Seems to me the devil is winning in our culture today. And mostly by default. Nobody much opposes him. Politics plays right into his hands in most instances. Religion has absorbed into its doctrines and worship every kind of compromise imaginable—from rap music to staged productions of mostly false doctrine. Benny Hinn, noted televangelist, recent petitioned his followers to donate funds to make a down-payment on a multi-million dollar aircraft so he can fly to his world-wide events (and the Lord had no place to lay his head?).

The family has been decimated by the devil. He has run rough-shod over the husband’s role in the family, promoted wives to roles not approved by Scripture, and made children as much controllers as controlled in most households.

And have you noticed how sexual sins have proliferated? Even among small children. I saw a report recently where an 11-year old boy was arrested for molesting young girls ( I think we still had flaps on the back of our overalls when I was eleven). A report in the Houston Chronicle (December 20, 2006) tells that over 90% of people surveyed had engaged in sexual activity before marriage. And no wonder—television, magazines, and other media accept the fact of promiscuous sex as if it were normal. The devil is having a hey-day, folks.

Is there no such thing as immodest apparel in this age? Does anybody even remember what modest means? There seems to me to be no standard for ascertaining what is modest and what is not—except one: if it is acceptable to most of the people, it’s modest. The doctrine of “everybody’s doing it” is flourishing in this age, and with a sort of reckless abandonment of any sort of restraint. How long since you saw somebody blush? A while, I suspect. I tell you, the devil is having a hey-day.

The business world is not immune to the devil’s ploys, either. The business lie is common today—especially if it means a promotion. Advertising is filled with deception. So much so that nobody really believes what it says. Deception is not even restricted to the fine print anymore, it’s just sort of expected. Warrantees don’t mean what they say, products don’t do what they claim, the cost is always more than what is advertised, and when consulted about such matters, the answer is, “well why are you picking on me?” “After all, I have to make a living.”

Even the Lord’s people have succumbed to this tenacious, but subtle invasion by the devil. For instance, the Richland Hills congregation in the Metroplex area has announced recently that they will now have instrumental music in their worship services. In a recent statement to the congregation, the preacher said that while they were not trying to get all churches to follow their examples, their decision might, “inspire many other Churches of Christ to be courageous in their kingdom efforts, and it could help stem the tide of gifted young leaders who are leaving” (Christian Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2006). I noted that not one passage of scripture was cited to justify the instrument in the whole story—not one. And you think the devil is not having a hey-day?

Max Lucado, minister of the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, now openly states that baptism is not necessary to the salvation of the sinner, but is merely a “demonstration of devotion.” Again, no scripture to show such is forthcoming. What ever happened to “book-chapter-and-verse” preaching among churches of Christ? Is it not relevant to this age? If not, when was the change authorized, and by whom?

Read Ephesians 5. “Be followers of God,” (Eph. 5:1), avoid sexual sins (Eph. 5:2), along with covetousness, and all other kinds of uncleanness. Avoid foolish talk, filthy jesting, (Eph. 5:3). And look at the judgment on those who engage in such actions (Eph. 5:5); such a one has no inheritance in the kingdom of God. We can be deceived by empty promises (Eph. 5:6), and in so doing incur the wrath of God. We are to be lights in a world of darkness (Eph. 5:8), having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11), but reprove them. We are to prove in our lives what is acceptable to the Lord, being so far removed from them that we dare not even speak of some of the ungodly actions of the devil’s disciples (Eph. 5:12). We are to walk uprightly, not as fools (Eph. 5:15), redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5:16).

The devil is winning in far too many cases. Not just winning, but having a hey-day. What about you? Who’s going to win in your life? Well, it’s up to you. You can win or you can lose. It’s up to you.

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