Dangerous Deception

We've been going through 1 Peter on Sunday mornings for a while now. Last Sunday's message reminded us that the evi one is like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. In the text, he is called "the devil."

Devil means deceiver. And surely he is! He makes us disbelieve in his existence; when bad things happen, God gets the blame. How crafty he his, and how subtly he works.

Consider this. There are a number of references in the New Testament that talk about signs and wonders worked in order to deceive. One reason such were given were to lend credence to the accompanying message. That's why in Deuteronomy, God's people were told to check the message, not just uncritically accept it because a miracle was done.

Revelation 13 and 17 show this deceiver working behind the scenes and through different agents. The "beast out of the sea", which commentators think represents governments receives his power from? You guessed it--the deceiver. The beast from the earth, a counterfeit religion (note looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon), is given the ability to do miraculous signs--how? Right again, the deceiver. In Revelation 17, the prostitute Babylon (a representation of Rome) is depicted on the back of a scarlet beast. Who do you suppose that is? Right again--here he works through world culture to seduce unbelievers and to harass believers.

We need to be aware and awake. That's why Peter told his readers/hearers to be self-controlled and alert. It is so easy to become spiritually sleepy and to lack discernment. Is there a demon on every door step? Probably not. Right? of wrong?

C