Why We Do NOT DEBATE the Word

Luring A Christian Into A Debate Is A Satanic Trap
By: Douglas Laird
http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=17966

When it comes to secular politics, I usually enjoy and place considerable weight on what I observe and hear during a debate.

One of the more positive features of a debate is the chance to see the candidates side by side and having them simultaneously be presented and respond to the issues.

We must be aware, however, that one of the more negative results of a debate is that the “victor” may be determined by his ability to debate & dodge the issues rather than his ability to present solutions to the issues at hand.

In spiritual warfare, it is critically important to remember who our primary enemy is and how he operates. Our primary enemy is not people, their plans, or their behaviors. It is Satan and his forces of evil (Eph.6: 12). Satan seldom identifies himself and he always uses deception to achieve his objectives.

For reasons to be explained further in detail, luring a Christian into a debate is a satanic trap. Debating appeals to the pride and arrogance of our fallen nature as it affords one the opportunity to show everyone how wise we are and how foolish everyone else is who may hold differing opinions. While leading the Christian to believe that he is fighting the “good fight” (1Tim.1: 18 NIV) and exercising his faith via debate, the satanic objective is to cause needless (2Tim.2: 23) divisions and “arguments” (Col.2: 4 NIV) among believers and to use the equal opportunity afforded to him in the debate forum to spread and/or reinforce his false doctrines.


Satan does not have the divine attributes of omnipresence (being everywhere at the same time), omnipotence (all power) or omniscience (all knowledge). He is, however, an enemy not to be taken lightly and has at his disposal a demonic force (Eph. 6:12) that he uses to accomplish his goals.

There are only a few times recorded in the Bible when Satan, seeing the potential outcome of the events so critical to his plan, that he personally & directly got involved. Such as in the events recorded in Genesis 3, Matthew 4, Luke 22:3.

More times than not, Satan will use the hand, feet, and tongues of others to do his dirty work, often without them even knowing it (John 8:41-44). In doing so, his hand (working behind the scenes) and agenda will not be readily identified. One of his greatest & most useful deceptions is manifested when those involved believe that he doesn’t even exist. Like cancer, unless its presence is detected in the early stages, its damage is irreversible!

A born again believer, having God living inside of him (1Cor.3: 16), cannot be demonically possessed, but certainly can fall victim to demonic influence & deception (1Tim. 4:1) through rejection of Bible Doctrine either at the point of reception or application. One rejects Bible Doctrine at the point of reception when he refuses to learn what the Bible has to say. One rejects Bible Doctrine at the point of application whenever he fails to apply the doctrine that he has learned in the day-to-day events in his personal periphery.

Reading the Bible or listening to a doctrinal sermon every now & then is not going develop the “mind of Christ “ (1 Cor. 2:16 NIV) necessary to execute the post-salvation spiritual life. Worse than that, such a believer can unwittingly become a useful tool in the hand of Satan! A little knowledge can truly be very dangerous.

The only defense for a lie is the truth. The only (tangible) source of divine truth is the Bible received and applied under the filling (control) of God the Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, the majority of those who claim to be Christians fail to develop God’s viewpoint or what the Bible calls “...the mind of Christ” (1Cor.2: 16 NIV). The majority of those who claim to be Christians have varying degrees of morality & religious activity, but become the Luke 8:14 type of believer whose focus is on this life and not on eternal issues. They say “….. I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But God says, “…. you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor blind and naked….” (Rev.3: 17 NIV).

Every born again believer has two natures within that compete for the control of the mind. The fallen nature focuses on one self and is predisposed to find Satan’s counterfeit offers & human viewpoint appealing. The divine nature, received at salvation, focuses in on God and the things of God. Whichever one is fed and exercised the most will dominate our thoughts and inevitable behaviors.

The condition and production of our physical bodies is largely determined by the quantity & quality of the food it is supplied as well as exercise. This is also true of the soul. In order for our spiritual life to be healthy & productive, it must be supplied with spiritual food (The Bible) and spiritual exercise (applying what we know to what we do).

Religion, that being anything that Man has added to or taken from the principles of the Word of God, is Satan’s most effective tool and deception is a trade that he has mastered. The vessel that Satan uses to promote his agenda may do so knowingly and willingly or the vessel may be under satanic deception (1Tim.4: 1) doing so believing that he is in the right and in the service of God (John 16:2).

Be it via intentional arrogance or via ignorance, false doctrine is still being promoted!

Satan encourages debate over spiritual issues. The larger the audience is, the better his chances of success. Satan has several advantages as we are playing his game and in his home field when we choose to debate him or anyone he chooses to use for that purpose. Debating opens the window of opportunity for the advancement of false doctrine due to the predisposed nature of those who participate or observe and the principle of equal time and opportunity of the debate forum.

Human viewpoint, void of Biblical principle, appeals to Man and is endorsed by Satan. Until a person is born again, the Bible teaches that he is incapable of understanding God and/or the things of God as God & the things of God “…are spiritually discerned.” (1Cor.2: 14 NIV).

This predisposition of the spiritually dead (those who are not born again) and the failure on the part of the majority of born again believers to develop the “…mind of Christ” (1Cor.2: 16 NIV) sets the environment of the “battlefield” as being one in which Satan invites debate as it has a good chance of at least a partial victory. When we choose to debate, the structure of a debate allows equal time and equal opportunity for the “other” side to present false doctrine, which will be received & used to promote Satan’s agenda by the majority of those who listen.

Remember, Eve was deceived and fell prey to Satan’s distortion of God’s Word even though she did not as of that time have a fallen nature and was living in a trouble free environment. Can we, who have a fallen nature within and must operate in the devil’s world, afford to be so arrogant to think that we are going to fare any better by taking on Satan in a debate?

The Bible warns of us thinking more highly of ourselves that we should (Romans 12:3/Proverbs 16:18.

Everyone is born with a sin nature. This sin nature is passed down from generation to generation (1Cor.15: 22) & is in all of us.

This sin nature remains so as long as we remain in our physical bodies (Romans 7). When Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16) wrote Romans 7 addressing his struggle with the fallen nature, it was nearly 30 years after his conversion!

The Bible (Romans 8:7 NIV) tells us that this sin nature is “hostile” towards God and the things of God. This sin nature appeals to human viewpoint that fills the void created by the rejection of the voice of God. In fact, until we are born again, the Bible tells us that we couldn’t understand God or the things of God if we wanted to (1 Cor.2: 14.).

Simply believing there is a God will not save anyone. If this were so, Satan & his force of demons would have to be allowed into Heaven in the Eternal State as the Bible teaches that Satan, the fallen angels, and the demons believe that there is one true God and “shudder” (James 2:19 NIV), yet their eternal home is in the “eternal fire” (Matt.25: 41 NIV).

Simply believing that a man named Jesus lived & died in a point and time in secular history will not save anyone. If this were so, every person whoever met Him during His during his earthly ministry would be saved. The Bible is clear that this is NOT to be the case.

To this day there are many religious organizations; some who even use His title (Christ) in some form, acknowledge that there had been a “man” named Jesus who had a ministry in the ancient world and spoke for God, but deny His deity.

While others may choose to use different names & titles found in the Word of God for the one true God, there so question that the only way anyone can be saved & establish an eternal relationship with the one true God is by calling “on the name of the Lord”(Acts 2:21).

Calling on the name of The Lord means to believe in the Person (who He is) and the Work (what He did on the cross) of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NIV). The Bible is clear that there will be many (on Judgment Day) who will call Him Lord, but He will say to them, “ I never knew you. Away from me…” (Matt. 7:23 NIV).

Most people do not get too upset & Satan does not attack when Christians speak of “God” because what “God” means to non-Christians is not what “God” means to the Christian.

It is when Christians acknowledge & promote The Lord Jesus Christ as God and the only means of salvation and a relationship with the one true God that the conflict begins (Matt.10: 34 - 36).

Those who reject the pre-salvation call of God the Holy Spirit to believe in the Person and the Works of the Lord Jesus Christ (God the Son), rejects God the Father as well and will spend all of eternity in what the Bible calls the “lake of fire” (Rev. 20 15).

In each generation of Man, only a minority is born again and only a minority of those who are born again advance in the post salvation spiritual life and develop the “...mind of Christ” (1Cor. 2:16 NIV), that is to develop God’s perspective on the meaning and purpose of life and Eternity.

The ONLY way for a person to be born again is to BELIEVE in the Person (who He is) & the Works (What He did on the cross) of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ONLY way for a born again believer to develop the “.. mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2: 16 NIV), is to daily take in and apply the Word of God.

To the degree that we know the written Word of God (The Bible is the same degree that we know the living Word of God, The Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1). To reject or compromise the written Word of God (The Bible) is to reject or compromise the Living Word Of God.

This means that only the minority of the listeners who hear spiritual issues being debated are capable of understanding the doctrinal viewpoint(s) being expressed. Of those who are capable (via having been born again), only the minority of those listeners have developed the “…mind of Christ’ (1Cor. 2:16) to the degree that they can discern what is truth and spiritual and what is false and religious (Hebrews 4:12).

Some of the greatest opposition that one will encounter as a true disciple will come from within the Christian Community and from the members of his own home (Matthew 10:36). Those involved will believe they doing God a service by rejecting you (John 16:2)!

Among many other reasons, this is why Satan encourages a debate. It doesn’t matter if the debate is between two or three persons around the water bubbler at a coffee break or one that is being broadcasted over the various forms of modern-day media. Although there are some who will be edified in the process as God turns the curse into a blessing, the interests of Satan is served as he takes advantage of the opportunity to oppose the truth and have the false viewpoint of the majority of the listeners being reinforced and further deceived.

There is no one more pitiful in the spiritual realm than for an ignorant or arrogant believer to be an unwitting tool in the hand of Satan. Satan will always use Christian debates to divide the believers and to promote his false doctrines.

One might ask how this squares with passages that tells us that we are to “Always be prepared to give an answer” (1Pet.3: 15NIV), and to “fight the good fight” (1Tim 1:18 NIV) “ Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season;” (2 Tim. 4:2) etc..

The best answer to this question is to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whenever He was confronted with a spiritual question/issue by Satan (Matt.4) or by those who would do the devil’s work (Matt.22: 15), He did provide a response but not always an answer (Matt.21: 27) to the inquirer’s question. After declaring the applicable Biblical principle, He did NOT continue any further DEBATE with those whose only motive was to discredit Him. (Matt. 4/Matt.22: 15).

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6 NIV).

Only for those who truly sought further edification, would He explain Himself or His doctrine any further (Matt. 13:36).

We are told to “resist” (1Pet.5: 9 NIV) Satan when he attacks. We resist him by taking a stand based on Biblical principle(s) by making our position clear, but we must also have the wisdom to know when we are to exercise restraint. When we charge on instead, we are playing right into his hands and into the trap that he has set for us. There is a time to enter a spiritual battle and a time not to (Eccl.3:8.

For every point that is made in a debate, it opens the door for further argument. As in secular war, the disposition of one war will eventually be the means for starting another. Before long, even the point that was made is soon forgotten and buried somewhere in the aftermath that follows.

Human nature has a tendency to remember the negative and forget the positive. A writer can accurately cite and/or apply 100 verses in an article, but let him misquote or misapply one verse, and I guarantee that this is what the majority of those reading the article will remember!

I write this not only the basis of Biblical principles, but as one who has personally experienced the lure and pitfalls of trying to win spiritual battles via debating with the forces of Satan. While I concede that I did enjoy the challenge of presenting doctrinal views in what proved at times to be a very hostile environment, I failed to discern the evil beneath the surface and how the enemy would take advantage of any situation when Christians try to win spiritual battles with human effort or means.

As enticing as debating may be, it remains a human tool, not a spiritual weapon.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12 NIV). The death spoken of here is the death of what otherwise might have been spiritual productivity.

It is God who prepares the message and the messenger as well as the receiver and the circumstances in which the message is to be conveyed.

As spiritual writers, we cannot take any credit when the message is received, nor are we accountable when the message is rejected. What we are accountable for is the accuracy of the message we convey and the willingness to do so when the opportunity presents itself.

Once the message has been delivered, the matter is now between God and to whom it was delivered.

If the recipient seeks further information in the interest of his spiritual edification, we should be prepared and respond to that need. Whenever possible, such spiritual counseling is best accomplished in a private setting that is free of third party distraction. The presence of a scoffer may be more than a mere coincidence.

Whenever we present the Gospel or doctrinal information to anyone, the forces of Satan are well aware of the seeds that have just been sown (Mark 4:15). We must be aware that one of the tactics of Satan is to encourage a debate on the issue(s). If we play into the hands of Satan, we then open the door of opportunity for the seeds just sown to be taken away (Mark 4:15) in the aftermath of the debate and provide the means for Satan to promote his false doctrines.

There is a…” time to be silent and a time to speak” (Eccl.3: 7 NIV).

Timing, strategy, and discipline in spiritual warfare are critical. A sincere but loose cannon firing off in all directions can inflict much damage and can be used to the advantage of the enemy. We must learn to discern the difference between speaking to edify one seeking spiritual edification who God has prepared to receive a message and debating with the enemy whose sole purpose is to seek and destroy (1Peter5:8.

I agree the Word is not to be debated. It just "is", in the fullest extent of that word.

The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God, those that read it with a heart open to God will all understand it's meaning, those that don't never will.

I have several times gotten into discussions elsewhere and people want to "interpret" the Word of God. Huh? Translate? Yes. But interpret, never, who would be so brave as to try to tell others what God "meant".

That type of thing drove me away from the church for many years, it wasn't the only thing, but it sure helped. I played my own role in staying away from God and His Word, for my part I take full responsibility.

Now when someone tries to lure me into that trap so well described above. I ask them why 2 + 2 = 4 ? They without exception say, because it just does.

Usually I just walk away at that point, if they don't get it then, odds are they never will. I will still carry the Love of Christ in my heart for them and if ever they wish to discuss the Word not argue it, I am there for them, anytime.