Transvestism and Spiritual Warfare

“The woman shall not wear that which pertains unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 22:5).

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites” (1 Corinthians 6:9).

                There is no such thing as transgenderism. One can no more cross or change one’s “gender” than a man can become a squirrel. Saying so does not make it so. There is no such thing as gender. There is biological sex, except in instances of birth abnormalities. God made man male and female. Transgenderism is nothing but an in-your-face war against God’s creation will for man. It is the bitter fruit of denying the Bible and Genesis in particular.

                There is cross-dressing or transvestism. This is when a man wants to dress like a woman, or a woman like a man. The Lord made it clear in his perfect law of liberty that clear lines must be kept between male and female, especially in clothing. Pagans often practiced role reversals in their chaotic, perverse worship practices. This was also a war against God’s moral order and a sinful attempt to find order and meaning by jumping into the chaos of sin and rebellion.

                Let us speak as clearly as the Lord does in his word. In 1 Corinthians 6:9, the Holy Spirit mentions both “homosexuals and sodomites.” The first Greek word here means “soft.” It refers to the passive partner in these vile relationships. The second word is the aggressive, dominant partner in the relationship. The two words selected by the Holy Spirit denounce this entire way of living – men dressing and acting as women, “soft,” effeminate men, and the sordid, violent world of sexual violence against perpetrated or violence passively received.

                However much gospel pity we may and must have for those who are so led captive by Satan to do his will, we must not allow pity to cloud our judgment. The Lord has spoken. He made man male and female. Each sex is to fulfill the glorious, noble purposes and roles he has assigned. We are not free to remake the world to suit our fallen desires and lusts. To do so is evidence of the Roman 1 downward moral spiral. When the Lord gives sinners over to these vile desires, this is his judgment. Sodomy and transvestism are his judgment upon men and nations.

                Even the older, classical liberalism recognized that there was something terribly wrong with such practices. Until 1973, when the board of directors of the American Psychiatric Association submitted to the pressures of the sexual revolution, these sins were classified as “mental disorders.” Christians would say sin, for domination by sin sickens the mind and life. It is the reason we must have our minds renewed (Eph. 4:23) and transformed (Rom. 12:2) by God’s word.

                Sodomy and transvestism are a sign of moral burnout and a reprobate mind – a mind debased and corrupted by sin; a mind that can no longer discern between truth and lies, good and evil. They are a declaration of war against God’s creation order. They are violent and unnatural, a misuse of the way God made man and woman to go together. These practices always harm their practitioners. It is not normal to think and act against God’s creation purposes for you as an individual. They also harm society. Recent shootings bear this out. It will be our death as a society unless we as a nation make peace with God, and therefore peace with who he has created us to be as men and women in the home, church, and society.

                As this relates to our present national moment, do not be surprised by the use and support of violence to defend the right to practice and normalize perversion. Reprobate minds hate the light of God’s word and the witness of God’s messengers. Remember the men of Sodom (Gen. 19:4-9). Nothing has changed about these sins. Do not be deceived on this point. The church in some quarters is being deceived. The politer designation “same sex attraction” is a not-so-subtle blurring of the Bible’s clear lines. This is a deviant form of sexual lust that must be categorized as sinful and put to death by coming to Jesus Christ in faith, definitive and lifelong repentance, and warfare mortification. In a war, only one side wins.

                But let us look above our present national moment. While ungodly men are perfectly capable of hating and killing without help from the devil, this is his strategy. Why is progressivism in its various forms willing to burn up the world for its right to gender chaos and not to hear an opposing viewpoint? Satan – and Satan specifically leading men and women captive to do his will (2 Tim. 2:26). He is a murderer. He is a liar. He does not have a valid argument to support his rebellion. He has blood and deception, repackaging of perversion into personal authenticity and courage. This is all he has.

                When two sides in a nation come to greater self-consciousness about their respective positions, each is more consistent with its governing presuppositions. The children of this world, the children of disobedience whom the Lord has given over to a corrupt mind are becoming more consistent with their heart loves – lies to self-defend and death to those who oppose. Not all, or most, of course, resort to bloodshed, but the leaders do. They have given up defending their perversity with rational argument and spend their microphone time fomenting rebellion and rejoicing when a bold Christian is killed.

                Young people are especially susceptible to these clever manipulations about gender – being true to yourself, tolerant of others, catering to adolescent insecurities, school indoctrination, and group empathy drills that villainize sane and godly voices in their lives. Parents, you must take active, prayerful, principled steps to separate your children from these influences and educational paradigms. Do not give your children unmonitored access to the internet and devices that will be used to subtly undermine utter horror at sin. We are to be simple, naïve, unacquainted with evil (Rom. 16:19) – no fellowship with evil (Eph. 5:11). In a war, watch and pray, deny yourself and take up the cross are our Savior’s chief commands.

                Since this is a spiritual war, all the governing principles for Christians especially apply. Love your enemies – not sentimentalism but truly pray and labor for their deliverance from sin and Satan. The truth must be spoken, and it must be spoken in love, “if peradventure God will grant them repentance unto life.” “Answer the fool according to his folly” – but then again, do not answer him that way (Prov. 26:4-5). Be careful to trust not your smarts and your anger but God’s piercing word (Heb. 4:16). Satan never runs away from our cleverness, but he must fall back before the sword of Jesus Christ’s mouth. Therefore, faithfully use God’s armor, Christ’s thoughts, as your rock and fortress (Eph. 6:10-18; 2 Cor. 10:4-5). These alone are “mighty through God to demolish strongholds.”

                God’s people have fought these wars before and prevailed. The Lord Jesus has prevailed. He is the Captain of our salvation, and he is now enthroned in glory and honor at God’s right hand. This is a crying but forward moment – to speak God’s truth and unfurl our Savior’s banner as never before. We should have learned by now that politics and parties are utterly impotent to save our nation. Each has its own areas of corruption, and neither self-consciously confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord – the Lord of this nation.

                Whether it is the battle against Sodom or Islam’s growing menace to Europe and this nation, we have weapons. They are not in Washington D.C. – though we must humbly and constantly petition the Lord to give us leaders who appreciate the restrictive function of his law: to expose and restrain the actions of ungodly and perverse men (1 Tim. 1:9-10). The Lord places his weapons in your hand, loving, praying Christian! You hold in your Bible, Christian, the same sword Jesus Christ raised against the evil one. Use it! Hear it faithfully preached in your congregation’s pulpit and taught in small groups and Bible studies. Invite others to hear the Word of God. Speak the truth! Live the truth! Honor the Lord by honoring his word in every corner he has placed you!