What the devil is saying
The other day I was reading the scripture where Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert. That was a bad business. With the second temptation the devil told Jesus to jump from the church spire, because, he said: Matthew 4:6 … The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: “He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone.”
The devil himself quotes from the Word of God. Psalm 91:11 says: He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling.
It might not be exactly the same, but let’s give the devil his due, he knows the Bible. Remember, at one stage the devil was an angel. But the most important thing to know is that he probably knows the Bible better than all of us. He knows which verses he should quote to mislead us.
Paul knows it. And that is why he is so direct: 11-12So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
This is real. There is a war going on out there and the tactics are the dirtiest in the book. For some a trap is set to glance at pornography, some start drinking more, others do deals below the counter. All to make themselves feel better.
But for others the devil has even more devious plans. He knows some are standing strong and will not be easily tempted to go in a wrong direction. He makes these people work a little harder, because he knows that then they will have less time to work relationships and before they know it, everything falls apart and they are strangers to God. Some work so hard on the things of Jesus that eventually they lose the Jesus of the things along the way.
A believer friend of mine said that the devil does not suddenly tempt him to stop reading the Bible. No, every morning, day-by-day, the devil tries to prevent him from making time to read the Bible. Bit-by-bit he tries to get a foot in the door and before you know it, he has taken over.
These stories aren’t meant to scare you. No, we don’t have to be afraid of the devil, because Jesus has already vanquished him on the cross. But that does not mean that he is not doing his utmost to get us away from God.
Therefore, we have to be prepared. We have to be ready for the devil’s attacks. The more serious you are about the things of God, the more you will be attacked. As they say, those at the top are the most exposed to attacks.
Make sure that you are ready for these attacks, and that you prepare for the fight together with the Holy Spirit, because then you will be victorious. That is God’s promise.
Reflection
Where is the devil trying to get you to go the wrong way?
Does he sometimes win the fight?
How can you prepare yourself?
Prayer
Father, I realize again how clever the devil is. I realize it’s a war out there and that I must be better prepared. I want to spend more time with You so that I’m better equipped for the fight. Amen
