For a few years now I’ve kicked around the idea of writing a book called, “Suburban Damnation.” The premise is this: Satan has an INCREDIBLE foothold in the suburbs, but in ways that are either hidden, or socially accepted (which are absolutely the most dangerous deceptions of the evil one.) Below are a few examples.
As you read them, understand that they are MY PERSONAL daily struggles, not just the struggles of those around me. In your life (as in mine), may the Lord do with these thoughts/challenges anything He desires.
#1 The pace of the suburbs can be furious and out of control. Upwardly mobile people stay busy at all costs…it’s all they know, what they MUST do to stay afloat, and all that is modeled around them. Taking time to reflect on life is almost impossible. Prioritizing time for a significant and sincere relationship with God is pretty much unfeasible. Genuine, conversational prayer with God takes time, as does constructive moments of fueling on God’s Word. Those two vital habits are supremely hard to come by when life’s schedule is filled to the max, and when everything else needs your attention and energy to keep your head above water. Satan enslaves the schedules of suburbanites, and then is able to keep everything that is truly important out of reach.
#2 A vast majority of the churches in the suburbs are CRAP! People who are blessed with a lot of wealth and resources often gravitate toward religious gatherings that help them “poise themselves” for an even greater accumulation of resources. In other words, when you’re successful and pretty much have it all, what do you need from God? The answer is MORE AND MORE OF THE MATERIAL STUFF AND THINGS THAT YOU’RE ALREADY ADDICTED TO. The satanic prosperity gospel – that God loves giving MORE MATERIAL STUFF to people who follow Him and complete His checklist of works – flourishes in the suburbs. Open your eyes, take a look around, it’s everywhere, and it’s already infiltrated a ton of so-called “Christian” churches. The prosperity gospel is the devil’s poetry, and successful suburbanites are extremely tempted to soak it up.
#3 The status quo of the suburbs is horribly perverted. When a suburbanite thinks they are barely “making it”, the reality is that they are blessed beyond the dreams of 99% of the human race. I recently heard it said that if we desired to have every family on the planet live in the kind of shelter (house) that we suburbanites do, it would take over 10 planet earths to fit all of the houses. That’s insane. The amount of houses, goods, cars, clothes, hobbies, and restaurants we think of as “normal” is all out of whack, because we’re comparing ourselves to a crazy inflated standard. Satan loves having suburbanites compare themselves to one another, especially to the neighbor or friend who has just a bit more than we do. He then uses that “abnormal” expectation to enslave us to all kinds of stuff and things, and then he easily takes our focus off of the things that truly matter the most.
#4 Suburbanites have been bamboozled by the notion that bigger and flashier is better, and that gets applied not only to our personal lives, but also to our church buildings. We build bigger and bigger worship spaces (MEGA spaces in many instances), and then those facilities sit empty for the VAST MAJORITY of the time. Satan LOVES to have our resources tied up in buildings that look flashy and sit empty, because then our dollars will not be spent on missional and care endeavors that truly make a difference…endeavors that truly help people, and effectively connect them to their Savior Jesus. That is ALWAYS satan’s ultimate attack on the suburbs, to keep suburban residents disconnected from the Savior Jesus, and to keep their POWERFUL, GOD-GIVEN resources from being put to use in missional, soul saving ways.
#5 Addiction is off the charts in the suburbs. As a pastor who has confidential counseling conversations on a daily basis, I know this firsthand. Addiction is hidden SUPREMELY WELL in the suburbs, but make no mistake, it’s everywhere. It actually makes perfect sense when you think about it. The lifestyle of the suburbs produces an insane amount of stress: Stress to make a lot of money, stress to fit in, stress to stay plugged in to all the important circles, stress to have your children involved in every activity under the sun. When stress goes off the charts, addiction is the devil’s medicine. Addiction to alcohol, prescription drugs, pornography, food, shopping, etc, is rampant in the suburbs. And then, because the last thing you want to do in the suburbs is look weak or become the fodder of gossip, addiction gets hidden at all costs, and never addressed. Satan loves enslaving people with addition, and he knows that if he can enslave millions of suburbanites with addiction, he can keep them from blessing the world with their lives and resources, and also keep them from blessing their own children with a legacy of health and charitable service. Don’t be fooled, addiction is not an inner-city problem…it’s the “bubonic plague” of the suburbs. Thank God that Jesus breaks the cycle of addiction everyday, and that He has put in place a “remnant” of resources and programs that can help God’s people be free of the slavery of addiction.
If you live in the suburbs, I imagine that many of these points have challenged you, or even slayed you (like they did me.) Let the Lord use them to open your eyes, and transform your life. THANK GOD for the perfect Savior Jesus, who paid for ALL SINS on the cross, including my sins (and yours) that have been laid bare in the five points above. In the full and perfect forgiveness of the Savior, rise anew to live a redeemed life, bought back from all the junk that satan is trying to sell you. Thank you Lord Jesus for constantly helping us fight the good fight. With YOUR power, the enemy will never win.
