Selbstgeist
From Nietzsche’s point of view, the world is what we make it. His idea is closely related to the German philosophical concept of zeitgeist, meaning “spirit of the age.” It refers to the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
However, the modern zeitgeist is more than simply a prevailing atmosphere. It is a gargantuan entity that pervades thought, language, politics, media, education and entertainment. The spirit of our age is captured in slogans, scattered across social networks, and disseminated through countless daily advertisements all expertly aimed at a single target: self.
From YouTube to selfie sticks, Facebook to the latest RPG, self has become the quintessence of our culture. Selbstgeist, the “spirit of the self” guides our decisions, influences our emotions, and shapes our perception of the world in which we live. Self is the message, the mantra, the rally call of today: Stay true to you. Be your best self! You do you. But beneath all the bright-eyed, self-centered optimism of the age, there lies a subtle and sinister motive.
Your Truth
It is for this reason the phrase “your truth” has gained such popularity. If two selves are in disagreement about what is true, rather than engaging in conversation aimed at uncovering the actual truth, the issue is sidestepped. Confrontation is avoided and everybody walks away feeling good about themselves.
While this pacifistic approach to the search for truth may leave everyone happy, it does nothing to increase knowledge. In such an atmosphere, truth degrades from a solid foundation to a variable fluid. The idea of moral absolutes becomes offensive. And, as the self becomes the sole interpreter of the world, truth shifts from reality, to relative, to irrelevant.
The Shortsighted Self
Therefore, if we can eliminate the consequences for being wrong, no one can say we are wrong! For example, if a woman can avoid unwanted pregnancies and STD’s via birth control and abortion, then all grounds for the immorality of her sexual promiscuity — apart from a separate standard of truth — disappear.
But why does any of this matter? The general consensus is if you aren’t hurting anyone and it makes you happy, then who cares? This way of thinking makes sense if our actions and beliefs have no repercussions beyond our immediate experience. But the self is notoriously shortsighted; we often can’t see past the nose on our face. The truth -- your truth and my truth -- is that what we do and what we believe will affect our lives, both now and for all eternity.
Stars of the Little Screen
His goal is to “[blind] the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). But we are mistaken if we think this danger is for unbelievers only. Believers also must be sober-minded and watchful (1 Peter 5:8), for deception is Satan’s native language (John 8:44) and our thoughts are not impervious to his cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3).
Perhaps the most accurate glimpse into Satan’s “selfie strategy” is in 2 Timothy 3 where Paul describes the godlessness of the last days. In a nutshell, he says people will be obsessed with themselves, absorbed in their own pride, unable to restrain their desires, and always learning but never able to discover the truth (2 Timothy 3:2–7).
This reality is not restricted to our era, but it is most certainly facilitated with greater ease and promoted with more applause than ever before. We are self-made stars of our own little screens, and while we’re busy watching ourselves (and other selves), the enemy is setting his sights squarely on our souls.
The Living Dead
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
“We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin … So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:6, 11).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God … Put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (Colossians 3:3,5).
These verses tell us that if we are in Christ, united to Him by faith, then our old self was crucified with Him on the cross. We are the living dead — or, as Paul put it, living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Our old self is dead and gone and we are a new self, “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). The life we now live is lived by faith, not by sight, for our life is hidden with Christ in God.
And so, by faith, we begin to consider ourselves dead to the people we once were. We put to death by the Spirit all that remains of the old self and adopt the mind of Christ, “who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5–8).
The Great Exchange
Perhaps a deeper glimpse into how this truth played out in Paul’s life will help us understand what it means to die to self. In his epistle to the Philippians, Paul speaks about becoming like Christ in His death (Philippians 3:10). A few moments before he penned these words, the apostle listed what he called his reasons for self-confidence: “…circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5–6).
If we look closely, we will realize that Paul’s reasons for self-confidence are not that very different from our own. His upbringing, religion and heritage were points of pride. Paul’s people, or tribe, strengthened his self-esteem. His ambitions and passion gave him a sense of purpose; they made him feel good about himself. And his social status and moral achievements fostered a sense of self-righteousness and self-reliance.
“But whatever gain I had,” he writes, “I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ” (Philippians 3:7–9).
Everything Paul was, everything he ever knew, all of his accomplishments, all of the worldly advantages and benefits he gained, everything he strived to make his life about, Paul now considered as worthless in comparison to knowing Christ and His righteousness.
This is the great exchange! Paul laid his life at the foot of the cross, tracing Jesus’ downward path of humility and self-emptying, aspiring to know Him, share in His sufferings, and become like Him in His death that he might also rise with Him in eternal life (Philippians 3:10–11)!
A Seed Planted
Human wisdom says to take care of yourself first! But God’s wisdom says if we don’t lay ourselves down, all our efforts end with us. Listen to Jesus’ words in John 12:24: "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” When we grasp for life and keep death at arm’s length, we become like a seed in the hand — any potential we may have to benefit others remains dormant and inactive.
But when we die, our lives are like a seed planted. On the surface it may not look like much is happening, but beneath the obscuring soil we are beginning to grow. And if we will die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31), we shall soon find our lives to be green, vibrant, fruitful, and producing a crop many times what was sown (Matthew 13:23)!
Ultimate Reality
Humanity grasps at self-preservation and exaltation; the Son of God laid down His life and was lifted up, not by the crowds, but on a cross. We preach self-care and self-love; Christ preached self-denial and self-sacrifice. We’re in a race to achieve our dreams; Jesus set aside His glory and became poor that we might become rich.
Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we can now exchange our sinful self for His righteous self. We can be transformed in Christlikeness rather than drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. And we can forsake worldly wisdom for Truth incarnate.
Nietzsche was right in observing that human beings projects their nature, contradictions and wisdom onto the world. But what he failed to realize is that God is not a projection of our own thoughts or feelings — He is the ultimate reality!
Before His presence, our imperfect nature is revealed. Through His truth, our contradictions are silenced. In the light of His glory, all our wisdom is but child’s play. And by the power of His Holy Spirit, the spirit of self is being overcome little by little in those who have surrendered their lives to the Lord of all the earth and desire, with fervent hearts, to become like Him.