THE DECEIVER, his TACTICS and CHARACTER

Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”. Luke 10:18

“How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."  Isa.14:12-14

In Isaiah the character of Lucifer the shining one, the star of the morning is revealed. He has never stopped his claims and attempts to usurp the power and position of His Creator.

He was created perfect (Ez. 28:12-16) because all God makes is such, but in his heart, from where sin originates, Satan birthed iniquity and unrighteousness and said he’d ascend to God’s Abode, heaven, from which he pretends to rule: he said he’d rule over God Angels, raise his throne above the stars of God, and did manage to deceive a third of God’s perfectly created angels (Rev.12:4) to be his pawns to seduce humankind which he began in the Garden of Eden with Eve.

He said he’d exalt himself in God’s formal place of worship, the mount of assembly and is doing a commendable job in taking worship due God unto himself. He said he’d take God’s glory for himself and “ascend above the heights of the clouds” which has always been a representation of God’s presence as witnessed in the wilderness when the cloud of guiding went before God’s people. (Ex.13:21)

And ultimately he attempts to take God’s glory for himself, “I will make myself LIKE the Most High” and he has since subtly set out to seduce mankind to also accept such a claim. He seduced Eve in the garden with such a lie (Gen.3:3) “you will be like God” and she was tempted to believe him and fell prey to sin. While mankind was made by God in His image and likeness God (Gen.2:26) he is certainly not God as eastern mysticism, mind sciences and many in the Church teach. Can a painting claim to be the artist or a clay jar the potter because both were created out of the genius of their superior? How can man deign to make such an arrogant claim unless possessed by Satan’s spirit of pride?

In the Garden of Eden, Satan, who was “more crafty than any of the wild animals” (Gen 3:1) cleverly deceived Eve (Gen.3:13) although she was without sin at the time he persuaded her to listen to his rhetoric. In cunning seduction he swayed her to rely on her own reasoning and “see” a new spirituality through her own understanding rather than stay in God’s protection by obedience to Him. She became “wise in your own eyes” rather than “fear the LORD and shun evil.” (Prov. 3:7-8)

Influenced by the serpent’s (kundalini) power brought death by the murdering destroyer, father of lies, and thief. Eve’s communion of spiritual life with God was damaged as was her husband’s when he too fell under Satan’s spell and ultimately all Adam’s descendants have been ruined too. (For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23)

Satan’s agenda has never stopped. He desires our death, and eternal separation from God. Jesus’ goal has never changed. From the foundations of the earth He desired we have eternal fellowship with His Father. Jesus has overcome the wages of sin by His shed blood, given us His Word for cleansing and edification, and “hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance.”(Eph 1:18)

Believers in Jesus have “redemption through his blood…. forgiveness of sins….. the riches of God's grace…..wisdom and understanding….and…. the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ…our one head.” (Eph 1:7-10)


SATAN’S COUNTERFEIT UNITY

Scriptures teach one Head, one Jesus, one Way, one message of salvation, one God all that equals THE faith. But Christians and non-Christians alike are being swept into the world’s conditioning for ecumenicism and unity which must take place prior to the anti-christ’s rule.

All religious belief must merge, global politics and financial monetary system. Many corporations worldwide are working to this end and using indoctrination tools such as international media corridors of learning and education push for a new spirituality for children and the church is touting a new Christianity that embraces. Some of the huge church movements such as seeker-friendly, mega churches, Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven movement and the Emerging/Emergent Church are all part of a spiritual strategy to break down the authority of The Bible and bringing Scripture into question: its legitimacy and Authorship by the Holy Spirit ,through 40 writers from all walks of life who over 16 hundred years wrote prophesies discovered in some of the greatest archaeological finds of all times.

We are in spiritually perilous times “when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Tim. 4:2-5)

In a letter to the Thessalonians Paul warned that another of the signs of the last days aside from the spiritual deception Jesus warned about thrice in Matt. 24 would be everyone craving peace and unity at any cost. Paul says, “When they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them…..but you… are not in darkness that this day should overtake you as a thief in the night.”  Certainly, as nightly news attests, many are concerned about global turmoil and are calling for man-made efforts of “Peace and Safety”.


THE BIBLE’S ARMOR

In our frailty God does not leave us defenseless but offers full weaponry. Paul encouraged us to be equipped to take our “stand against the devil’s schemes” and “put on the FULL armor of God “ (Eph 6:11).

God’s armor is nothing less than the “fullness” of His Word (Col.1:25-26) and the gospel which is “the power of God for the salvation” (Rom 1:16). Bits and pieces of armor, bytes and one-liner “words for the day” won’t protect us fully just as small pieces of armor wont suffice in the heat of battle.

I remember one of my first Bible studies as a new Christian was given by an American Officer who fought in Vietnam when the enemy couldn’t be distinguished from the ally. He taught on the importance of knowing your enemy’s character, its lack of uniform distinction and his unfairness in his desire for power. In these end times of deception in the world and the Church it’s vital to know the “wiles of the devil” because we certainly don’t “wrestle against flesh and blood but principalities and powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual hosts in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12) and it is equally important to turn back to God’s Word which is the only light along our path.

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Tim 4:2)

The only method of restraint is “standing firm in the faith” which is a standard of singularity Christians cannot compromise. It’s based on the narrowness of Jesus and His Word. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.” (Heb 13:7-9)

At this time of pluralism and multiculturalism that teaches “all” ways are to be tolerated, sentiments echoed by the church, be reminded not to be “carried about” into apostasy.