The Devil Votes Christian Values: Why We’re Tempted to be Glorified Satanists Rather than Crucified Followers

This past week, Dr. Russ Moore preached an excellent chapel message on Matthew 4:8-17.

Satan is not fearful of external conformity to rules. Not even of external conformity to the rule of Christ, provided there is no cross. Satan does not mind family values, as long as what you ultimately value is the family. Satan does not mind social justice, as long as you see justice as most importantly social. Satan does not tremble at a Christian worldview. He will let you have a Christian worldview, as long as your ultimate goal is viewing the world.

If Jesus will receive the kingdoms of the world, this crafty serpent thinks, then he can hand them to Him apart from the shedding of blood at the cross, apart from the overthrow of the demonic powers through the empty tomb, apart from a reconciliation between a holy God and a renegade humanity. If he can just bypass the cross and get to the Kingdom apart from the cross, then he will have everything that he wants.

Pastors, Satan doesn't mind if you preach on the decrees of God with fervor and passion every single week, provided that you do not ever preach the Gospel of the cross. Homeschooling moms, Satan does not mind if you teach your children all the books of the Bible and all the Ten Commandments and all of the Catechism, provided you do not teach them the Gospel of a bloody cross. He will let you, ministers of the Gospel, he will let you get what it is that you want, no matter what that is: sanctity of marriage, environmental protection, orphan care, all of these good and wonderful things. He will allow you to gain those things, provided you do not preach and proclaim and live through the power of a cross that cancels his power of condemnation. He so fears the Gospel, Christ crucified and raised from the dead, that he is willing to surrender his entire empire just to appease the threat of it.