The Weapon of Marginalization

In any warfare there are always key weapons at the hands of the commanders that inflict the most damage to an enemy. These weapons are constantly being upgraded to insure maximum effectiveness. So it is with marginalization.

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mar·gin·al·ize /ˈmɑr dʒə nlˌaɪz/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mahr-juh-nl-ahyz] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object), -ized, -iz·ing.
to place in a position of marginal importance, influence, or power: the government's attempts to marginalize criticism and restore public confidence.

From the very beginning the enemy of our souls has attempted to use this weapon to thwart the plans that God has for his people. In the garden of Eden he marginalized God’s warnings about eating of the forbidden fruit;

Gen 3:4-5 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

As we move through history this weapon has truly become more refined and in combination with other weapons become ever so deadly. Anthrax in itself is bad, but when added to other biological agents it becomes super deadly. To marginalize the truth (God said the day you eat of it you die) you need to appeal to the desires of the flesh in just the right way. In Eve’s case it was “good looking fruit – able to make one wise – be like God”. It’s easy to marginalize truth if you add enough deceptive agents to your basic weapon. The threat of “you’re gonna DIE Eve” was very skillfully eliminated with “lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life”.

Now, cross this over into today’s warfare for the souls of men (and women). God’s still warning us through His Word and His Spirit to be the church of Jesus Christ His way using His guidebook and His Spirit. He uses people who are walking in His Spirit and relying on His Spirit to guide them into all truth (John 16:13). The enemy however, has refined this key weapon and quite effectively marginalized these people with the same old combination, “eyes, flesh, pride”.

On the surface, or what you can see with your EYES, the Purpose-Driven paradigm and The Emergent Church look like they are right on the money, expanding in size and beauty……..”good lookin fruit”……..to the natural eye. However, God’s Word (The TRUTH) encourages us to not look with our natural eyes, but Spiritual ones.

1Co 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Now, what of this “flesh” thing? “Good to eat, EVE”. The flesh, if given its way, will marginalize the Spirit in a heartbeat………the key is not to give it its way. That is not an easy thing to say the least, that’s why the enemy couples it with deadly weapons……it is “weaponized”. Today, he applies this in a myriad of ways within this apostate church movement. Flesh likes sermons that stroke it, and doctrines that don’t convict it, and programs that excite it, and music that woos it……….get the point? The Truth is marginalized because it is the direct opposite of all of this…..thus the people who walk & talk the Truth are pushed further and further into the background.

The final component of the weapon is the one that pushes people over the edge. “You can be like God, Eve”. The spirits driving these modern day pseudo-church movements are doing a most effective job because of the rampant “pride of life” in today’s society. False Christs, teachers & prophets are everywhere. They are sucking people into this web of deception at an alarming rate. This writer feels that the success of these charlatans, Rick Warren Joel Osteen Erwin McManus Rob Bell Brian McLaren to mention a few, is due to the crafty way the enemy has marginalized the Truth and those who proclaim it.

For those who still have ears to hear what the Spirit is screaming………..flee…….and do not be silent in the process. You will be marginalized in this pseudo-church's eyes…..but in God’s you will be rewarded.

Jam 5:3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!