It's an attitude of heart

Chip Kendall

God showed me something recently while I was on stage performing with thebandwithnoname. The thought only lasted a split second (which is probably a good thing, as I'm one of those guys who can only think about one thing at a time, and I may have missed a note or a dance cue if it had lasted any longer). But when I explained it to the rest of the guys afterwards I realised how much depth there was to it. Anyway, here it is.

The devil hates thebandwithnoname. Not just because we see thousands of souls saved at our concerts. Not just because we lead people into the presence of God. Not even just because we're Christians. The devil hates us because despite our outward appearance, the motives of our hearts are pure. According to the Bible, Lucifer (the devil) started off as one of the most beautiful, talented, holy angels in heaven, constantly in the presence of God. Everything went wrong with one simple thought (who knows, it may have even only lasted a split second). The thought was motivated by pride. "You know what? I can do better than this. I'm going to rise above everyone else here, including God." Before he knew what had hit him, Lucifer was cast out of heaven along with his crew - a third of all the angels. Sure, he was pure and humble on the outside, but on the inside his pride made him as ugly as hell.

Hopefully, all of us in thebandwithnoname are just the opposite. We aren't exactly the most holy, clean-cut, prettiest people on the outside, but on the inside our motives are pure. One guy described us like this. "I've heard of a wolf in sheep's clothing, but you guys are sheep in wolves' clothing!" He's right, you know. And that's what the devil hates so much about us. We're beating him at his own game when we maintain a Godly attitude of love and humility despite our hard and aggressive appearance. Of course, this also presents us with the challenge that if we do slip into a wrong attitude of pride, even if it's only for a split second, we're no longer beating the devil at his own game. Instead, he's the one winning. We must not be motivated by even the slightest hint of arrogance, lest we forfeit our position as true ministers of the Gospel.

Now obviously, I'm not trying to say that we are perfect and that we never slip up. God's grace is sufficient for us. But there is definitely an unseen battle going on during every show we perform. Not just for the souls of the unbelievers in the audience, but for the hearts of the "wolves" on stage.