“If I were the Devil…”
God’s Word reminds us to look around and see the troubles of this world from a spiritual perspective… for from God’s viewpoint of eternity we are already seated with him in heavenly places. We do not perceive the distresses of this world as others who have no hope…. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that spiritual deposit which he’s committed unto me against that day of the Lord… that day of God’s righteous judgement.
The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory…. The spiritual stronghold of self can only be breached by the spirt of God in Christ in us… For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual to the pulling down of spiritual strongholds…. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
It’s difficult to get Christian men to commit to follow in the footsteps of our Lord. However, a disciple is a disciplined follower of Jesus Christ. Therefore as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
To fight The spiritual battle , Ephesians Chapter 6:10-12 says: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The devil schemes to separate our hearts from God’s heart. He questions God’s commandments. He shows the bait but hides the hook. He said to Eve, If you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will not surely die…. Instead you’ll be like God knowing good and evil. God doesn’t love you and his word is not true…. Eve succumbed to the devil’s lies when she doubted the Word of God and the love of God.
Paul Harvey said these prophetic words in his radio program “The Rest of the Story” in 1965:
“If I were the Devil….. if I were the Prince of Darkness I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I would have a third of it’s real estate and four-fifths of it’s population. But I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree, thee.
So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States.
I’d subvert the churches first, I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve, “Do as you please.”
To the young I would whisper that the Bible is a myth, I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good and what’s good is.. ‘square’.
And the old, I would teach to pray after me…. “Our Father, which art in Washington.”
And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa.
I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could,
I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction,
I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.
If I were the Devil I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves.
Until each in it’s turn, was consumed.
And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.
If I were the Devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions, just let those run wild!
Until before you knew it, you’d have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.
Within a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography.
Soon I could evict God from the courthouse,
Then from the schoolhouse,
And then from the houses of congress.
And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science.
I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.
If I were the Devil I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas…. a bottle.
If I were the Devil I would take from those who have, and give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.
And what will you bet… I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling, as the way to get rich.
I would caution against extremes:
In hard work
In patriotism
In moral conduct
I would convince the young that marriage is old fashioned, that swinging is more fun. That what you see on TV, is the way to be.
And thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed, with diseases for which there is no cure…..
In other words if I were the Devil I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”
The devil says, don’t follow the Lord, instead march to your own drumbeat of your own cadence…. Just be a casual Christian. Don’t over-commit… do what you want to do when you want to do it ….. if it feels good do it. Motivate yourself by the world’s priorities…. The pursuit of happiness through wealth, fame, and fortune, and self-satisfaction.
Robert Unger wrote a pamphlet about coming home. He described a house with a living room, a bed room, a dining room, a kitchen and a storage attic, and a den. There is a library with easy chairs and books. The Lord said, lets spend a few minutes each morning for a little time together. You start to get to know the Lord. One morning, you need to get to work for an early morning meeting. You don’t have time to visit the library to spend time with the Lord. As the affairs of life take a priority, you rush out of the house to make your commitments at work. Then after a few weeks you walk by the library and notice that Jesus is sitting in the easy chair. He says, I’ve missed you. Only Jesus Christ can balance grace and truth.
Jesus said, I’ve notice that at work you took liberty with your business dealings… you stretched the truth… you were not dealing in good faith as you had before. When you spent time with me you were blessed in blessing others from a heart that loves me and loves others…. What has happened to your heart?
Christianity is not a casual pursuit once a week on Sunday morning. Jesus said, “walk with me.” Regarding the daily walk with our Lord, Jesus said, apart from me you can do nothing… You can’t do life on your own… You need me and the fellowship of Christian believers in the body of Christ… those whom the Lord has called out from the darkness of this world to walk in the light…. This is why the scripture says, walk in light as he is in the light and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness,
Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of the things of tomorrow… sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Walk with me… each day is a day’s journey… walk with me one step at a time and one day at a time.
Life is like a train. There is an engine, representing faith, a coal car, representing the spirit, and a caboose which represents feelings. If you’re led by the caboose of feelings, then the train will derail. The engine of faith must pull the load…. For neither uncircumcision, nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, but believing faith which worketh in love.
After David was confronted about his sin with Bathsheba, he wrote a psalm of repentance: Lord, you know my every thought and have numbered the hairs of my head… search me O God and know my heart and see if there be any hurtful way of unrighteousness thing in me… Cleanse me and lead me in your way everlasting.
When we get to the end of the rope, in desperation we will come to the realization that when he’s all we’ve got, he’s all we need. As Mother Theresa said, God works best with nothing…. I must decrease that he may increase to the point that it’s all of thee and none of me.
As the psalmist said, Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor siteth in the seat of the scornful…. Why? Because his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night… What will this produce? He shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in due season… his leaf also shall not wither, but what he doeth shall prosper.
We live for the ones we love. when we love God above all, it’s no burden to do that which is well pleasing, acceptable unto him. Therefore, cleanse my heart O lord… make me a vessel of thy peace… that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart may be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer…
That we may ever live to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
