Russell Moore on Spiritual Warfare, the Family, and the Rule of Appetites

Either the prophetic cry regarding our lifestyle choices and pursuit of the American Dream is getting louder, or I am just paying closer attention. As our economy tanks and our culture declines, I think that more and more Christians will begin to consider how we are living. Russell Moore from Southern Seminary takes aim at Southern Baptists' acquiesance to a culture run amok in materialism and hedonism. He hits this topic much harder than I have over the past few weeks as he talks to Southern Baptists about some timely issues. He says, "both left and right in the American mainstream are captive to the ideology that the appetites are to be indulged; the heart wants what it wants, by whatever system will do it most efficiently."  Moore is at his best in this article when he exposes the spiritual warfare that is taking place in our midst and how we have been deceived as we fall in line with the materialistic pursuit of our culture. He aptly points out that our enemy is not flesh and blood.

Moore's only weakness is that he is writing from a middle-class perspective as he critiques families where both parents are working. This is the reality for many families and there is really nothing that can be done about it. Instead of making families who HAVE to do this to survive feel bad, we should help them and support them as they provide for their families. His focus, however, is rightly placed on those families who could easily make it on one income, but choose to put children in day care to pursue a lifestyle of affluence. That action does require some analysis and alternatives need to be considered.

Overall, however, his take on this subject is timely - especially his comments on spiritual warfare. 

Comments

[Charles]

Russell Moore makes some strong statements many of which I agree. I think we have all struggled with the where to draw the line between the "world" and our Christian walk, I know that I have. Do we completely seperate ourselves from the modern conveniences of the world as the Quakers and other conservative groups have. Where is that line to be drawn. There are as many lines as there are believers, who has got the "line" right.

[Alan Cross]

Charles, I think that for me, I do not try to draw any artificial lines. I am spending more time praying through decisions and my emotions when it comes to material things. I am realizing more and more that we live in a culture that values the things of earth over the things of God and I am trying to work through that. I think that you are right: there is no one line that anyone can hold up and say, "this is it." That immediately becomes legalism. I am not trying to be relativistic, but I do think that the Holy Spirit will guide us if we turn our hearts over to Him and ask Him to help us make these decisions.

If there is any one line, it is that we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then trust Him to provide what we need. Our first thoughts should be on things above.

As I said earlier, I have been thinking a lot about this lately, primarily because I have not received much teaching on this issue and I am seeing it more and more as a huge discipleship issue for people.

[Camel Rider]

I think one of the reasons Christians struggle with this is that it's often modeled by their church. I constantly see churches finishing one building project and then immediately starting another....why? It's all rooted in the need to have more and to have bigger. One of my home churches in the US just finished a $50 million sanctuary and then had to decrease giving to missions to help pay for it. Why did they build it? So all 7000 people could worship together instead of in 3 different services. Really...worth 50 million dollars? What kind of signal does this send to people? Bigger is better and convenience is worth whatever it costs.

[Ray Simmons]

Alan, in your statement, "Either the prophetic cry regarding our lifestyle choices and pursuit of the American Dream is getting louder, or I am just paying closer attention", I think the cry is getting louder, but I also think a culture split is actually happening under our noses.

In the 1970's, 80's and 90's, we (or at least I) lived right along the non-believing society: watched the same T.V. shows, went to the same schools, believed in the same Santa Clause, trick-or-treated the same Halloween. Maybe I'm out to lunch, but did we have "Harvest Festivals" when we were a kid?

I think that what Moore is calling for--a biblical culture based on the inerrant Word and not materialism (American Dream)--is already growing some roots. At the same time, secular America is moving further away from Christianity. The tension, for me, is to have the tear-laden attitude that Moore calls for as our unbelieving society moves further into the abyss.

[Ray Simmons]

After thinking about this a little more, my last comment wasn't really relevant to Moore's article. I wrote about a divide in culture from an entertainment, education, and social aspect. But Moore is telling us to be aware and not play along with American materialism. And he tells us that if we really lived out what we say (and read) about spiritual warfare, the SBC churches would look different.

Personally, it's a good reminder to me. Here's my question for myself: can I live a simple, frugal life, and at the same time make good money for the distinct purpose of expanding the Kingdom? Biblically, sure I can. Personally, I'm very cautious about money because I don't know how I'd handle it.

[Alan Cross]

Good thoughts, Ray. I think that the key to handling wealth is to seek first the Kingdom. If a Christian claims to be seeking both God and money, Jesus made it clear that that was impossible. You will hate one and love the other. But, if you truly seek to serve God first, then serve Him fully with whatever gifts and talents He gives you and live for His glory. If you become wealthy (and almost all Americans are wealthy in a global sense), then keep it submitted to God and do not forget the poor. God's heart is turned toward them.

I think that the wealth that we deal with can be quite a temptation. We must keep it submitted to God and in His service, not our own.