When the Church Said Yes to Satan

I believe in the Devil- not because a horned villain lurks in my theology, but because he lives in the imaginations of those who crave power at any cost.

Eric Hoffer argued that “mass movement can rise and spread without a belief in God, but never without a belief in a devil.” This claim is playing out before our very eyes.

Today, a once-fringe ideology called the Seven Mountain Mandate has marched into the mainstream of American religion and politics. It teaches that Christians must conquer every cultural institution- government, education, media- not through service or love, but by seizing control.

But Christians already have a story about the seduction of power.

“. . .the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,

and serve only him.’ ” – Matthew 4:8-11

Tragically, while Jesus said, “No,” others have given to temptation.

The Seven Mountains Mandate has found eager allies in the New Apostolic Reformation movement and political organizations like Turning Point USA. In a single act of worship they knelt and said:

“We’ll take that deal.“

In so doing they have conjured the very devil Jesus denied.

Now, in the rush to claim cultural mountains, some Christians have traded the gospel for influence, discipleship for dominion, and the cross for a throne. They mistake conquest for compassion — as though the kingdom of God could brought about by steamrolling everyone else. For them domination is divine.

It’s time Christians reclaim the Gospels as resistance literature and step down from the mountain and walk into the crowd. The world does not need more Christians obsessed with ruling the world.

It needs Christians who look like Christ.