idols and emotions

CAN AN EMOTION install itself as an idol in your life? That is what happens when you allow a feeling to become more important than your core beliefs. Emotion begins to dictate your reality and behavior rather than truth or your beliefs. It can even negatively impact your faith in Jesus Christ. At this point, your emotions have become a “substitute-savior.” Something you turn to instead of God. It has morphed into an idol.

Ben Zeislo identifies bondage to feelings as emotionalism, which he defines as “an undue indulgence in or display of emotion.” A state of mind in which you tend to regard or react to everything in life emotionally. It is a faulty mindset, usually acquired very early in life. Any form of abuse opens our minds to lies from Satan about our worth as a person. When physically or emotionally abused, especially during the tender years of childhood and adolescence, you come to see yourself as bad or unworthy. Victims of abuse frequently become “people pleasers,” constantly focusing on how to make others like or accept you.

“Emotional idolatry” occurs when we allow our feelings, fear, anger, or the need for comfort and ease, to take precedence over trusting in God, or when we use emotions to justify behavior.

When feelings become the ultimate authority or driving force for daily living, our actions are not so much chosen or undertaken by us as they are dictated by past trauma and runaway emotions. As you can imagine, this severely limits the capacity to form lasting and meaningful interpersonal relationships. Friends feel manipulated and spouses become “hostages” to our agenda rather than covenant partners. Slowly, our “peeps” start falling away and we find ourselves angry and alone.

what is going on here?

Herein lies the rub. We become addicted to comfort because we buy into the concept that “being comfortable” is a basic right of life. Culture compounds this problem by constantly focusing our attention on immediate “here-and-now” results. We we are bombarded daily with countless images of what “success” and “comfort” supposedly look like. Sociologists argue that a form of militant hyper-individualism has emerged in America. I address this in my article “militant individualism.” Today, alternative lifestyles, worldviews, and concepts are thrown at us constantly in television programs, commercials, and news stories. It’s all about convincing us to go out and find “the real you.”

An idol is something we attempt to build our lives on
apart from God.

God created us with emotions, and He uses them in sacred ways. However, “runaway” feelings or desires are indicators of a hidden idol in our hearts; something we worship instead of God. Unchecked emotions become obstacles to our spiritual progress. This is the result of elevating our emotions to a place of importance they were never meant to occupy. In our frustrated and angry state, we stop yearning after a new and deeper way of relating to God. Complacency sets in. The only viable solution to this emotional bondage is to identify our emotions without letting them drive our decision-making. Rather, we are to take every thought captive to obey Christ (see 2 Cor. 10:5). It is critical that we put off temporary feelings of comfort and instead focus on the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture contained herein is taken from the English Standard Version (ESV).

References
1 Ben Zeislo, “The Idolatry of Emotionalism,” Penn Epistle, Apr. 22, 2021, retrieved Nov. 15, 2025, https://pennepistle.org/2021/04/22/the-idolatry-of-emotionalism/

It’s Christmastime Again!

When I was young, time seemed to stand still on Christmas Eve. Starting at six o’clock on WNEP 16 out of Scranton, PA up-to-the-minute tracking of Santa Claus on radar would begin. It always felt like bedtime would never get here. And when it did, I would never be able to get to sleep. It’s Christmastime, I would think. Santa’s coming. If I go to bed. If I close my eyes and give in to slumber. Impossible, is what I used to think as I looked at the clock again and again, hoping it was time. Everything moves like a snail. Funny, but none of the adults seemed to notice this time problem. They would eat and drink and sing and dance around the living room, smiling and toasting one another. They were oblivious. But how is this possible, I would wonder? How can they be so calm?

Santa’s coming. Quick, everyone. Finish your merriment and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Clean up. Get a plate of cookies and a glass of milk ready for Santa. He’s coming! Straighten up the living room. Move those extra chairs out of the way. Santa needs to put my new bike there. Oh wow, this is taking so long. I can’t stand this. I really can’t. The excitement is causing me to nearly tremble. I have to pee, but I’m afraid to tell anyone. Maybe I can wait til I go upstairs to brush my teeth. It’s as though I think time will slow down even more than it has already. Oh, I have to go now! No waiting til bedtime. Well, what can I do? Nothing. I look at the clock. I don’t believe the hour hand has moved more than a half inch. You’ve got to be kidding me!

After what feels like half a week, it’s finally time to go to bed. I run up the staircase, nearly slipping and planting my face in the carpet at the top of the steps. I dash into the bathroom and head straight to the toilet bowl. I barely get my snaps open before the water works begin. Without having to be told, I grab my toothbrush and get brushing. I know Santa’s watching. I’ve known that for a long time. Have to listen. Have to be good. He is always checking. Sometimes twice. I’ve been nice. I’ve not been naughty. I finish up and sprint to my room to climb in my bed. I am thinking that maybe I should skip my prayers tonight and go straight to sleep. But wait, Santa will know if I don’t say my prayers. So I fold my hands and I get started. Short, but sweet. Done in ten seconds. I reach up and kiss my mom goodnight. She tucks me in and I squeeze my eyes shut real tight, hoping that will cause me to go right to sleep. It doesn’t. My heart is pounding. I can feel it in my ears and in the ends of my fingers. I can’t help but thinking, This is going to be a long night.

Believe it or not, before I know it I am opening my eyes. I look at my clock. It’s six o’clock. At first, I’m thinking the clock never even moved. That it’s still the same time it was when I looked at the living room clock. Then it comes to me. It’s morning. I can’t imagine what might be waiting for me downstairs. I scream out loud. I can’t help myself. I just can’t. Mom shows up at my door grinning from ear to ear. Dad is standing behind her. Good. It’s time. No more waiting.

I nearly tumble down the steps as dad calls out, Take it easy Sport. I am not even all the way down the steps when I see the handle bars. Yep! Handle bars atop a brand new shiny bike. The bike is surrounded by dozens of presents. I am speechless. I took at mom and dad, and then I go sit on my new bike. Mom already has her Instamatic camera up to her eye, taking my picture. Dad says, Well, what do you think? I just grin and lean in to the handle bars, pretending I’m flying down Race Street hill, leaving a trail of flames behind me. Then I remember, there are more presents to open. Man, this is just fantastic. I dive in, ripping at the wrapping paper. Present after present, I am blown away. I stop for a brief moment and think how this is always well worth the wait.

Merry Christmas to everyone. Stay safe. Be healthy. Be thankful. And please remember, it is the birth of our LORD and SAVIOR Jesus Christ that we celebrate above all else. Be Kind. Be Gentle. Slow down and be patient. At Christmastime the clock just doesn’t seem to move at all.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

comfort and ease

IT HAD BEEN a rough eighteen months. The days were long and the nights were empty and shadowy. All I wanted to do was eat, sleep, and watch Jeopardy! Most likely, if you tried calling my cell phone I would not answer. Spiritual depression had me by the throat and my soul was heavy. With each new “crisis,” I cried out, Why, God?! No doubt I drove some friends nuts with my constant complaining. I couldn’t understand what was happening. How did I end up in such a dark place? Burdened, I began to seek comfort and ease, looking for a little “consoling.” Little did I know, this was a setup from the pit of hell. Satan was about pull a “bait and switch.” My desire for distraction was about to become the goal.

Alcohol, drugs, money, food, sex, shopping, gambling, power, prestige. All are capable of causing normal appetites to become
full-blown addictions.

Appetites are essential to our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Richard Bargas writes, “Comfort and ease are not evil things. After all, comfort is a major promise that God makes to His people and one that He brings about through the gospel of Jesus Christ.”1 Rest itself is promoted throughout Scripture. Sleep is highly regarded. Bargas notes, however, that in our depravity we have found countless ways in which to misuse or pervert these “good gifts.” When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and fell from grace, sin came into the world, perverting our appetites, and potentially enslaving us to ungodly behavior. At the root of this rebellion is man’s desire to decide for himself what is “good” and what is “evil.”

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20).

Idols of comfort and ease are having a profoundly negative impact on the Church. They are like “weeds choking the life out of a rosebush.” Moreover, the issues of sin and idolatry are not being properly addressed by an increasing number of pastors. Instead, they deliver “watered-down” sermons that are silent on sin and discipleship. Confrontation is uncomfortable, even for a pastor or church leader. However, Bargas believes fear of confrontation comes from the fear of warfare. Growing wickedness and outright violence toward Christians has us running scared. It has spilled out into our schools, churches, college campuses, and government buildings. An assassin’s bullet silenced Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025. But we cannot retreat. Instead, we must don the full armor of God and head into battle. Literally, time is of the essence!

Jesus calls us to become His disciples. Members of His Body. He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). In other words, we are to live and love and serve just as Christ did during His earthly ministry. Everything He did serves as an exemplar for us. Self-denial and discipleship necessarily go hand-in-hand. Bonhoeffer was clear: the true cost of discipleship is a deep commitment to the Way of Christ through humble service. It is “the narrow way.” The call to discipleship should free us from all earthly ties and bind us to Jesus Christ alone. Trying to keep some part of our lives under our own control is actually disobedience.

Bargas makes it practical for us. He admits, “God’s work is hard, and there are many reasons we might be tempted to stop and lose focus [but] we cannot afford to be double-minded, having one foot in seeking one thing while being distracted by another.” He warns that if there is a “temple of comfort and ease” operating in our lives, it must be torn down immediately. At the very least, it is a stronghold. Scripture tells us strongholds are mental and spiritual barriers, false arguments and sinful habits, that stand against God’s truth. Beth Moore addresses the issue of strongholds, warning “… they consume so much of our emotional and mental energy that abundant life is strangled.”2

We cannot assume a “sleepy-eyed” posture in the face of this ongoing spiritual warfare. Instead, we must put on the full armor of God (see Eph. 6:10-17). Remember, Christ has disarmed the powers and authorities, the rulers over this present dark age, making a public spectacle of them and triumphing over them through the cross (see Col. 2:15). The “solution” is profound, yet simple: “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:6-8). Paul warns us to avoid vain and deceptive philosophy and human tradition. Our objective must be to tear down anything that exalts itself in our mind and our flesh and to take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

References
1 Richard Bargas, “The Idolatry of Comfort and Ease,” Voice, Vol. 102, No. 4.
2 Beth Moore, Praying God’s Word: Breaking Free From Spiritual Strongholds (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2000), 3.

we cannot “not do”

THE FLESH WANTS WHAT it wants. It’s that simple. It craves. Many needs of the flesh are acceptable, even critical to our survival. We crave water, food, warmth, air. The flesh needs to be “sustained.” It is a vessel. It can be used as a tool for God for a weapon in Satan’s hands. The apostle Paul understood wrestling with the flesh, and his lesson in Romans 7 is critical to understanding our own struggles. It is not a “loophole,” as I allowed it to become for a time. Instead, it is a dire warning that we cannot control our flesh with our flesh. LORD knows, I’ve tried! We do not leave our flesh or our innate sin nature at the cross and walk away invincible. We still possess both the desire to obey God and the desire to fulfill our sinful passions. And for that, we need a battle plan.

We need to recognize and live in the solution and not the problem. This is Galatians 5:16-18 in practice. Paul writes, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” This is a very powerful remark. Next, Paul tells us exactly why this is paramount to our Christian lifestyle. He writes, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal. 5:19). In the flesh, we are sold under sin, but in the Spirit we are free from the Law of sin and death (see Rom. 7:14; 8:2). When we walk in the flesh—especially when we try to tame the flesh by the flesh, under our own willpower—we end up giving attention and power to the flesh. Incidentally, the flesh literally lives for this this fight!

so what then?

Jon Snyder writes, “I fear we’ve bred a generation of believers whose souls are fixated in the way they shouldn’t go.”1 He believes most Christians focus constantly on the nots and don’ts. We are acutely aware of what we should not be doing, what we should not be thinking, how we do not measure up, what we do not have, what we have not done, what we are not going to do, etc. This has also been my experience as well. Yet, Snyder says God is more interested in who we are in His Son. The Father knows we cannot “not” sin; that we cannot please Him by “not” doing fleshly things. He knows it is impossible for us, while in the flesh, to not do things of the flesh. It is just as Paul ranted: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom. 7:15). Paul cannot “not do.” And neither can we.

Of course, this is not the end of it. Instead of failing constantly at “not doing,” we need to change our focus. The Serenity Prayer is recited in AA meetings worldwide.2 I want to share it here because it is spot-on: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” According to the first part of the prayer, there will be many things we cannot change. Instead, we are to stop fighting against things that must be accepted as they are. We don’t have to like it. But we do have to take life as it comes and not as we would have it. Yet, there are things we can change. The prayer suggests we need “courage” to change them. Courage is an amazingly complex word. It means “ability,” “strength,” “resolution,” “spirit,” “tenacity,” “zeal.” In the Old English, “courage” meant “valor, a quality of mind which enables one to meet danger and trouble without fear.”

The Serenity Prayer ends with, “…and the wisdom to know the difference.” The difference between what and what? Foremost, between what we can change and what we must accept that we cannot change. But it also includes what Paul taught regarding an inability to control the flesh. The flesh wants what the flesh wants when it wants it, period! We cannot change the nature of flesh. It is not able to stop itself from being “flesh.” In my struggle to break the habitual sin of watching pornography, I constantly focused on not watching pornography. But guess what my mind was focused on? Yep, pornography! On good days, when I was feeling “spiritual,” walking with and praising God, my flesh was not craving sexual release. On bad days, however, when “up in my head” and in need of an escape from pain, boredom, poor self-image, my flesh drowned out any thoughts of God. It’s really good at that! This stopped me from being able to take my thoughts captive to obey Christ. Ultimately, the committee in my head decided to watch porn “one last time.” The flesh won.

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live”
(Rom. 8:13).

Paul admitted, “…it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (Rom. 7:17). He cries out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” (Rom. 7:24). Hallelujah! There is a solution! We have been crucified with Christ, raised to new life, and clothed in His righteousness. Paul remarks, “So then, I myself serve the Law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” We are no longer under condemnation for sin. This is because Christ has fulfilled the Spirit of the Law and has set us free from sin and death. We no longer need to remain in slavery. And so, consequently, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (see Rom. 8:1-2).

It is us trying to “ be good enough.” However, no “don’ts” are powerful enough to stand against the flesh.

As counterintuitive as it might sound, focusing on the Law itself, obsessing over the very thing we do not want to do, only leads to more sin. Then, in frustration, we decide we will never be able to win. Complacency and resignation are not far behind at this point! Oh dear brother or sister, perhaps you have forgotten that only Jesus can deliver us from the bondage of sin. Not our efforts to behave properly. When tempted, our approach has been Don’t do that! Don’t think that! Don’t watch that! Don’t like that! That “sounds godly,” but it’s not. Rather, it is human reasoning masquerading as “spiritual advice.” And it has nothing remotely in common with discipleship, for discipleship is about complete surrender to the Lordship of Christ.

In fact, Paul adamantly reminds us that our battles are spiritual in nature. He writes, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4-5). The mind is the leader or forerunner of all our actions (see Rom. 8:5). Persistent ruminations become constructs or “strongholds” that hold us in bondage. Beth Moore writes, “Basically, a stronghold is any argument or pretension that sets itself up against the kingdom of God.”3 The devil’s primary battlefield is the mind. It is the easiest and most effective way he can influence our behavior. As noted earlier, we cannot defeat our flesh by focusing on our flesh; zeroing in on the “don’t.” Moore says, “It is never the will of God for warfare to become our focus. The fastest way to lose our balance in warfare is to rebuke the devil more than we relate to God.”4 She is saying there’s more to this than just shouting JESUS ! at the devil. There is a struggle for control of our every thought.

Ultimately, we must stand against strongholds whatever they may be, commanding them to bow to the power and authority of Christ Jesus. Paul sets the stage for this battle in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Eugene Peterson gives us a unique translation of verses 5 and 6 in The Message: “We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”5 What a powerful interpretation of Paul’s words! A perfect picture for the common application of his instructions regarding our daily struggles with the flesh and with the “false” narratives we often tell ourselves in order to justify our wayward behavior.

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

References
1 Jon Snyder, “How to Overcome the Flesh,” Covenant Eyes (Dec. 6, 2021), accessed June 25, 2022. URL: https://www.covenanteyes.com/2016/06/03/overcome-flesh-walk-by-spirit/
2 AA Worldwide Services, Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th edition (New York, NY), 2001.
3 Beth Moore, Praying God’s Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2000), 3.
4 Ibid., 7.
5 Eugene Peterson, The Message//Remix (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 1700.

trappings of the flesh

IS IT WRONG to want to “feel good?” After all, we have by design an innate desire for happiness and well-being. Moreover, “feeling good” does wonders for our health. It promotes better sleep, lowers stress, and can even add years to our lives. But just how badly do you need to “feel good” to get through your day? We are quite good at legitimizing our feelings, and we strive to protect them at any cost. Prioritizing “feeling good” over everything else can eventually morph into what is called Hedonism.* Because these “temporary fixes” are unsustainable, maintaining a perpetual “good mood” is impossible, and chasing it will eventually leave us empty.

a life focused exclusively on pleasure leads to a perpetual sense of craving, as no single pleasure can ever fulfill us

“The flesh” is not limited to our physical bodies or the cravings that come with it. It also includes our old, fallen nature, our innate tendency toward sin, and total separation from God. There is an internal battle raging between our spirit and our flesh. As Christians, we are all called to crucify the flesh and its passions and desires, and instead lead a life focused on the Kingdom of God. We are to pursue spiritual perfection rather than get caught up in the trappings of the world. Given that the flesh wants what it wants when it wants it, how can we ever hope to accomplish this Herculean task?

Marandia Wright says, “The best way to crucify the flesh is simply to starve it out. If you starve the flesh while feeding the spirit, the spirit will begin to overpower the flesh.”1 This is what Jesus means by taking up your cross every day. Paul says we are to “mortify” the deeds of the flesh. Literally, we are to “kill or to make them dead.” He says, “…the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar (Gal. 5:19-21, “Christian Standard Version”).

These trappings of the flesh―worldly desires, sinful and selfish behaviors, attitudes contrary to spiritual growth and God’s will―often come at the expense of others. Feeding our flesh can also lead to substance abuse and other harmful behaviors geared toward instant gratification. Ultimately, this causes frustration, long-term anxiety, irritability, and hopelessness. Paul said the “works of the flesh” are plenty but the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Gal. 5:19-22).

Our flesh will always crave those things that oppose the Holy Spirit. That’s its nature. Conversely, the Holy Spirit will always crave that which opposes the flesh. They are in fact contrary one to another. This is a battle for our attention, our affections, our loyalties, our spiritual future. We innately crave happiness and well-being. But there must be a delicate balancing act between what our flesh wants versus walking by the Spirit and living God’s will for our lives. It is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we have been giving the power and authority to crucify our flesh. Ultimately, it comes down to making a decision: Whom will you serve?

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

Resources

1 Marandia Wright, “How To Crucify the Flesh,” Daily Manna, a blog, Aug. 15, 2015, retrieved Sept. 18, 2025, https://heartofworshipchurch.wordpress.com/2015/08/05/how-to-crucify-the-flesh/

* Hedonism: a philosophical theory where pleasure is considered the highest good and the ultimate goal of life, while pain is seen as the ultimate evil. It suggests that people are motivated to act by the desire to experience pleasure and avoid pain, and that moral actions are those that produce pleasure.