Secret Agents

Deception... deceivers... where are they?  In World War II, spies were masters of deceit.  They trained in the art of deception.  When a British Agent was ready to deceive, he went into enemy occupied land to practice his deception.

Conversely, the Nazi Deceivers didn't stay in Germany-- they infiltrated the French Underground, parachuted into England.  But it would seem kind of silly for the German Deceivers to practice in the Reichstag.

Today, if we want to deceive Al Quida, our agent would go to an Al Quida cell.  It would be difficult to infiltrate the terrorist organization by hanging out with the Sean Hannity crowd.

Which brings me to my point-- in the interview with Hilary Bilbrey, we touched quickly on a message in the movie "The Imposter" while talking about Johnny C's evangelist father.  She said it was a huge moment when the father looked at Johnny and said "I taught you better than that... I taught you never to get caught."  But he's an evangelist!  Preaching stirring messages from the pulpit.

Where do imposters practice their art of deception?  Where do deceivers go to do their work?

I don't think Satan is as stupid as some think him to be.  When he gets his agents to go out, I don't think these deceivers go into the crowds of the already-deceived.  Where do you think the imposters and deceivers go?

The prince of darkness already owns the night.  He has to send imposters into the light.  So hello church.  The church is where the deceivers go.  It's where the imposters pretend.  I know-- I'd like to continue thinking that everyone there is on the up and up... that, praise God, we're all there with singular purpose and mission.  But that is "check-your-brain-at-the-door" thinking.  The church is infiltrated.  The enemy is among us.  And here's the worst part-- when I walk in the flesh, the enemy is me.

Look at Jesus's own crowd.  He turned to "the man" Peter... who would lead the church, and got in his face, saying "Get thee behind me Satan."  Wow.  I bet Pete felt real good about that one.  And in the end Satan entered one of the twelve and you know all about that one.

Many Christians know the verse well, Ephesians 6:12, right after the armor of God:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Church, you don't have to go to the streets, the bars, the mission field to find a battle. Or to fight in the shadows of the gates of hell.  The rulers of the darkness of this world have brought the battle to you.  So put on the full armor of God and start fighting.

This is one of the points of Johnny C and his father, the entertainer/evangelist.