There are lots of people taking pot shots at religion these days. Everyone seems happy to claim spirituality, with few willing to claim religion. “I’m spiritual but not religious,” is the only “denomination” that appears to be in favor.
Religion isn’t all bad. Our declaration that we are “spiritual but not religious” means that we pave the path of our own experience with God. Can that be done? Do we, the creature, get to dictate to the Creator the structure of our relationship? We are foolish if we think that we can make our own way to God. We are proud if we think we can make a path just for ourselves to the Almighty. We are arrogant if we think that the wisdom of those who have gone before us as they sought after God isn’t worth attending to.
Let’s not discard religion so quickly. Religion can be a gift to us. In it, we can hear the hard-earned wisdom of those who have sought after God.
But religion can be a deadly trap as well. There is a religious impulse in us that seeks to climb our way to God, to create happiness on our own. It is an impulse that goes back to Adam and Eve.
In Recapturing the Wonder, Mike Cosper suggests that Satan appeals to Adam and Eve with religion: “Eat this meal with me and transcend your limitations. Live your best life now.” If you think about it, it makes sense that Satan would use this tactic. As a former angel of light, Satan knew what life in the presence of God was. And yet, it wasn’t enough for him. He demanded a more perfect life: a life where he was in control. A life where he was glorified. And so he tempted Adam and Eve with the very lure that snagged himself.
That is the danger of religion: believing that there is a better way than what God has given us. Religion is believing that grace isn’t sufficient, that works are necessary. After all, God’s part is good, but if we can contribute, it’s better.
Cosper believes that Satan isn’t happy with religion staying here. Satan wants us to create a religion that not only builds our own stairway to heaven, but then shields us from the eye of God. Cosper says that, “In hiding, [Adam and Eve] reveal that their religious transformation is complete. They now believe themselves to be living in a world where they can hide from the watchful eye of God… This is the origin story for all our anxieties and our restless lives. Made for life-with-God, we were lured into life-apart-from-God, tempted by a religious impulse for self-improvement.”
How does Satan tempt you to transform God’s grace into your own religion? How does he lure you to believe that you can make it on your own? Does he whisper in your ear that you don’t need to ask for forgiveness, because the one you sinned against had it coming? Does he tell you that you need to clean yourself up before you go to church? Or that you don’t need church at all because they’re all hypocrites anyway? Or perhaps he spins you in a cycle of shame, telling you the only way out is to fix yourself. Or maybe he tells you to look at how bad those sinners are and how much better you are.
The lies of the enemy are endless. He doesn’t care whether he uses spirituality or religion. He is happy to use the church or a self-help guru. As long as he steers you away from grace and dependence on God. Anything is dangerous in the hands of the twister of truth. Even religion.
