Zambia Hunt

It is of utmost urgency that we rally godly men and women across our continent of Africa to the cause of biblical thinking.  We are engaged in a spiritual battle, a battle for the control of our minds.  

Many protagonists vie for a place in our thinking,  each seeking to influence us to think in a certain way.  The world (read that – your particular culture) relentlessly pounds us with a man-centered philosophy without biblical moorings.  Our flesh wars against our spirit, continuously seeking to influence our thinking to satisfy its fleshly desires. This is a battle we all face, a struggle that is personal and unique to each of us.

Culture places incredible demands upon us to comply with the wisdom of the world. For an engaged Christian couple not to comply with the demands of the extended family, including those demands that are directly opposed to Scripture is deemed unthinkable! This cultural mindset is often colored by unbiblical priorities, assumptions. beliefs and practices. Most often cultural demands carry more influence than the Scriptures, even for those who clearly profess to be followers of Jesus Christ.

We believe that the Word of God is the complete revelation of God to man and provides the sole authority for our faith and practice. Scripture alone is our authority! This truth is not just important, it is sacred. It is the truth that guided the reformers and continues to guide us today. It is the foundation of our faith and the compass that directs our lives.

There have always been those in the “professing church” who have refused to give the Scriptures their proper place. This is most often seen in the awe toward those who are self-proclaimed prophets of God.  There have always been those who wished to add to Scripture their own authority and the unique teachings that set them apart.

Basil of Caesarea ran into some of the same problems long ago in replying to his opponents who appealed to their customs and traditions as relevant and authoritative.  He said,

“If custom is to be taken in proof of what is right, then it is certainly competent for me to put forward on my side the custom which obtains here.  If they reject this, we are clearly not bound to follow them.  Therefore, let God-inspired Scripture decide between us, and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the Word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth.” (Catholic Answers: Myth or Reality? – A Refutation of Patrick Madrid’s Article, “The White Man’s Burden,” and a Defense of Sola Scriptura – Alpha and Omega Ministries. https://www.aomin.org/aoblog/roman-catholicism/catholic-answers-myth-or-reality-a-refutation-of-patrick-madrids-article-the-white-mans-burden-and-a-defense-of-sola-scriptura/)

More subtly, we who champion the Truth may become victims in the battle for biblical thinking. We must be on guard lest we are influenced by the latest evangelical fad from the influencial West. Some contemporary examples of such fads would be the Prayer of Jabez, WWJD, or the Purpose-Driven Life. One only needs to listen to local church jargon here in Zambia among the youth in the average evangelical church to quickly pick up on unbiblical belief systems. These would be phrases like, “I claim that blessing” or “bind the devil” to mention a few.

There are those among us who believe that an effective church planting strategy is an amplifier, speakers and a keyboard. The things that attract the crowds are a powerful prophet, and promised miracles. The church planting strategy focuses on singing and dancing, not doctrine or theology.

In the excellent article entitled “The Flaws of a Fad-Driven Church,” Phil Johnson writes, “Listen, for example, to Tony Campolo, arguing that today’s evangelical seminary students need to be taught marketing savvy rather than theology and Scripture. This is from a book he co-authored with Brian McLaren, ironically titled Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel. Yet Campolo himself has missed the point. He is actually arguing that church leaders should follow the culture and study marketing techniques rather than theology. And he suggests this would be a good thing. He writes:

“What if the credits eaten up by subjects seminarians seldom if ever use after graduation were instead devoted to more subjects they will actually need in churches—like business and marketing courses? It is not true that with a gifted preacher, a church will inevitably grow. Good sermons may get visitors to stay once they come, but getting folks to come in the first place [will] take some marketing expertise. It was a marketing degree, not an M. Div., that Bill Hybels had when he launched the tiny fellowship that would one day be Willow Creek Community Church. It’s not that Hybels is a theological lightweight, [but he’s “brilliantly relevant”]—and the relevance comes not from giftedness or theological discernment, but from thoughtfully studying his congregation. As any good marketer would, Hybels deliberately surveys his people with questionnaires in order to determine what they worry about, what their needs are, what’s important to them. . . . Then he schedules what subjects he will preach on in the coming year, and circulates the schedule to those on his team responsible for music and drama in the services. The result is preaching that is . . . acutely relevant. But the process isn’t something you’ll learn in most seminaries. Maybe it’s time that some business school courses find their way into seminary.” (The Flaws of a Fad-Driven Church, Part 1. https://www.gty.org/library/Articles/A280/The-Flaws-of-a-FadDriven-Church-Part-1)

These western fads are not dissimilar to those in our own backyard. We have slick prophets and Christian business coaches who will train upcoming prophets how to do ministry – for a fee of course.

The Prophet Jonah did not enter Nineveh and begin a marketing survey. Noah was a preacher of righteousness who, after 120 years of ministry, saw only his immediate family of seven people find salvation in the ark. Perhaps if Paul had been trained in marketing skills, perhaps he would not have been stoned, beaten, imprisoned, and run out of town so often.

“The Bible claims to be the sole and sufficient rule of faith for the Christian Church.   The Scriptures are not in need of any supplement.  Their authority comes from their nature as God-breathed revelation.  Their authority is not dependent upon man, the Church, or council.  The Scriptures are self-consistent, self-interpreting, and self-authenticating.  The Christian Church looks at the Scriptures as the only and sufficient rule of faith, and the Church is always subject to the Word, and is constantly reformed thereby.” (James R. White, Catholic Answers: Myth or Reality? – A Refutation of Patrick Madrid’s Article, “The White Man’s Burden,” and a Defense of Sola Scriptura – Alpha and Omega Ministries. https://www.aomin.org/aoblog/roman-catholicism/catholic-answers-myth-or-reality-a-refutation-of-patrick-madrids-article-the-white-mans-burden-and-a-defense-of-sola-scriptura/)

Because Scripture alone is the basis of our belief and practice, it is vital that we know the Scriptures.  We want to be true to the God of the Word by being true to the Word of God.  There is a second reason why we must know the Scriptures:  What we believe determines what we do.  No man will live beyond what he is convinced is true.  Biblical faith is based upon the revelation of God through His written Word.  Genuine faith always moves us to action – we act upon what we are convinced is true; lack of action reveals a lack of genuine faith even though the lips may profess otherwise.

The Apostle Peter, writing during a time of intense persecution under Emperor Nero, provides us with crucial advice for this spiritual battle: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith…” (1 Peter 5:8-9, ESV)

But how do we practically apply this in our daily lives?

First, we must recognize that our mind is the battlefield in this spiritual war. Our minds are the primary target of Satan’s attacks. He works tirelessly to move us away from truth, suggest his thoughts, obscure our understanding, and mislead us. This is why being “sober-minded” and “watchful” is so crucial.

Next, we need to understand the enemy’s tactics. Satan is crafty, using various strategies to influence our thinking:

1. He manipulates circumstances to make us doubt God’s goodness or power.
2. He uses the critiques or discouragement of others to derail us from God’s plan.
3. He appeals to our carnal desires, filling our minds with thoughts contrary to God’s will.
4. He leverages cultural trends and worldly philosophies to subtly shift our perspective.

Knowing these strategies is half the battle. But how do we fight back? Peter tells us to “resist him, firm in your faith.” Our primary weapon in this struggle is truth – God’s truth as revealed in Scripture.

At this point, the doctrine of Sola Scriptura becomes vitally important. The Bible isn’t just a good book; it’s God’s complete revelation and the sole authority for our faith and practice. We’re equipped to recognize and resist the enemy’s lies when we anchor our thinking in Scripture.

So, how can we practically guard our minds and cultivate biblical thinking? Here are some steps we can take:

1. Actively renew your mind by immersing yourself in God’s Word (Romans 12:2).
2. Prepare your mind for action, staying alert to the battle around you (1 Peter 1:13).
3. Critically evaluate every thought, taking it captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
4. Turn to God in prayer, allowing His peace to guard your mind (Philippians 4:6-7).

Remember, this battle isn’t just about defending against attacks. It’s about proactively filling our minds with truth. As we do this, we’ll find ourselves better equipped to discern between truth and error, resist temptation, and daily live out our faith with confident conviction.

The battle for biblical thinking requires vigilance, discernment, and a deep commitment to God’s truth. But take heart – we don’t fight alone. As John reminds us, “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

So, let’s stand firm, rooted in God’s Word, ready to engage in this battle for our minds. The victory in this battle is that we’re transformed, growing in our faith, and becoming more like Christ each day.