Identifying the Hidden Sin of Reverse Idolatry (lifeway.com)

Ask yourself these 15 questions when you sense anger rising in your soul toward someone you might see as your opponent or enemy.

By Aaron Wilson

What do the following statements have in common?

  • “If those online personalities would disappear, social media would be such a pleasant place.”
  • “If that political party would get their act together, this country wouldn’t be in such a mess.”
  • “If the pastor would preach better sermons, our church attendance would rebound.”

Spot the common thread? In each expression, the speaker has identified a perceived opponent—someone standing in the way of their view of success.

Whether it’s a pastoral agenda, a political party, or simply a person who demonstrates a pet peeve, our sinful hearts seek human targets to absorb our frustrations and disappointments. We see this happening on social media, within cancel culture, and—perhaps, most sadly—through church in-fighting. We drift toward clashes with flesh-and-blood adversaries that divert energy from the more significant battles happening in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:12).

“We drift toward clashes with flesh-and-blood adversaries that divert energy from the more significant battles happening in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:12).” — @AaronBWilson26 Click To Tweet

Pastors are aware of this tendency within their congregations. Lifeway Research’s Greatest Needs of Pastors Study found 48% of Protestant pastors believe their people’s strong opinions about non-essentials create a pastoral challenge. And given 2024 is an election year, it’s worth noting 44% of pastors specifically label people’s political zeal a ministry obstacle.

How can congregations better serve their leaders and the Lord in how they view and treat perceived opponents on non-essential issues? It begins by seeing the battlefield rightly.

Imaginary enemies

The classic novel Don Quixote tells of a disillusioned man who believes himself to be a knight. Along his journey, Quixote attacks windmills he mistakes for giants, a group of monks he imagines have captured a princess, and two “armies” that turn out to be flocks of sheep. The story is comedic because the reader can clearly see what the main character is blind to—that Quixote has created imaginary enemies.

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While Quixote’s adventures are humorous, our real-life tendency to fight people we misidentify as opponents is no laughing matter. Drawing the wrong battle lines has the disastrous effect of blinding us to our true enemies (Satan and indwelling sin) and draining our resources for the wrong causes.

On the other hand, Scripture makes it clear we have a real fight to wage (1 Timothy 6:12) against a real enemy known as the devil, whom the Bible also calls the “adversary” (1 Peter 5:8, CSB), “a thief” (John 10:10, CSB), and the “one who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9, CSB). But since we can’t see Satan with our natural eyes, we tend to look for tangible adversaries in this world on whom we can blame our problems.

Reverse idolatry

Creating unnecessary opponents for ourselves is a form of reverse idolatry. Spiritual idolatry happens when we worship a tangible counterfeit to an invisible God. Reverse idolatry happens when we fight a tangible, often-human replacement to an invisible enemy.

These two forms of idolatry take our eyes off the true battlefield and often occur together. For example:

  • On social media, we’re drawn to worship our tribes and hate our trolls. 
  • With politics, we’re tempted to worship a particular candidate as savior while viewing the other party’s representative as a devil. 
  • And within churches, we can idolize the old ways of doing things and see the person suggesting change as an instigator of trouble. 

“Reverse idolatry happens when we fight a tangible, often-human replacement to an invisible enemy.” — @AaronBWilson26 Click To Tweet

What can we do about this tendency to mislabel people as enemies when the real adversary is prowling around undetected? Here are 15 questions to ask yourself the next time you sense anger bubbling up in your soul toward someone you might see as an opponent. Whether this person is a celebrity, a colleague, or a church member, these gleanings from Scripture can help us avoid reverse idolatry and redirect our heart to the real issues at stake.

15 questions

  1. Am I viewing this person as God’s image bearer? (Genesis 1:27) 
  2. Am I thinking the best about this person, giving them the benefit of the doubt? (1 Corinthians 13:7) 
  3. Do I, in humility, consider this person more important than myself? (Philippians 2:3) 
  4. Am I treating this person the way I’d like to be treated if I were in the wrong? (Luke 6:31) 
  5. Have I prayed for this person today? (Matthew 5:44) 
  6. If this person isn’t a Christian, am I foremost seeking their salvation? (1 Timothy 2:3-4) 
  7. If this person is a Christian within my sphere of influence, have I approached them directly about the issue rather than gossiping behind their back? (Matthew 18:15) 
  8. Have I resisted the urge to post unkind words or subtweet about this person? (Proverbs 21:23) 
  9. Am I at peace with this person to the best of my ability? If not, how can I seek restoration? (Romans 12:18) 
  10. Is my tendency to view this person as an enemy based on actual spiritual warfare or differences in personal preference? (Ephesians 6:12) 
  11. If the latter is true, am I willing to give up my preference if it creates an unnecessary stumbling block to another’s faith? (1 Corinthians 8:13) 
  12. How might I guard my heart against the work of the real enemy, Satan, and his kingdom? (1 Peter 5:8) 
  13. How might I guard my heart against indwelling sin, the temporary reminder of what once made me an enemy of God and His kingdom? (Romans 8:13) 
  14. How should the gospel—the redemption Christ purchased to forgive sinners like me—inform my view of this person and this issue? (Ephesians 4:32) 
  15. Lastly, even if this person is a true enemy, am I actively loving them? (Matthew 5:44) 

Fight the good fight

Even just a few weeks into the new year, we find news headlines and social media feeds brimming with volatility and anger. May we, as children of God, resolve to offer a spirit of peace that rises above the clamor and chaos. We can do this by rightly identifying true opponents, imitating our Savior, and praying for discernment, humility, and patience as we fight the good fight of faith.