Welcome back to Wilderness to Wisdom.
In the last episode,
We talked about the red pill and the blue pill from the matrix and why as followers of Christ,
We're not called to choose either one.
But the reality is,
Most of us were already living within that system long before we even realized there was a choice.
Have you ever found yourself caught in a cycle?
Maybe it was scrolling through social media,
Feeling that pull to respond to something that triggered you.
Or perhaps it was in a conversation where you felt that rising need to defend your position.
Maybe it was in a church setting where you sense the pressure to either conform or be excluded.
In each case,
We think we're making conscious choices,
But we're often just running pre-installed programs.
In those moments,
Something deeper was at work.
A pattern most people never recognize.
In this episode,
I want to look at what's happening underneath the surface.
Not just the choices in front of us,
But the system shaping how we see everything.
Because what shapes you will ultimately determine how you live.
What if I told you that this world we experience is not what it appears to be?
I'm not talking about conspiracies,
New age philosophies,
Or anything outside of the word of God.
I'm talking about something the Bible has been pointing to all along.
In the last episode,
I discussed why the red pill and the blue pill from the matrix aren't the right options for followers of Christ.
But if we're not choosing either pill,
Then what is actually shaping how we see and respond to the world?
I recently watched a video that described this using what was called a biblical matrix model.
And while the matrix is a secular film,
It surprisingly illustrates biblical truths about spiritual warfare and reality that scripture has always pointed to.
I'm not using that language to point to anything outside of scripture.
It's simply a way to describe something the Bible already reveals.
So if something sounds unfamiliar or abstract,
Don't get stuck on the wording.
We'll always stay anchored in the truth of God's word.
This is simply a framework for understanding our true condition and the path back to God's original design.
It's made up of nine layers,
Each building on the last.
First,
There's the original state,
Where humanity was created with direct awareness of God.
Before the fall,
There was no separation.
We were designed to live in that closeness with God,
Not trying to find him,
But already walking with him.
Second came the fall,
Where there was a fundamental shift from God to self.
So instead of being led by God's presence,
Humanity began to rely on what they saw,
Felt,
And understood for themselves.
Human perception replaced God's presence.
And this wasn't just a moral failure,
It changed how we experience life today.
Third,
We have the system,
The world as we now know it,
Governed by desire,
Fear,
And ego.
This is what 1 John 2.
16 describes as the lust of the flesh,
The lust of the eyes,
And the pride of life.
These three elements create a loop that keeps most people living reactively.
Fourth,
There's the call,
God's invitation to return to him.
Throughout scripture,
God raised up voices like Moses,
Isaiah,
And Jeremiah to call people back to the truth.
In the New Testament,
Jesus began his ministry saying,
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
This same call still stands today.
Fifth comes the Awakener,
Jesus Christ himself.
He's not just a guide,
He is the way back to the Father,
Pointing us back to our original design.
Jesus said,
I am the way,
The truth,
And the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
He restores what was lost and leads us back into right relationship with God.
Sixth is the choice,
What we often call repentance.
And this isn't just behavior modification,
It's a change in direction.
It's choosing to turn away from the system and live in alignment with God.
You could think of it as a red pill moment where you begin to see clearly,
But even that has limitations because awareness is not the same as transformation.
Seventh,
We face the resistance,
The enemy working through the same pattern of desire,
Fear,
And ego to keep us from the truth.
Scripture tells us that Satan is a deceiver.
He doesn't create truth,
He distorts it.
He works to keep us focused on what we see and feel instead of what God has said.
And in doing so,
He challenges our identity,
Our worth,
And our alignment with God.
Eighth,
There's the exit,
Where death is not the end,
But a transition.
Scripture tells us that death does not have the final word.
First Corinthians 15.
55 says,
O death,
Where is your sting?
Because death is not the end,
It is a transition into what God has promised.
This life is not all there is.
Finally,
Ninth is the return,
Where our original state is restored and the kingdom is fully realized.
This isn't a new identity,
But a revealed one.
It's what we were always meant to be,
Now fully restored.
So the kingdom was never outside the system.
For those who are in Christ,
It was always there within us,
Waiting to be seen through it.
While we're still living in this world with its limitations,
We won't experience that fullness yet.
But our goal is to keep moving in that direction,
Breaking free from the systems of the world,
Putting on the nature of Christ,
And learning to walk in the power and authority we've been given.
That framework helps us to see the bigger picture.
But the question is,
How does this actually play out in our daily lives?
Most people who truly want to follow Christ don't wake up one day and intentionally choose deception.
It's much more subtle than that.
It happens slowly over time.
We're constantly being shaped by what we're exposed to,
What we see,
Hear,
And experience.
And without realizing it,
Human perception begins to replace awareness of God's presence.
Instead of being led by the Holy Spirit,
We begin responding to what feels right,
Looks right,
Or makes sense to the flesh.
Everything in the world operates through those same patterns.
And this drift happens because we're living in kind of a filtered experience.
It's not false,
But it is limited.
This body we live in is not our identity.
It's how we experience this life.
But over time,
We began to treat it as our identity,
And we started living as though what we see is all there is.
The longer we stay in that pattern,
The more natural it feels.
And without realizing it,
We begin to live shaped by what we perceive.
And over time,
It feels so normal that we don't question it because that's how we've been shaped from a young age.
When you look closely,
You can start to see a pattern in how most people operate.
Most reactions are driven by a simple loop.
Desire,
Fear,
And ego.
It's important to understand this cycle because it sits at the root of how we respond to life in the flesh.
Desire says,
I want this outcome.
Fear says,
What if I lose this or don't get the outcome I want?
Ego says,
I need to protect or control this so I can get the outcome I want.
And then it repeats.
This is where many,
If not most people live,
Reacting to circumstances more consistently than being led by the Holy Spirit.
Think about how this plays out on social media.
You see a post you disagree with.
Desire kicks in.
You want to respond and prove the person wrong.
Then fear follows.
What if I don't respond?
What if their wrong view goes unchallenged and influences others?
Then ego takes over.
You craft the perfect argument to put them in their place.
You hit post and for a moment you feel satisfied,
But then you're drawn back to check for responses and the cycle begins again.
Or consider what happens when someone deeply invested in the church system encounters someone who follows the Bible outside that structure.
The churchgoer hears a perspective that challenges their comfort zone.
Desire emerges.
They want to defend their religious framework.
Then fear whispers,
What if my entire spiritual foundation is built on something man-made?
Then ego drives them to assert their position,
Often with defensive anger rather than biblical discussion.
They might quote scripture about not forsaking the assembly,
But they can't engage with deeper spiritual realities because they're protecting the system,
Not pursuing truth.
Or consider someone who has left the church system but still operates from the same desire,
Fear,
Ego loop when their understanding is challenged.
They've changed environments but not patterns.
Even in our personal lives,
This loop governs so much.
A friend doesn't respond to your message quickly.
Desire says you want their attention.
Fear will suggest that they're pulling away or that you've done something wrong.
Then ego tells you to either withdraw to protect yourself or send a follow-up message that's slightly passive-aggressive.
We're not being led by the spirit,
We're being driven by the loop.
Galatians 5 17 shows us that this tension is constant.
The flesh and the spirit are in opposition.
So the battle isn't just external,
It's internal.
This doesn't mean everyone responds this way every single time,
But the pull of our fleshly nature is strong and many if not most people live reacting to circumstances more consistently than being led by the Holy Spirit.
And if we're not aware of this,
We'll continue responding from the same cycle even while convincing ourselves we're maturing in our faith.
The situation may change but the pattern stays the same.
We might change environments,
Relationships,
Or perspectives but still be operating from the same loop.
And over time,
It can feel so normal that we don't question it.
We may even call it growth when we're really just getting better at managing the same cycle.
This is why people can experience moments of clarity but still return to the same patterns.
So this is where things become very clear.
It's not just about what is real,
It's about what you're aligned to.
You can become aware of how things work.
You can see patterns and question what you've been taught and still not be led by the Holy Spirit.
This is the limitation of the red pill metaphor.
Awareness of the system is not the same as being free from it.
I've seen this happen many times in my own life.
As I continue to walk this out and put on more of the nature of Christ,
I follow the leading of the Holy Spirit more consistently and see the fruit from it.
But even then,
There are moments when I take control and find myself pulled right back into that same cycle.
This is very real and it's not something to take lightly.
The goal is to be led by the Holy Spirit more than the flesh.
And as you yield to the Spirit,
You become more aware and better equipped to recognize the flesh's pull.
But the desires of the flesh don't just disappear.
They continue to pull and there may be times when we yield to that pull.
James 1.
22 tells us to be doers of the word and not hearers only,
Deceiving yourselves.
Because awareness alone does not produce transformation.
Alignment does.
Alignment requires obedience,
Humility and a willingness to be led.
Not just knowing that we've been lied to,
But seeking what is true according to God's word and choosing to walk in it.
It's the difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
Truth doesn't add information.
It simply removes what isn't true.
Alignment,
However,
Removes the things that keep us trapped in the desire,
Fear,
Ego loop,
Even when we're aware of how it works.
Many times,
That's where most people stay.
Aware but not aligned.
It's like someone who has studied all the nutritional information about food.
They can recite calories and ingredients,
But still make the same unhealthy choices every day.
They know exactly what's wrong with the system of processed foods and sugar addiction.
They can explain the science perfectly.
But when it comes to actually living differently,
They keep reaching for the same junk food,
Because knowing isn't the same as doing.
I can definitely relate to this example.
And it shows how in various areas of life,
We all face tension.
The gap between knowing what is true and living in alignment with that truth.
So even though we're living in a fallen world,
Our lives don't have to stay trapped in those cycles.
As kingdom citizens and ambassadors,
Our lives should reflect the kingdom we represent.
People should experience the kingdom of heaven in the way we live,
Speak,
And respond.
But the reality is we often move in and out of alignment.
There are moments when we do follow the leading of the Holy Spirit,
And we see the fruit of it.
And then there are moments when we take control again,
And we find ourselves right back in the same patterns.
We go through these cycles,
Learning,
Responding,
And then slipping back into what feels familiar.
And that's why alignment matters.
Not just moments of clarity,
But consistency in how we live.
This is where we need to understand that this body isn't our identity,
But rather an interface with this layer of reality.
Think of it like a phone or computer screen.
What you see on the screen isn't the source,
It's just how you interact with what's behind it.
The screen can display information,
But it can't generate it.
In the same way,
This body is how we experience this life,
Not who we truly are.
Our bodies experience physical life,
But they don't generate the life.
It's like doing a factory reset to get rid of the garbage from the world.
That's really what this journey is about.
Returning to our original design.
While we won't reach complete restoration in the flesh,
We should be walking toward it because life in this body will come to an end,
And we'll transition back to our spiritual form.
But it's worth it to walk toward it in this life because as we walk toward it,
We can experience more of the kingdom,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Since the fall,
Something shifted.
We moved from being directly connected to God to living through our own perception.
Instead of being led by what is true,
We began relying on what we see,
Feel,
And understand.
And that shift changed how we experience everything.
We are not flesh trying to become spirit.
That's the lie we've been taught.
We are spiritual beings created by God,
Now living a human experience.
We were created to live in relationship with God,
But we're now experiencing life within limitations that constantly pull us to identify with what we see.
Even in scripture,
We can see this distinction.
Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5.
1 that our earthly body is like a temporary house,
But we have something eternal from God.
In other words,
This body is how we experience this life,
Not who we truly are.
Now,
This doesn't mean we should disregard our bodies.
In fact,
We are called to be good stewards of them as temples of the Holy Spirit.
But when we begin to see this distinction clearly,
It changes how we live.
We stop trying so hard to protect the external at all costs and start focusing on what truly matters,
Being led by the Spirit.
So what does it actually look like to step out of that loop and live from our true identity?
It's not about finding better information or becoming more aware.
It's about learning to stop reacting impulsively,
Which pulls you back into the desire,
Fear,
Ego loop,
And instead pausing first to sit with what's in front of you and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
As you pause,
Here are some practical steps for moving from perception to presence.
First,
Ask the right question.
Instead of,
What should I do?
Ask,
Holy Spirit,
What are you showing me here?
Then,
Test it against Scripture,
Not just experience.
Our experiences are filtered.
The Word of God is our standard.
Then,
Practice Kingdom awareness in daily decisions.
Luke 17 21 reminds us that the Kingdom is within.
We carry that reality with us wherever we go,
And our lives should reflect it.
This applies to every area of life.
Whether it's politics,
Finances,
Healthcare,
Relationships,
Or church environments,
The same pressures are at work.
The desire to control outcomes,
The fear of loss,
The need to belong or to be right,
It's the same loop just showing up in different ways.
And here's what we need to understand.
We don't have to participate.
The systems of this world will present their choices as mandatory,
And we often feel pressured to respond.
But as citizens of heaven,
We have the freedom to step back.
We can engage lightly without being owned or entangled,
Participating in social situations while maintaining our boundaries and not over-investing emotionally.
We can observe without being absorbed,
And we can recognize the pressure to choose sides without feeling compelled to pick one.
This doesn't mean withdrawal from life.
It means freedom from within it.
The ability to say,
I don't have to participate in this exchange,
Or I don't have to be defined by this,
Helps us to remember that our true citizenship is in heaven and gives us the perspective to engage with the world without continuing to be shaped by it.
If we're not aware of this freedom,
We'll respond the same way we always have,
Falling back into the same patterns over and over instead of being led by the Holy Spirit.
As we close today,
Remember,
This isn't just about understanding the system.
It's about recognizing how it has shaped you and choosing to live differently.
You don't have to stay caught in those same cycles.
You don't have to react the way you always have.
You're not limited to living by what you see.
You have been given the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
So instead of rushing to respond,
Pause.
Sit with what's in front of you and wait for God.
He will give you clarity,
Peace,
And direction.
Then be willing to follow that lead because true freedom isn't found in seeing everything clearly.
It's found in being led by the Spirit of God.
The red pill awakens you to the matrix,
But only the Holy Spirit can lead you out of it.
Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of Wilderness to Wisdom.
