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The Scriptures warn us about the devil. He is not our friend, he is our foe. He doesn’t love us, he hates us. He is not for us, he is against us. He indeed is our number one enemy; therefore, Peter admonishes, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). And that “someone” is you and me. We are on his “hit list.”
Satan tempts (Mt. 4:1); he schemes (Eph. 6:11); he lays out snares (1 Tim. 3:7); he deceives (Rev. 20:10); he lies and is the father of lies (Jn. 8:44); he murders (Jn. 8:44); and we should “not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ·ignorant of his designs” (2 Cor. 2:11). And yet, so often we act as if we don’t have a clue about how he operates.
If sin were not so enticing and exciting Satan would not be so powerful. He makes wickedness look so innocent, intriguing, and inviting as he lays the snare; he “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14); but in reality he is the adversary of darkness! He is no good and up to no good. Don’t be duped by his deception.
Hell has been prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt. 25:41), and Satan wants you and me to join him in his eternal agony. The truth is, if we live like the devil on earth, we will certainly live with him in hell. We cannot align our lives with Satan on earth and expect to be rewarded with the saint s in heaven. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap ” (Gal. 6:7).
Remember: Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.
Are the “passing pleasures” of sin (Heb. 11:25) really worth the permanent consequences? The relationship you and Satan share is truly up to you. But beware, the devil is up to no good for you!
James Cudd
Hinton Church of Christ
Hinton, OK