Culture Wars and Spiritual Battles
by Doy Moyer
It is possible to win the culture war, as it is called, and lose the spiritual battle. They are not the same. Culturally, Christians want to stand up for the right and oppose the wrong. We want to keep evil influences from being so pervasive, so we do what we can where we can. As in the days of the first-century Christians, we live in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, and we are expected to be lights in a world of darkness, holding fast the word of life (Philippians 2:14-16; Matthew 5:13-16). Christians have a cultural influence, and we must be careful that we are glorifying God with these opportunities. By distinguishing the culture war from the spiritual battle, I am not diminishing the need for Christians to have a cultural impact as light in the world.
However, we must also understand that the spiritual battle is much deeper than having a cultural voice. Culturally and publicly, Christians might have a good influence in this world, as they ought, but this is not a guarantee that they are winning the spiritual battles on the personal level. The spiritual battle is for the soul, not ultimately for a culture that will eventually fade, but for the individual who will stand before the Lord’s judgment seat (II Corinthians 5:10). What we do culturally may be part of the spiritual battle as each Christian grapples with how they can point people to the Lord, but the heart of the spiritual battle is in the mind and heart of the individual. We know that the devil is like a lion, prowling about and seeking someone to devour (I Peter 5:8). Having a strong cultural voice does not keep someone from being devoured personally.
When Paul told the Ephesians to put on the full armor of God that they may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:12-19), he wasn't talking only about taking cultural stances. He was talking about the battle for the mind, which requires the individual to be ready to fight for his or her own soul. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Paul is recognizing here that the true enemy is not a culture, but rather is the devil and his agents. A culture might be a tool of Satan, but the target isn’t culture per se; the target is the hearts of the individuals. Only on the personal level can we love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. Only there can we love our neighbor as ourselves. We can win many cultural wars, but we still lose our souls if we fail at the greatest commandments.
When working with individuals, therefore, Christians need to be careful that they do not lose their souls even while standing up for what's right outwardly. Paul had his own concerns about this, as he indicated in I Corinthians 9:25-27, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” Our influence toward those around us might be strong, but without self-control, we might disqualify ourselves from eternal life. This is a real danger to which we need to pay special attention. Recall what Paul told Timothy: “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (I Timothy 4:16).
Further, we need to understand that just persuading people to change moral stances culturally does not in itself save their souls. Salvation is only in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). Culture wars can be fought over many moral issues, but we are still lost without the blood of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness He provides. Therefore, Christians are interested in changing the culture around them, bringing Jesus Christ to a lost world, and seeking reconciliation with God. Our mission of being lights in this world is tied directly to bringing the gospel to all nations (cf. Matthew 18:18-20). The gospel transcends national boundaries, cultures, and ethnicities. The gospel is greater than politics, so Christians need to be careful about getting too wrapped up in political movements and parties. For Christians, the Kingdom of God always comes first (Matthew 6:33), with no exceptions!
Therefore, we must be careful to distinguish the broader culture war from the spiritual battles that each of us must face. We do indeed want to have a godly influence on our culture. However, we also need to make sure that in the process, we aren't failing the spiritual battles that each must face.
