SAME OLD TRICKS (THE DEVIL HAS NO NEW TRICKS!)

 

I've met people who do not want to discuss anything about the devil: such people often think talking about the devil is a way of elevating him or making him essential. The Bible admonishes us: "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Being ignorant of his ways could lead to our defeat in the fight, and our loss would mean disobeying our Father. How wrong! If we know he is our adversary, we should want to know him inside and out to detect when he is working against us.

So, what are the devil's tricks, and what are his goals? His tricks come in the form of deception; he misrepresents God with the hope that we would mistrust and disobey Him, thereby putting a rift between God and us. He makes us think God is withholding good things from us to make us miserable; that's what he did when talking to Eve about God's instructions to Adam, insisting God didn't want them to be wise (see Genesis 3:1-6). Below is how he makes us think it's okay to do what God forbids. And what are the devil's goals when he lies to us? He wants us to doubt God's Word and believe God is not looking out for our best interests, thereby causing us to switch our allegiance from God to him.

1)    Appealing to our physical needs/lust: We all have these; they are hunger, intimacy, etc. Remember, after forty days of fasting, the Bible says Jesus was very hungry (see Matthew 4:2). Being the Son of God, Jesus could have turned anything into bread or anything else He desired to satisfy His hunger. But what would have been the implication? It would have implied that He obeyed the devil, even though He knew what the Word said. God forbid! 

What would you do if you had a similar need and the devil suggested you steal, cheat, fornicate, or commit adultery? Well, remember what God's Word says about these situations? Jesus did: Thou shall not steal; a false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight; Flee from sexual immorality; Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled (see Ex 20:15; Proverbs 11:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Hebrews 13:4). Being able to recall such Scriptures should caution us and help us realize when what we are about to do is contrary to God's Word.   

2)    Pride and Arrogance/Ego: Have you ever been tempted to be a show-off for recognition and the like? God hates pride and arrogance (see Proverbs 8:13). The devil asked Jesus to jump off the temple's highest point. Again, he twisted Scripture, saying: "He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways (Psalm 91:11 NLT).” This promise is about God protecting us in our everyday lives, but not necessarily when we want to show off or intentionally try to commit suicide. Of course, He might still intervene, but the promise is not claimable under the circumstances we engineer. For instance, if you go to bed with your doors and windows locked, you can confidently claim His protection, but why should you if you intentionally leave yourself vulnerable? 

3)    Materialism: Have you ever had to choose between material gain and integrity? In Matthew 4:8-9, the devil asked Jesus to worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world with their glory (things that already belonged to Him anyway).  For example, how would you respond if asked to be involved in a cover-up scheme for a reward? Jesus knew exactly how He should respond in His case, and He did: "Get out of here, Satan, for the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him’" (Verse 10-11). In other words, "No, not on your life, Satan!". 

OUR RESPONSE TO TEMPTATIONS

Jesus quoted Scripture with every temptation (see Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). He knew the appropriate Scripture for each situation. Do you? The knowledge of Scripture and how and when it applies is of utmost importance. In addition to knowing the Scriptures, we need to have a love for God expressed through obedience to his Word: "Loving God means keeping his commandments" (1 John 5:3 NLT).  

Satan's tricks can often be traced to one of the above (lust, pride, materialism). Our obedience to the Word of God is our surest way of defeating the devil and maintaining an uninterrupted, loving relationship with God our Father. Let's get into the habit of putting the devil in his place like Jesus did: "Get out of here, Satan!" In addition, let's put and keep on the whole armor of God to guarantee our victory in the fight (see Ephesians 6:11-18).