4 They worshipped the dragon because it had given the beast its authority. They worshipped the beast and said, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” (Rev. 13:4)

Every culture and every age has its “beast” and “dragon.” Every culture does not see the thing they worship as a “beast.” Spiritual strongholds are strongholds because we do not recognize them. Nevertheless, we worship these beasts unless our eyes are opened.

As James K.A. Smith lays out in Desiring the Kingdom, everything is about allegiances. It is not mental ascent to a superior doctrine that captures my attention. It is about allegiances and worship. Who captures my passions?

We may have a mental ascent to the doctrine of salvation, but sometimes our worship betrays us. The two need to match up!

The “beasts” of our culture are easily identified and can be spelled out in more detail. These beasts generally exist in every culture in some way.

Our culture worships the beasts of money, sex, and power. These are the beasts calling for our allegiances. Try and move away from those beasts, and you find just how ugly they really are.

Until our allegiance is finally toward Christ, we will not see just how ugly these beasts really are. We need our eyes opened.