Spiritual Warfare

The increasingly familiar “Spiritual but not religious” has been used to describe the spiritual standings of many. The understanding that spirituality and religion are far removed from one another. That you can be one but not the other is detrimental to spiritual growth and the pursuit of a spiritual life. Especially for those actively pursuing or are thinking about pursuing a spiritually oriented Christian life. The misinformation and breakaways in Christian Spirtual thinking is a mark of Spiritual Warfare. The biggest opponent is the markedly increasing interest in New Age Spirituality.

The spiritual warfare that is waged against us rears its ugly face in every facet of life. The lies, fallacies, untruths and the misdirection is rampant and easy to see. One such misdirection is that of the New Age Spiritual Movement. New Age has reintroduced the concepts of the soul and spirit, enlightenment and the idea of connecting with God to the consciousness of the masses. Though this may not be the God of Abraham or the introduction to the Holy Spirit or Christ but to the fooled it is “God” nonetheless. To many the understanding of God, as “source”, the source of life, what is good and true, and the energy that sustains the soul and spirit of man.

The problem with modern spirituality, particularly that of New Age Spirituality is that it gleans information from various sources without the direct and concrete understanding of the foundation of the basis of these teachings have been taken from. Teachings from various ancient sources are cherry picked without the understanding of the full context and depth of these texts and religions. For many christians, the idea of modern New Age spirituality does not align itself with Christianity, the bible and our walks with the lord. It conflicts with biblical material and the theology and metaphysics that has been formed in Christianity.

New Age Spirituality should not be conflated with metaphysics or Christian metaphysics. New Age is dependent on the misunderstanding and the conglomeration of various teachings, resulting in a confused mismatched, surface valued teaching and ideology.

Achieve Christhood in 3 easy steps.

The term “christ-consciousness” has become a pillar of the new age spiritual movement and is its current definition, a corruption that is incompatible with Christianity. The notion that Christ is an attainable state of being has no place in Christianity. Christ as a state of being, a state of mind, and a state of consciousness has no place in Christianity and is a misuse of the idea of spirituality. The idea that the spiritual nature and state that Christ possesses is attainable to those that seek it through earthly and physical means is entirely unfounded and is far removed from any text or teaching. There are no ancient texts that proclaim the nature of christ is attainable through meditation, purification and. the loss of ego through enlightenment where Christ-hood is achievable and providing you with union with God. To hold the notion that one can become christ or God, through simple, earthly means is pure ego. How do you dissolve ego with the use of ego?

Ego cannot absolve ego.

What it does is it reduces divinity, spirituality and God into something that is strictly attainable to humans through earthly and corporeal ways. This effectively brings the spiritual realm into the natural realm. The inability to differentiate between what is achievable in the spiritual realm versus the limitations of the natural, physical realm in which resides a corporeal body.

True Christianity, even broader than that, true spirituality is about shedding the ego. It is about humbling yourself before God and understanding that the relationship is cultivated and mediated by his Son, Christ Jesus. The ego ideation of ego defeating ego is absurd. The utilization of corporeal, natural means to apprehend ego, a function of human nature due to the fall from Grace, cannot be done. It is pure hubris and ego that humans alone can atone for their spirit while being disconnected from the spiritual. The idea that the spiritual realm can be met through basic natural means can only be induced by mortal thinking, facilitated by the ego.

Ego born as a blight against man, cannot be defeated from which he was far removed.

Christ-consciousness as the New Age understands it, is completely incompatible with Christianity. Christ-consciousness, as an attainable state of being and consciousness has never been a part of, nor is compatible with Christianity. The understanding of christ snd becoming Christ-like has taken a turn for the worst. Understanding Christ as a metaphysical concept and understanding Christ as the greatest metaphysician and as the reconciler of metaphysics is one thing, but to think that the ego snd self could be transcended to become christ is pure ego and hubris. The abstraction of eastern ideas in the New Age cannon, meditation, purification, enlightenment and ascension through personal and corporeal means reduces the concept of divinity into a realm that is ruled by man and can be accessed by will.

The concept that Christ hood and Godhood is attainable through will alone is the truest example of human ego and hubris. True Christianity and spirituality is the shedding of ego, and understanding that the ego death cannot be achieved through the self and through will power alone. It is understanding that ego is not a natural thing, as the nature of man has undergone metamorphosis since the fall, and as such, ego has been placed a curse. To utilize His name and His likeness to and concept to further such an ego driven construct is blasphemous and ignorant to the work and history of Christ.

This goes back to the tradition of Christian debate, faith versus good works. The idea that a man, through his own will and volition can transform himself into the divine, without intervention is incongruent with the idea of christ who. they try to become. The idea that man possesses the tools to become divine and understand that which cannot be understood, is merely a function of the ego. To believe that the mysteries and the unattainable truths of the universe will be magically bestowed upon you due to the power of will and self-purification is all a result of ego driven pursuits, the exact opposite of the enlightenment and ego death that is being sought.

Like a shard returning home, the divinity that lies in man is only a portion of the truth.

The focus is on the ego masked as the self. Self worship acting as divinity, worshipping the creation rather than the creator. The creation is so far removed from the creator that it is merely a shard trying to return home. The notion that a small shard that is humanity can generate enough power to ascend and break the curse bestowed upon humanity, removes you from truly understanding the divine. The goal becomes understanding the self rather than the divine. There is a fundamental shift in the focus of study and devotion. The devotion becomes self centered, self-serving and self aggrandizing, absorbed with the idea of self perfection. These ideas bypass any spiritual significance. It brings spirituality down to the level of secularity. It brings it down to the realm of man. A place that is much more available than before. By bringing spirituality down to the realm of man, spirituality will work under the rules of man and can be achieved by man on his own terms. But it does not work that way.

The arrogance that is New Age brings about more ego and less humility and. submission to the divine. This “spiritual” approach belies more humanistic mechanisms that compiles the teachings, traditions, and cultures without the full understanding from which these specific approaches, techniques and measurements are culled. The superficial and cursory approach of understanding these cultures and teachings fail to provide true depth and understanding. New Age as a conglomeration of various teachings that are cherry picked to produce a semblance of understanding and profundity that such an approach could never provide the true depths and understanding of the divine. The proponents of New Age spirituality desire a connection with “Source” a bastardization of the idea of the Divine, the Most High; God. the idea to connect to God, the ultimate source of life energy, both spiritual and corporeal; the truth, knowledge and unconditional love, agape, that has been pursuant of man’s dreams and desires with regards to approaching God. Though, the difference is the humanist approach of New Age. This approach is predicated on the human condition. The purification of and distillation of human ability and focus to produce long lasting and effective spiritual growth and change. It is reliant on the ability to “manifest” truth, power, change and growth. Channeling personal energetic capabilities to produce a shift in consciousness and being. The misunderstanding of the divine nature of man lies in it being understood by ego and ego driven selves; something that New Ageists attempt to shed but cannot reconcile. The focus and veneration of the creation rather than the creator further drives the schism between the self and the pursuit of spiritual growth.

“Before the silver cord snaps, and the golden fountain is shattered, and the pitcher breaks at the fountain, and the wheel falls shattered into the pit. And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God, Who gave it.” -Ecclesiastes 12:6–7

Man is indeed divine, but not in the capacity that New Age attempts to identify. The divine nature of man, comes from when man was living with God, under rule and humility, until the fall. Man was fearfully, wonderfully and divinely created. Due to the fall from grace, man yearns for that grace, longs for the touch of divinity and pining for the reunion with God. Resultant of the fall is the loss of grace and the connection to the divine. Resultant of the fall is the curse of ego, death and suffering.

New Age teaches the ascension of self. Opening up the third eye to see the spiritual realm and all that it entails. This again is done through the self. The revelation of the spiritual realm, being given the eyes to see the spiritual realm is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The idea of manifesting it through means of physical purification, diet, fasting, and cleaning the body. Spiritual purification through meditation and breathing techniques and utilizing crystals and herbs can only do so much. The vastness that the fall has created can only be traversed so much alone. The inability to navigate the rest is bestowed upon us through Christ and the revelation of him. Meditation and sanctification are indeed part of the Christian spiritual journey but it truly hinges on the Holy Spirit, Christ and God. The body can only be prepared so much. It cannot reach its maximum potential through physical and personal means alone.

The pitfalls of New Age are that it is much easier than living a Christ-like life. It appeals to the ego and the senses. It puts the onus and power in the hands of the practitioner. They are the higher power, they are divine, and it is up to them to unlock that divinity. The appeal to the ego, attracts many it provides a false sense of control and authority that many lack but seek. This sense of power fuels the ego and diverts the practitioner further from God and further from the truth. The idea that they themselves hold the keys to ascension, that they hold the ability to connect and unite with God all under their own accord. This makes living a “spiritual” life much easier. It aligns itself with want, ego and self. The terms of growth and spirituality are set solely by man and the pace set the same. There is no one to answer to or submit to, everything is about the self. The accountability belongs to the man alone. Those outside the man, the tools, crystals, herbs and other objects are imbued with a false sense of power, energy and divinity. The reliance on the self and the creation pushes the creator out of the picture. The idea that you are trying to get closer to God, the divine, the spirit, but you are continually pushing the creator, God, away in preference and reverence of the creation instead,

The idea that a person holds divinity is a misunderstanding and a misrepresentation of what is Christian Spirituality. The idea that one can unlock Christ-hood and unlock their divinity merely a function of the ego. What a brilliant and tempting notion that we are “Christ” that through our own self devotion, meditation and purification we can achieve Christ hood. Christ, as the anointed one is a singular title. It isn’t randomly and freely assigned. It isn’t a state of mind or consciousness that can be achieved. For Christ-hood to be attainable there must be others that are called Christ. Though, there is not. Not even John the Baptist, one that Jesus claimed to be the greatest man born of a woman. The man who’s humility and spiritual prowess rivaled those of any man. He was a man whom God has set specifically aside to lead others in their journey with Christ and their spirituality. Even Christ has called him the Greatest Man. Through this, his purity, piety, faith and spiritual strength, not even he, John the Baptist, the man who baptized Christ was given Christ-hood. No apostle was ever given Christ-hood, no matter how great their spiritual strengths were, no matter how many miracles they have performed and how many people they have turned to followers of Christ. Not one. For these men to be denied of Christ-hood regardless of their piety, spiritual strength and their closeness to Jesus, how then can normal men purify and strengthen themselves enough to reach Christ-hood? Christ-hood is not a state of mind to be unlocked. It is not the final stage of consciousness that is achievable by man through any means. Christ-hood is reserved for Jesus and Jesus alone. The idea that it is an achievable state is laughable and is completely ignorant of Christianity and shows the ignorance and lack of understanding that New Age has of the cultures and religions it chooses to glean basic information. The base understanding and the incomplete understanding of the material at hand creates instability and falsehoods within the New Age movement.

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” — Matthew 24:24

The contradictions that lie in the face of New Age prevents it from any alignment with Christianity and any usefulness to the spiritual growth of a Christian. The inability to reconcile the things that Christ has already done should be the biggest indication of the nature of New Age and the things to come. These then become a detriment to those new to spirituality especially spiritually inclined Christiansen those who are seeking. The deviation from the spiritual path that aligns itself with Christ and God, to glean information from. New Age is injurious to the spiritual health and journey of a Christian. To utilize and associate with the concepts that New Age attempts to peddle, to understand New Age as a continuation of spirituality in the age of modernity would be a distortion of the truth.