Chariot September 2007 - Norm Wakefield  

In Search of Happiness - Part 3     

    Ten-year-old Ben is on his way to being addicted to Playstation games. He can't imagine a day without them. For years, ever since his parents bought the first one, he has parked in front of the TV and "zoned out." Ben's parents discovered the games sufficiently occupied him so they could follow their own pursuits, so they purchased the latest games as they were released. Furthermore, the games provided a welcome escape for him when conflict arose between Ben and his parents. What spiritual power source has influenced Ben and his parents?

    This is the third article in a series explaining three power sources or spiritual influences people experience in their search for happiness. Last month, hopefully, you and your family began to recognize the spirit of law, the weakest power source in which people trust, as they cope with life and seek happiness. In this article, we are going to analyze the spirit of anti-Christ, the power that has a grip on Ben and his parents, as well as most people on the planet! This powerful spirit captures those who cannot cope with life's circumstances in their own strength and who do not turn to the Lord. 

The spirit of anti-Christ

    The second influence under which most people fall in their search for happiness is the spirit of anti-Christ. When I use the term anti-Christ, I am using it in the same way as the Apostle John in his first epistle. The prefix anti may be understood to mean in the place of Christ. Having tried to control things in his own strength, the natural man, whose spirit is dead to God and alive to the things of the world, falls under this influence. That's what has happened to Ben's parents as they searched for relief from Ben's interruptions. Let me explain.

    The spirit of anti-Christ is any influence suggesting that Jesus and the cross is not enough to fulfill one's need for happiness, cope with life, anesthetize the pain of guilt or comfort the hurt from relationships. It's a spirit that says that God's way or God's supply through Jesus Christ is not enough.

    In the book of 1 John, chapter four, the apostle warned, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus, is not from God. And that is the spirit of anti-Christ, of which you have heard that it is coming and now is already in the world." What did John mean?

The scheme of anti-Christ

    What is the scheme of the spirit of anti-Christ? The spirit of anti-Christ is an influence that is in the world. I think of it as the "user" spirit. It's a spirit that suggests that someone or something in the world can make you happy, that some thing will take away the pain, or that playstation games will keep Ben occupied so his parents can get relief from his constant interruptions in their lives. You can discern this spirit by the way it appeals to you. Whereas the spirit of law says, "If you'll do such and such you'll be happy," the spirit of anti-Christ tempts by saying, "If you'll try such and such you'll be happy." Sometimes in the midst of physical or emotional pain, one might hear, "If you'll try such and such, you won't feel so bad." The scheme of the spirit is to promote anything – anything but Jesus – anything but Jesus alone. John described this spirit as testifying that Jesus Christ is not God and did not come in the flesh. If Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the flesh, then that means Jesus Christ is the supply of God for man – for everything. Any spirit that says, "It's okay for you to believe in Jesus, but you also need _____ to be happy and successful," or "If you don't use _____ you won't be happy or successful," is the spirit of anti-Christ.

    Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying one shouldn't go to doctors, take medicines, work hard, or discover new ways to be more efficient. The issue is what we trust and to whom we look when we seek relief or happiness.

This spirit uses "good" and "bad" things

    This spirit may lead someone to positive physical things. For instance, for almost twenty years I looked to sports as a source of comfort and significance. When I didn't know what else to do, thinking about, watching, or playing sports satisfied me. Shopping, food, sex, drink, sports, work, sleep, and dozens of other necessary activities may become a source to which people look when they can't handle life or seek happiness.     

    The spirit may also tempt with things we typically consider bad such as illegal drugs, occult activities, immodest dress, pornography, immorality, and certain forms of entertainment. The destructive, negative options available in the world are almost endless. This deceptive spirit tempts undiscerning people with anything in the world one can use to provide relief, comfort, power, or success – happiness.

    When I did sheet metal work during my seminary years, I knew guys who, I'm convinced, couldn't work without their rock or country music. If anything happened to their music, they went into withdrawals. I'm sure they woke up to it, drove to work with it, and then they'd get the boom box booming at work to endure the day. They were addicted!

    The spirit of anti-Christ also uses things that are spiritually damaging. For example, religious emotional experiences often have a strong appeal. This spirit may provide supernatural experiences and phenomena to keep someone away from an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Have you known people searching for such experiences? Typically they are drawn to sensuous music, repetitive rote prayers, serving others, church attendance, commitments, or religious disciplines in order to relieve their guilt and feel good about themselves.

This spirit leads to addiction

    Why and how does someone become an addict? When drinking, one may not feel the pain he is trying to escape. Others drink because they think it helps them relax, and there's the catch – it does! The user of alcohol, porn, food, sex, sports, or video games becomes addicted because he's caught by the affect of the thing he looks to for happiness. The spirit of anti-Christ does have power, a stronger power than the spirit of flesh or the spirit of law. Whereas the spirit of law is weak in the flesh, the spirit of anti-Christ is stronger. It does provide temporary relief or motivation for a time. But since this power is stronger than flesh, willpower will never overcome this spirit.

    Because it does have temporary power, it leads to addiction. The alcoholic tries drinking and it works. It relieves stress, gains badly needed acceptance, or helps him forget what pains him. When its affect wears off, he feels the stress or the pain again. So he goes to the bottle repeatedly, but as he does, it requires an increasing amount to achieve the same affect. That's the scheme of the spirit of anti-Christ. Before he realizes it, he's hooked by a power that's greater than himself. This is how all addictions occur – it's the power of the anti-Christ spirit.

The spirit leads you to make a trade

    The spirit will also trade one idol of addiction for another. For instance, the anti-Christ spirit may trade group accountability for drugs, alcohol, and sex addictions. Who's missing? Jesus is! If the answer is group accountability, the answer is not Jesus and the cross. I'm not saying there's something wrong with group accountability. When Jesus isn't the power source, then the spirit of anti-Christ is still working.

    The anti-Christ spirit may also suggest religious activity be traded for immoral activity. A man may feel guilty about his use of pornography, so he finds when he goes to church and serves others he doesn't feel so bad about himself. The questions to ask are these: Is he bringing any more glory to Jesus Christ? Is he bringing glory to the cross? Has there really been a victory and a freedom that lifts up the name of Jesus Christ? The answers are clearly "NO" in each case. It's still the anti-Christ spirit influencing the man. He's traded off a religious thing for what is a physically destructive thing. In a sense, he's better off physically, but spiritually, it's even more destructive because now that he does the religious activity he feels that he's okay. The truth is, he's worse off spiritually because now he feels okay but still there's been no glory to Jesus Christ through true freedom. He hasn't come to the cross. He hasn't trusted in Christ personally.

    Shane (not his real name) sometimes traded food for pornography. He decided he needed to overcome pornography; so every time he felt weak or empty, he would buy candy. Ultimately, there was no difference in his life spiritually. He still wasn't looking to Christ, and food became the substitute. He had fallen for the scheme of a trade off. Shane still wasn't able to cope and handle life. He still was powerless when it came to securing happiness.

The spirit hardens and darkens you to the heart of God

    Whereas the flesh produces spiritual death and is unable to please God, the spirit of anti-Christ destroys the body and increases guilt and pain by casting darkness over the heart and over the mind. The spirit of anti-Christ drowns out the Word of God; consequently, the heart hardens toward God. This is a reproof for not looking to Jesus.

    How many people does the spirit of anti-Christ sidetrack every Sunday? As soon as they get in their cars, they turn on the radio or CD player instead of meditating on the Word of God and what God spoke through the preacher at church. How many people when they are tired and need spiritual fuel rent a DVD instead of lead their families to read God's Word, meditate, and pray for strength and renewal? How many men depend on worldly methods for success at work instead of the power of God's presence in their lives? How many women look to their husbands to make them happy instead of fellowship with the Holy Spirit? How many Bens are there in the world addicted to Playstation, music, movies, etc? In every case, the spirit of anti-Christ has raised up an idol to take the place of Jesus Christ. The root of this spirit is idolatry – looking to something – anything – other than God to secure happiness.

Is this spirit at work in the church today?

    I have a concern for the church in the United States. I'm afraid we've come under the influence of the spirit of anti-Christ without realizing it. What do ministers do when people have no interest in intimacy with Christ, sound doctrine, prayer, and fellowship with other believers in Christ? Or what happens when God withdraws the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a time of renewal or revival comes to an end?

    The answers to both these questions are usually the same: find something that will work! Instead of humbling themselves before God, praying, preaching the truth, repenting, and waiting on God to give the Holy Spirit to enliven, awaken, and motivate the church, they rely on worldly means and methods. By worldly I mean something in the world that stirs up good feelings and motivates people to attend. People who aren't motivated by the Holy Spirit may be motivated by the spirit of anti-Christ. The show must go on!

    Drama, sensual music, fancy media presentations, and shallow messages given in a short amount of time become the temptations. But when the music and entertainment is over what are they left with? People are still hurting and searching for happiness, and if the church down the street has a better show, then off they will go! The music, drama, powerpoint presentations, and programs aren't the problem. The problem is that the church leaders have looked to the anti-Christ spirit to grow the church.

Practical Application

    As you look back over your life, can you see the influence of the spirit of anti-Christ? Here's a suggestion for family devotions. After reading 1 John 2:15-18 and 1 John 4:1-6, share with your family how the spirit of anti-Christ has influenced you in your life. This kind of humility opens the door for them also to share candidly about their struggle with this spirit.

    Do you have the same concern about the church that I do? Perhaps on another night in family devotions, you can apply what you've learned to the church. Discuss what the church should do if it were spiritually cold. What do you think God sees when he looks at the church today in America? Are they trusting in the power of the flesh, the anti-Christ, or the Holy Spirit? How should this impact your prayer for the church? Maybe you can encourage your ministers when they preach the Word and look to Christ instead of using worldly means and methods.

    Perhaps a brief note of encouragement is in order. The key to overcoming addictions and a religious spirit is repenting of looking to the spirit of anti-Christ instead of the Holy Spirit for comfort, relief, power, or significance. God provided what we need in Him. He is the ultimate power source in one's search for happiness. But this is the topic of next month's Chariot of Fire. Until then, I encourage you to work through your life finding places of repentance before the Lord where you came under the deceptive, destructive spell of the spirit of anti-Christ – to the praise of God's glorious grace.