“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said…?’” (Genesis 3:1)
…and the rest is history! What I want to focus on here is not the fact that Eve listened to the devil’s lies and sinned against God. The point we need to understand is that the devil, the destroyer of your soul, is a Master Deceiver! He will stop at nothing to fulfill his job in your life, if you allow him to. Therefore, we need to be on our constant guard and learn to recognize him when he comes, and beware of his tactics.
Rev 12:9 identifies this same enemy in this way, “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” This scripture says he deceives the whole world. If anyone thinks they are immune to his tactics, I’ve got news for them. He deceives everybody. The only exception was Jesus. So let’s face it…Satan is no amateur. He knows his job and he does it very well.
The above verse in Genesis says he was more cunning or craftier, than any other beast. In 1 Peter 5:8, he is described as “a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”. His job is simple; he is out to kill, to steal and to destroy (John 10:10) He is the father of lies and whenever he speaks, you can be sure it is a lie (John 8:44) He knows the very Word of God that you cling to better than you do, and he knows just how to use it in his scheme to destroy your life and your walk with the Lord.
Now the question on your mind right now may well be, “so why are you telling me all this?” The answer is simple; so that when he comes to you, you will be able to recognize him and avoid the pitfalls he will place in your path.
I would like to share with you three things that Satan will never tell you, for if he did he would surely lose in his master plan of deception to bring your life to ruin…
- Satan will never tell you that you are already more than a conqueror. Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” If you are born-again, you are already on the winning side, but as long as you listen to the devil’s lies, you will never feel like a winner, you will never act like a winner, you will never think like a winner. You will never be happy with who you are, what you possess or what you are doing with your life. He will make you feel that your best just isn’t good enough and you will constantly struggle with a feeling of inadequacy. Satan and his followers are never satisfied or content, and he will never allow you to be either. On the other hand, 1 Timothy 6:6 explains to us “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” There is no greater fulfillment or higher degree of success this world has to offer than to know in the depths of your heart that your life is pleasing to God, and you are walking in line with His plan for you. If you set your mind to that goal, you will not only be a conqueror, but you will feel and act like one too.
- Satan will never tell you that you cannot be condemned. Romans 8:1 tells us, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Satan is the “accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10) who accuses us before our God day and night. Have you heard him lately…“What makes you think you can go back to that church after what you did last night? Don’t you remember how you lost your temper and said all those really bad things to that guy who crossed you?” Or perhaps, “Well you really blew it this time. You can never show your face in front of those Christians again. You will never be as good as they are.” Sound familiar? The words or the accusation may be different, but the “Accuser” is still hard at work trying to keep you away from God and the fellowship of other believers. He will always throw your past in your face and remind you of all your failures, keeping you in bondage and fear. Paul discovered the perfect antidote to the accusations of the enemy. He said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) Now that, my Friend, is victory!! So...if you are feeling condemned, believe me, it isn’t your Father who is making you feel that way. Recognize your enemy, it’s the Deceiver!
- Satan will never tell you the Word of God is absolute. He will twist it and distort it to move you far away from the very heart and meaning behind God’s Word. Listen to his words in the Garden, “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4b-5) It sounded so good and so powerful, but in the end, it led to destruction. Listen again as the Deceiver works his scheme, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (Matt 4:3) Simple solution when Jesus was hungry, right? And again, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” (verse 6) Sounds Biblical, right? Just think how God would have been glorified?!?! Once more, showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them Satan said, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” (vs.9) After all, who would know, and just think of how much better he could serve God then, right?
Friends, Satan makes his lies sound so good, and often they even fit in with the popular religious system. But the truth is that his lies are deadly poison! They are intended to destroy your home, your family and your life. But in reality, the only power Satan has over your life is deception. If he can make you doubt God’s Word, compromise with the world’s system or play the game of religion, you are defeated. You will never, never win with God by falling for the lies of the enemy, and once Satan has destroyed your relationship with God, he will cast you aside as a worthless heap of rubbish.
But, on the other hand, if you are willing to lay down your life, be separate from the world, fill your mind and heart with the things of God instead of the things of the world; if you will take up your cross daily, allowing the very presence of God to be your daily portion, then you will know joy unspeakable and full of glory. You will find the fulfillment your heart has longed for and you will find contentment in your soul with who you are in Christ Jesus.
The devil hasn’t changed. He’s still lying and stealing and killing and destroying. That’s his job, however subtle he may be in doing it. His demands may sound wonderful in the beginning, and it may look beautiful, but its path still leads to damnation. Do you know what’s ironic? Satan was kicked out of heaven to begin with because he wanted to be equal with God. Eve was deceived in the Garden because she wanted to be like God. And all along, God Himself determined that we would be conformed to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:29)
Satan…the Great Deceiver!! He has already been defeated. Learn to recognize his tactics and put him where he belongs…under your feet. We need to draw closer to the “Real Thing”, so that when the Imitator comes along, we will know him for who he is. God has provided only one way to reach Him. That’s through His own Son, Jesus Christ. If you are a child of God, you truly are more than a Conqueror through Him that loves you. Glory to God!
Prayer…
Thank you Father that You have given me power over the wiles of the Enemy of my soul. You have told us to renew our minds by the Word of God so that we will learn to recognize the Enemy when he comes. Help me Father, so that I might grow in the Word of God, and to learn to recognize the tactics of the Enemy so that I can win victory over the circumstances in my life. I praise You Father for your goodness and Your faithfulness in my life. In Jesus' Name I pray....Amen
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