating gender and sexual perversion. Homosexuality is being honored and presented as normal and desirable. Commercials now are frequently showing same sex couples and having them kiss before the eyes of our children. People have the right to sexual preferences. But they do not have the right to propagate their practice and force it on our society, especially upon those whose religion forbids the practice. The Bible clearly prohibits it.

PERSONIFYING THE UNIVERSE
People are now referring to the universe as if it thinks, plans, and speaks to us, as if it were a person. We are now hearing people refer to the universe as if it were God. I have heard people refer to “receiving what the universe gives,” or listening to what the “universe is saying,” or “the universe did” such and such.”  This is idolatry and pantheism. The scripture warns us about worshipping the created instead of the creator.

TRENDS THAT EXACERBATE THE PROBLEMS
THE DUMBING DOWN OF THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM.
Schools are focusing on liberal social agenda driven by politics and are failing to teach basic education. The average person on the street, including high school and college students are ignorant of basic math, geography, English, and history. The lack of discipline in our schools and at home coupled with the lack of respect for authority has created an atmosphere of disorder that makes it difficult to teach. The result will be a society of ill-informed citizens who will be ripe for control and manipulation. Another consequence will be that the intelligentsia of our nation will increasingly be foreigners who come to fill the knowledge and professional gaps. As the Lord warned in Deuteronomy 28:43, “The alien (foreigner) who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.”
 
SILENCE IN THE PULPIT
Pastors and churches are failing to speak up regarding the moral issues of today. This is because of unbelief, lack of conviction, and lack of depth in their personal walk with Jesus Christ. Seminaries have filled many denominational churches with pastors and leaders who do not fully believe the Bible is the word of God. They approach the Bible selectively choosing what they believe and which parts they don’t believe. They give warm, comforting, positive messages without grounding the church in Biblical truth.
They are also failing to speak up and proclaim the Biblical perspective on abortion, which is the cruel and barbaric torture and murder of innocent babies in the womb. How can pastors and TV preachers remain silent on this issue? Pastor’s and teachers, as well as elected officials who make laws, will be accountable to God for not speaking up and condemning this practice.
 
CONCLUSION
Christians need to return to the Bible. We must surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and stand on the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. And we must have courage to proclaim the gospel. We must see what the Bible says about every trend and philosophy we encounter, and we must respond with prayer and intercession as we call upon God to visit our nation. We must sigh and cry because of the abominations, and we must pray in faith knowing that Almighty God will at some point rend the heavens and come down in power upon His people.
“For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.”  Isaiah 60:2

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

Billy Long