This final episode is largely framed by a passage in the Screwtape Letters, where demons attempt to supplant one's true Christian identity with a political one. Since the objective of Christian nationalists is by definition political, these worldly ends naturally corrupt pure devotion to Christ. And demons have a field day, for it provides ample leverage to turn the indiscriminate love of Christ poured out in every believer's heart into a partisan stronghold, where victory in the culture war is the objective, not evangelism or personal sanctification. Sadly, the mission field is strewn with casualties who obstinately reject Christ, partly because they only see the co-opted Christ of Christian nationalists. The episode also highlights the left's attempt to co-opt Jesus, turning Him into a social justice warrior primarily bent on destroying racism and oppression. Either way, the demonic modus operandi is the same: make political identity supreme at the expense of the Christian one. Evangelicals have substantially increased in political power since the 1980's, but this power has come at the expense of pure devotion to Christ, where "prayers, sacraments, and charity" mean less than political crusades. The unbelieving world has noticed this shift in which the operative identity of many evangelicals is defined by politics, partisanship and power. Is it any wonder that the steady rise of Christian nationalism roughly charts with decline in the Church's credibility? The Christian witness has been sacrificed for power. Is this not Satan's plan all along? He has seduced Christian nationalists with "the kingdoms of the world and their glory," but now few will receive their witness.
“The Fruit of Lies Hides a Harvest from Hell”
"This episode mostly focuses on the destructive effects of ""the fruit of lies"" which is the product of ""plowing wickedness"" and ""reaping injustice."" (Hosea 10:13) Spiritual growth is challenging because uprooting the fruit of lies (repeated sinful behavior and thinking) requires addressing both the original lie and the self-reinforcing baggage of the lusts of deceit. This baggage corresponds with the fruit of lies. Once we persistently act on lies, going outside of the will of God, we regularly eat of the apparent benefits, the veritable fruit of lies. Lusts of deceit naturally magnify benefits and minimize negative consequences, and the natural cycle of sewing and reaping means that the harvest of corruption is not immediately realized. Because of the self-reinforcing dynamic undergirding the fruit of lies, magnifying benefits and minimizing costs, sin is not easily abandoned. In the case of full-blown strongholds (2 Cor. 10:5), ""thoughts"" have matured into ""imaginations,"" and finally ""strongholds."" Tunnel-vision has set in, and satisfaction of a lust of deceit consumes the thought-life. The episode concludes with the way of deliverance: patient sewing of new seeds of righteousness which eventually yield the ""peaceful fruit of righteousness"" characterized by ""the fruit of the Spirit."" Christian sanctification therefore requires persistent uprooting of the fruit of lies till genuine godly fruit manifests through patient ""sewing with a view to righteousness.""