7. Opposing the Righteous (Zech. 3:1)
I love the little story in Acts 19 where some sons of a Jewish priest decide to emulate Paul and cast the devils out of a poor fellow. They found such a demon-oppressed person and gathered around to lay hands on him. That’s when the leader of the group decided to repeat the formula he had heard Paul quote. He got it almost right: “We command you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches that you would come out of this man” (Acts 19:13).
To their shock, the demon inside the man responded, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” Then, the man jumped up and—empowered by the evil spirit—set upon the hapless youths, leaving them battered and bruised.
Old-time preachers used to deliver sermons on the subject of being “known in hell.” It was a compliment, they said, for you to be well-known by the forces of darkness. It proves you are effective for the Lord. But as to those who are either in the clutches of the Devil or doing nothing for Jesus, the Enemy leaves you alone.
That “known in hell” title isn’t exactly accurate, of course. The Devil is not in hell. That is his eventual destination, but only as the ultimate prisoner, not as the warden of the inferno as so many jokes and stories and cartoons (and even bad sermons) have it. Satan is on earth, inflicting damage everywhere he can (See Rev. 12:9,12.).
8. Sowing the Tares (Matt. 13:38–39)
This parable from our Lord was given to explain the presence of hypocrites in the congregation of the faithful. That has always been a problem for believers as well as a stumblingblock for unbelievers.
How many times have you heard someone say, “I’d go to church if there weren’t so many hypocrites there”?
There are many responses to that, and some of them rather clever. “If a hypocrite is standing between you and God, he’s closer to the Lord than you are.” “Well, come on to church anyway. We always have room for another one.”
Jesus did not make jokes, however. He told why the hypocrites were in church: Satan put them there for his own purposes. He sowed the tares (weeds) in the field where good seed had been planted.
Why would the devil insert “tares” into the field? That is, why would he want hypocrites in the church? For a thousand reasons. They discredit the work of the church, they disrupt the fellowship, they divert funds, they blur the message, they weaken the ministries, they discourage believers, they drive away the lost.
As a farm boy from north Alabama I can never read that parable without remembering how Johnson grass always resembled corn when it first came up. However, after a few days, you could tell the difference. The corn grew high and produced several ears. Johnson grass was long and skinny and fiercesome to remove, but it produced nothing but frustration for the farmer.
Counterfeits are a compliment to the real thing. No one counterfeits nickels or even dollar bills; it’s not worth the trouble. But they counterfeit the bigger, better stuff.
Leave them alone, Jesus said. The Father will do the separating at the end (Matt. 13:30).
He is not empowering any of us, no matter how scrupulous or well-intentioned we may be, to wade in among church memberships to determine who is genuine and the real article and who are the pretenders and moles.
9. Removing Good Seed (Matt. 13:19)
Here is the corollary of Satan’s work of planting tares among the good seed; he takes away the good seed itself. Jesus said so; he knew.
And how would he go about doing that?
Here is a fellow who went to church and heard the Gospel. Or, he turned on the television and listened to a preacher give the Lord’s message. It touched his heart. It affected him. He wanted to know more. Perhaps he went forward during the invitation or picked up the phone and called the 1-800 number. He said the right things. Someone prayed with him.
An hour later, back in what he calls “the real world,” he blows it off. “Whatever was I thinking?” he wonders. He gets with his drinking buddies or delves back into his drugs or immorality or a thousand other worldly activities and soon that religious experience is a dim memory.
This is one of the dangers even of the Lord’s faithful walking outside church and immediately turning on a football game or playing music that overpowers the senses and diverts the mind. Soon, the word we heard in church is a distant memory.
10. Lying (John 8:44)
Satan is a liar and the Father of Lies.
Each of us will have our own list of lies the Enemy has tried to palm off on us. Here are some of Satan’s favorites. Unfortunately, a lot of people are buying them, too:
• God is not real. Or not loving. Or not interested.
• Jesus is a figment of the imagination.
• The Bible isn’t true.
• Obedience to God is denying yourself pleasure in life.
• All Christians are hypocrites.
• There is no eternal justice in the universe. Hitler got off scot-free.
• After death, that’s it. Nothing more.
He’s a liar, friend. Don’t believe a word he whispers in your ear. Doubt your doubts.
11. Stealing, Killing and Destroying (John 10:10)
We said above that this is a real warfare Satan is conducting. He takes no prisoners. He wants to maim, destroy and annihilate.
One of the most beloved lies of the Devil—one which I’ve seen countless servants of the Lord fall prey to—is that we can have all the wonderful things the Lord has given us and the forbidden fruit too. And there will be no consequence.
Here is a minister with a great work going for the Lord. Lives are being changed, his church is growing, ministries are touching the community in ways never done before. At home, his wife adores him and his children are his delight. In the denomination, he is highly respected and those “in the know” predict a great future for him.
Then one day, he falls prey to temptation. A lovely young woman sitting in his office pours out her grief to him. His heart is touched. He is a counselor, he has a pastor’s heart, so he comforts her. He moves out from behind the desk, pulls a chair up to hers, and lets her weep on his shoulder. Within days, his goose is cooked. He is a goner.
They have an affair.
At first, he’s happier than he has ever been in his life. His work is still prospering, his wife is still happy, his home life remains great. Secretly, he is experiencing a pleasure he has only dreamed about or read about in illicit materials.
It could not last. Something happens.
His wife finds a note from the woman or overhears a phone conversation. Or, the woman’s husband follows her and walks in on the cozy arrangement. Or the pastor’s secretary gets suspicious and alerts the chairman of deacons.
Soon, the news is out. The pastor’s wife is devastated, the deacons order him out of the office immediately, and the denomination buzzes with the sad gossip. Church attendance drops by half. The congregation panics.
Two families divorce. A ministry is destroyed. Lives are shattered.
Only one “person” enjoys this scenario—the Father of Lies, the enemy of all that is good, the Devil himself. He has a field day.
How we wish this story was a rarity. But it plays out somewhere every day of every year. People falling prey to Satan’s lies and learning what “steal, kill and destroy” really means.
Knowing how the Devil works does not guarantee we will respond to him wisely or effectively. But it’s the first step.
What is the best way to deal with Satan?
The answer is so simply some will not like it.
Resist him.
“Resist the Devil and he will flee” (James 4:7).
“Resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9).
Stand up against him. We are not told to meet the Enemy with formulas, certain words or Scriptures, or such. We are to remain firm in the faith. Stick with the Lord. Hold fast to what you know. Be faithful to Jesus.
This article originally appeared on JoeMcKeever.com and is reposted here by permission.