For the last couple of weeks, I have been looking at idolatry (here and here) and how many times our hearts are captured by things that are not God, nor are they worthy of our worship. I have received a lot of great feedback from some of you, sharing your own struggles with idolizing ministry and other things. Some have shared how the Lord has been speaking to them some of these same things for this season of life. And some of you have written emails to discuss some of the nuances of idolatry. I am grateful for all of it!
I want to take some of this feedback (questions, comments, and advice) I have received and go a little deeper into what idolatry is and how we guard our hearts and minds against getting to that place.
Old Testament Idols
Throughout the Old Testament, discussions about idolatry were centered on actual carved idols, made of wood or stone. These were human-created images representing the various gods of the nations. In some cultures, idol-making was a huge business.
Concerning one question I was asked, my personal belief is that the pagan gods whom the idols represented were not just figments of human imagination. I believe they were actually heavenly beings, given authority to rule in the earth, but were acting in rebellion against God. (For examples, see Luke 4:5-6, Deuteronomy 32:8, and Psalm 82. I also recommend the book “The Unseen Realm” by Michael S. Heiser for deeper study on this topic.)
Whether these were real demonic beings or simply human creations, we must understand that people really did worship these idols. They really prayed to them and trusted them for their own security and blessing. They really sacrificed to them, sometimes even their children (2 Kings 17:31, Isaiah 57:5).
These idols had so captured the people’s hearts that they would give or do anything in worship of them.
What Makes Something An Idol?
This kind of veneration and service to these false gods goes beyond a surface level of sinfulness. This was not that people would occasionally give lip service to a false god or would just go to enjoy a party that might have been thrown in some false god’s name.
No. What raises this to the level of idolatry rather than simply sin is that the people came to love their idols. Their whole lives were wrapped around that thing. This is why over and over again when speaking to the issue of idolatry, the Lord condemns His people as prostitutes and whores! (You can find examples in Psalm 106:39, Jeremiah 3:1, Ezekiel 16:16, Hosea 4:12, et al.)
Though the form our idols take has changed over the millennia, the fact that we love things in the place of God has not!
Idolatry is a Love Issue.
One of the pushbacks I received from the first post on ministry idolatry was that as Christians, our hearts have been fully restored by the Lord in salvation. Therefore, our hearts are not where the problem lies, but it is a problem of mindsets. We must “be transformed by the renewing of our minds” and “set our minds on things that are above” (Romans 12:2 and Colossians 3:2).
The problem is that other places in the New Testament continually remind us to establish, purify, and guard our hearts! Just look at Romans 1:21-25; 6:17, 10:10; Ephesians 1:18, 3:17; Philippians 4:7; Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:17, 3:5; 1 Timothy 1:5; Hebrews 10:22; James 5:8; 1 Peter 3:15; 1 John 3:19-21.
Jesus Himself said that the fruit of a person’s life comes not out of the mind, but from deeper inside them; inside their hearts — the core of their being.
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Luke 6:45
Sin is a Mind Issue
I am not at all discounting that the mind has a major part to play in our sanctification. Most of our daily battles with sin come from mental temptations. Even Peter’s denial of Jesus was because his mind was in the wrong place (Matthew 16:23). This is why, when I discuss repentance, I am quick to point out that the Greek word, metanoia, carries the idea of first changing one’s mind, and their actions will follow.
In fact, just a few months ago, I wrote a whole series on spiritual warfare, beginning with an article called “the battle of the mind.”
My point here, however, is that when something goes to the level of “idolatry,” it has moved from a temptation issue to a love issue. When a person “loves” something at the level only God deserves, it becomes an idol, and begins to take control of aspects of their lives where only Christ should be ruling!
If sex becomes my idol, I move from God’s design to worshipping sex with my whole being. I will look for any willing partner. I will get addicted to pornography. I will start frequenting sexually promiscuous stores and businesses. When sex becomes god, our lives will fall in line to worship it.
When money becomes my idol, I will become greedy rather than charitable. I will exploit others to gain access to this god I worship, including shady business tactics, Ponzi schemes, and worse!
The same can be said of any idol!
Demonization Follows Idolatry
One other major issue to be aware of is that behind every false idol we prop up in our lives, there are still demonic forces attached that will seek control of our lives. For example, behind the god of sex is a spirit of lust and perversion. Likewise, behind a god of money is the spirit of mammon.
The same can be true of most things. As we give our hearts to worship and love something other than God, we open ourselves up to the spirit world and often give control of those areas of our lives to demons! (Though I intend to write more about demonization and deliverance in the future, for now, I would highly recommend the book “Healing Through Deliverance” by Peter Horrobin. It is the best resource on the subject, including the question, “Can a Christian have a demon,” that I know of.)
Core Idols
Moving back to a broad view of idolatry, then, we must be aware that even as believers, there will be temptations in our hearts to love, worship, and live for certain things as replacements for God. Though we may not worship wooden figurines, statues, or in a Parthenon of gods, our culture still has idols we give in to all the time. I won’t even dig into sports teams, celebrity culture, or political activism. I want to go broader than that.
A few years ago, when I was still on staff at a church in Texas, much of our time in personal counseling with people was spent digging below the surface level of sin to root out if there was a “core idol” operating at the heart level, which was affecting the mental level of the person toward sin. The four core idols we looked for, more than any other, were power, comfort, security, and control. These are things that people don’t just stumble into as sin. These are things people hid in their hearts as the things they live for.
Power
The idol of power encompasses a love of success, money, and social status. It is a heart that desires to be elevated above other people in pride and arrogance. This is the core idol Naaman struggled with in last week’s post.
In the church, the idol of power is very often connected with a religious spirit. There is no freedom, only rules and regulations which must be followed, or else you are “out of alignment.”
Comfort
The idol of comfort is a heart that values my own ease over anything else. Greed may be involved, but not always. It may simply be a love for “me time” over a heart to serve the Lord and others.
As a missionary, I can tell you for sure that many in the Western world struggle with the idol of comfort when it comes to getting involved in cross-cultural missions. To give financially to global missions is a “sacrifice” rather than a “privilege.” To actually go visit a “third-world” country on a mission trip is unthinkable because it directly challenges this idol.
The idol of comfort comes out in many ways. Some people live with a general sense of entitlement about their comforts. Others “work hard to build the life” they want. Both of those may still be an idol.
Security
The security idol is another major player in most of our lives. Just look at how the world has transformed in the last few decades. Warning labels have popped up on everything from heavy machinery to disposable coffee cups. Children are not allowed to do many of the things I did as a child in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
In the realm of faith, where the early church boldly went into the world, facing persecution and martyrdom, our fear of creating enemies keeps us quiet about the gospel in the least-confrontational environments.
Security isn’t just about not getting physically hurt, either. Emotional wounding, traumatic experiences, or just the risk of getting offended has shut down people’s lives and love for God. Instead of resting in the shadow of His wings, we create safe spaces where we can hide so nothing can hurt us.
Control
Probably the biggest core idol of the four, the need to be in control is the one worshipped universally by people, at one time or another, in life. I will go anywhere or do anything so long as I remain in control. As soon as I am no longer in charge of myself and my faculties, then this idol begins to fight back.
I cannot think of any other false idol worshipped in the American church as that of “control.” After all, it is the American spirit — independence and self-reliance. It is the promise of having “my rights,” and no one else can tell me what to do. Just look at any “Karen” video on social media, and you will see this idol at work.
Guarding Our Minds and Hearts
For the Christian, then, whose heart is supposed to be captivated by Jesus and whose mind is being transformed by His Holy Spirit, we must come to understand that we must guard both!
We must fill our minds with righteous and holy things, just as the Word of God instructs (Philippians 4:8). So much of our battle with sin, temptation, and the devil has to do with letting our minds wander and, at least in the moment, forgetting who we are in Christ. Where we allow our minds to go, our lives will follow.
Still, though, at a deeper level, we must do a heart check from time-to-time, to make sure that it is still Jesus sitting on the throne.
Returning to First Love
My mind goes to Christ’s rebuke of the church of Ephesus in the book of Revelation. The Lord says:
“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”
Revelation 2:2-4
The Lord recognized that the church had a hatred of sin and evil and had gone out of their way to protect themselves from being infected from false teachings and lies from the enemy at the mental level. However, His condemnation comes at the heart level. “You are losing your love for Me!”
In the midst of their toil to live faithfully to the gospel, Jesus was losing His place at the center. That is idolatry.
For us, today, we must check our hearts and make sure Jesus is really the one we love. Jesus, who is our King, must be given the power over our lives rather than holding it for ourselves. The Holy Spirit of God must be our comfort, just as Jesus promised He would be. The covering of God’s love must be our security. And when we call Him our Lord, we must lay down our control and let Him be the one who guides our every step.
The Bible says, “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Jesus loved us so perfectly that all of our sin has been covered and dealt with. Now it is time for us to find complete freedom from idolatry, as we love Him back completely.
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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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