The Attacker

  "⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits^[a] of the world, and not according to Christ." Colossians 2:8

Rule No. 4: “Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. ‘You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.’”

Rule No. 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.”

Rule No. 11: “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it.”

The above 3 rules are from Saul Alinsky's book Rules for Radicals. I would assume that most Christians have done this to another. He wasn't a christian, but a man that instructed those in the dedication of his book to remember Satan. The attacker picks a person, the target, and then goes after them with their righteousness. They attack the person over and over again to the point where the individuals spirit is finally broken. The person becomes numb, or they no longer can see the difference between the truth and a lie. They stop fighting and give in to the attacker.

^"17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them." Romans 16:17

The attacker attacks the individual for their way of life. The attacker doesn't want the life they have envisioned disrupted, or the appearance of godliness to be broken. Then the attacker uses guilt to damage the person more. They want you to conform. They don't want you to rebel against the life they have created for others to see. They want you to praise them for godliness. They want you to be just like them, because in their minds God gave them the wisdom to control. They don't want to hear the truth of scripture, because that is not their version of God. They fight it, throw stones, and find others to attack you just the same way.

^"5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." 2 Timothy 3:5

The attacker will continue to try to shape and mold your heart and mind. It becomes their goal to change you into them. It becomes their mission for you to never rock the boat. It becomes their mission in to get you to do what they want you to do. Then the true nature and motive comes out when you don't. The initiative is not from love, but from control. This could be your spouse, your friend, your parent, your grandparent, your child, or your grandchild. We are naive' in our relationships.We are prone to the attacker. We are prone to play the religious game. We hate when we lose and then cause dissension.

^"10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him," Titus 3:10

Freedom is when we finally tell the individual they are wrong. When we finally have the courage to say no. When finally say their version of God is wrong. When finally walk away and say no more. At some point stop playing the game.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

Jesus did not desecrate, defile, or profane anything, but he was, without question, the most appropriately sacrilegious revolutionary of all time, and his call for anyone who follows is to be like Him. " - Hugh Halter from "Sacrilege"