Age of Encroachment PART 1

It has been nearly 24 years since President George W. Bush first used the term Axis of Evil to describe the nefarious relationship existing between Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. I recall agreeing with the sentiment at the time and adding that China and Russia should probably also be included. A lot has changed since then, but we are still dealing with many of the same global problems that existed almost a quarter of a century ago.

That should not be surprising, as global trends seem to work that way. The past millennium of Western history can essentially be divided by these dominant themes or zeitgeists. From the theocratism of the Crusades, through the humanism of the Renaissance, the expansionism of the Age of Exploration and Protestant Reformation, Baroque-era statism, the populism that fueled the American and French revolutions, 19th century nationalism, and 20th century totalitarianism, the world has been governed by predominant ideas that are difficult to attribute to any individual.

People may interpret the zeitgeist, or spirit of the age, differently based upon their unique cultures, but the themes themselves tend to be universal, or at least extend across multiple countries and languages. The American and French Revolutions looked different, but both were fueled by a similar desire for autonomy. The Communists, Fascists, Maoists, Nazis, and Soviets gained power in response to the same abuses and excesses of industrialization that the Americans and British resisted through labor unions and reforms. Such has been the case in every era, and you can find the shared themes of a zeitgeist in politics and popular culture throughout history.

Our contemporary world is no different, and the problems we have faced since the fall of the Iron Curtain are unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. Such themes are best recognized in retrospect, but I believe we are living in and through the Age of Encroachment. Christianity is under attack to various degrees by rabid secularists advancing DEI and LGBWXYZ on one side and Muslims wielding Sharia law and terrorism on the other. These two groups may seem to be opposed to one another, but I think they align with one another at a deeper level, which I will address in the next two articles in this series. Of course, recognizing the forces aligned against us does not automatically defeat them, but it does help us to consider our response, which I will discuss in the final article in this series.

While much of history is arranged into neat periods divided by precipitous events, a zeitgeist rarely emerges so clearly or singularly. There are usually complex situations that inform, perpetuate, and indicate the existence of a zeitgeist, but none of these are its genesis. Consider the late 1960s and society’s push towards freedom. While this phenomenon was seen in the fight against Communism in Southeast Asia, against Soviet totalitarianism in the Space Race, against Jim Crow racism in the American Civil Rights movement, and against puritanical restraint in the free love movement, it also appeared in art, music, medicine, politics, psychology, and a host of other places. Different thought leaders said different things, and people in different cultures experienced it differently, but there was a collective agreement that freedom was the dominant ideal of the decade.

But where did that dominance originate? Did Malcolm X give a speech and the whole world suddenly agree with him? Did everyone immediately support the Vietnam War? Did everyone hear the same Beatles song at the same time? Of course not, but what is the origin story of the freedom zeitgeist? The term zeitgeist connotes a spiritual origin, with some attributing that origin to demons, and Ephesians 6:12 refers to “the rulers of the darkness of this age.” I believe that each zeitgeist is part of a broad demonic strategy to eliminate, misdirect, or otherwise reduce the effectiveness of the Body of Christ.

To demonstrate this, it may help to look at the past millennium in a less charitable light. The theocratism of the Crusades was a push toward manmade religion on both sides. Religions are systems men devise for other men to utilize to access God. This is in contrast with Jesus, who lived a perfect life and willingly lay down His life to be brutally sacrificed so that we could access God through Him instead of other people. This push away from Jesus and toward religions culminated in a substantial loss of life. Those who died paid the ultimate price for physical territory, when Christianity focuses more on salvation (being born again spiritually), and sanctification (continuous spiritual growth and renewal through spiritual disciplines). The zeitgeist of this era pushed people away from Jesus and into religion, focused on material outcomes instead of spiritual ones, and resulted in a lot of bloodshed and loss of life. That sounds like the enemy’s agenda to me.

You can see the same demonic agenda in the humanism of the Renaissance, which glorified the self, and in the Age of Exploration, which led to a lot of greed and exploitation. As the spirit of religion corrupted Roman Catholicism, the Protestant Reformation left a five-century wake of division and rebellion instead of submission and unity. As the Reformation ended Roman Catholicism’s theocratic stronghold over the West, secular states seized power that should have belonged to the church, and it has only gotten worse over the past 500 years. Furthermore, the spirit of rebellion and emphasis on self led to revolutions, which led to nationalism, and which eventually led to secular totalitarianism.

Please do not misunderstand. Recognizing that zeitgeists are part of a broader demonic agenda is not a criticism of everything they have produced. I am pro-church, pro-Reformation, pro-America, and pro-civil rights. I believe “that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). At the same time, I recognize the harm that these zeitgeists have inflicted upon the Body of Christ. As a descendant from long lines of Protestants, Americans, and Southerners, many of my ancestors lived much more in rebellion than in submission and unity. They were focused on their ability to do what was right in their own sight instead of submitting to authority, and their legacy has cemented rebellion as my flesh’s default setting. I understand and share their desire for autonomy and liberty, but I recognize that true freedom is only available through Jesus Christ.

If zeitgeists are part of a broader demonic agenda, what should we make of the zeitgeist of this present age? What is it, what is its intent, and how should we as believers respond? I answer these questions in the next article.

REPRINT from Matt Garris written by Matt Garris. 

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