You may have heard it said before, that Satan loves to blind people to the truth. But what truth does he blind people from seeing? And how does it happen? Without this information, we can’t really be prepared for it, or recognize it when it is happening. There are some people who genuinely believe that the Gospel of Grace itself is an attempt by the enemy to blind people from the truth of God’s Law. Is that accurate?
So you see, without more information it is impossible to truly stand against the attempts of the enemy to blind people. Thankfully though, the scriptures do not leave us guessing about exactly how the enemy blinds people – and this is what I want to share with you today, so that you will not be caught off-guard, or left wondering how it happens. The answer may surprise you…
As we begin today, my little teaser may have seemed cute, but it is an accurate statement to say that most people are surprised when they see exactly how and why the enemy blinds people – because the scriptures are quite specific in detailing these things, and the majority of people are unaware of it. They simply know that the enemy does blind people, but they do not even know that the scripture continues on from there to explain how and why he does. So let’s look at it now, in 2nd Corinthians 4:3-4:
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine to them.”
Now, the word “lost” here for them that are lost is a little bit misleading, because it sort-of makes it sound like these people are doomed already and that there is no hope at all that they may come to see the truth. That of-course is not the case, or there would be no motivation to ever preach the Gospel at all. Instead it is more accurate to say those that are in the process of being lost. It’s happening currently, but it is not unchangeable.
In-fact the enemy is so afraid of it happening, that he purposefully tries to blind people from seeing the truth in a desperate attempt to prevent them from being saved. And we see this in verse 4 – and we also see something very interesting about specifically how and why it happens.
Notice that the god of this world (properly translated as a single age) has blinded the minds of them which don’t believe. Now that is very interesting! First we see that it is the mind, that is the place of your thoughts, feelings and emotions, that the enemy tries to blind. The enemy tries to obscure the truth by clouding your thoughts, your feeling your emotions, and as I mentioned, he will even use religious teaching to do it. If he can use religious preaching to make you think that the truth of Christ is actually evil or wrong, then that is exactly what he will do.
Now, what exactly is this truth that he wants so desperately to blind people from? That is the most important question, because it will clear-up a lot of confusion. There is a very specific thing that the enemy does not want people to see. Let’s look at the second-half of verse 4:
so that they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.
That is very specific language!
You see, the enemy doesn’t care if a preacher talks about God, or mentions the name of Jesus. The enemy doesn’t care if a pastor mentions the word grace or even reads from the scriptures – so long as the glorious Gospel of Christ never is shown. Because it is entirely possible to mention God and Jesus, and Grace and read from the scripture as a purely religious, legalistic or man-centered perspective and never see the truth of Christ.
It is the Gospel of Christ, His mercy, His grace and His finished work for you that is the focus here. The enemy desperately wants you to stay blinded, specifically to the truth of the finished work of Christ and your new identity in Him, because that is where the power is – that is where people are made free.
Why? Because all of that other stuff, is just a façade without the new identity which Christ has given to you. It doesn’t matter how much you talk about God or emphasize the name of Jesus, or read from scriptures or even talk about Grace, if you are still in your old and dead identity. There’s no power there, there’s no freedom there, there is no peace there. It would be the same as the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13… trying to claim Jesus by association, but having no real relationship or union in Him personally.
And this is the point of it all. There are literally millions of people, trapped in nothing more than dead religion, empty façade, and they don’t even realize it, because modern church social clubs keep them blissfully pacified. People are happy with their friends, and with the social events of the church, but they don’t see that it is still just as dead for this one reason: the glorious gospel of Christ is not being unveiled.
Many churches are preaching works-righteousness, the sufferings and sacrifices of men, and other religious things… and the people still have no awareness of their new identity in Christ – the fact that His righteousness is available to them as a free gift. That His holiness has been given to them, is not mentioned at all. That His Spirit can not only dwell inside them as a nice thought, but that His Spirit also empowers them and testifies that they are children of God, is never brought-up.
And the people there just keep sleep-walking from week-to-week, happy in the modern social-club atmosphere of modern church-anity.
And just like that, the enemy keeps many blind.
I submit to you that the church, the body of Christ, the assembly of believers was never meant to be as we see it today. Notice that verse 4 mentions that Jesus is the image of God. Yet many places are more focused on themselves and their works than the finished work of Christ.
Verses 5-7 then continue on to say this:
“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
These verses make it clear that we are not supposed to be looking at ourselves. We should not be preaching ourselves either. Our efforts, works and merits are not the focus, nor are they where we find our power. But the light of God, which chases away the darkness is in-fact the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. That is, His glory, the glory of God and what He has already accomplished for you – not what you are trying to accomplish yourself.
And this light of the glory of God, is found in one single place: the face of Jesus Christ. The anointed One of God, who came and sacrificed Himself, to totally remove all of your sin, once and for all – and to give you a completely new identity; an identity in which you can be completely united with Him as you were always meant to be.
And this glory doesn’t come because you have earned it, but because He has earned it for you in your place – it is a priceless gift, one that can never be bought or earned through any work or sacrifice of yourself. The price has already been paid – just receive.
This is the truth which the enemy wants so desperately to hide – because this is the life-giving truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the glorious Gospel of His Grace that makes you free.
Now you have heard.
Be blessed.