BEING USED BY THE DEVIL

 BEING USED BY THE DEVIL

  "From that time forth, began Jesus to show unto His disciples how that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again on the third day. Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'Be it far from You, Lord: this shall not be unto You.' But He turned and said unto Peter, 'Get thee behind Me, Satan: you are an offense to Me, for you savourest/set your mind not on the things that be of God, but those that be of men.'" Matthew16:21-23

SAFETY VS FRIENDLY FIRE

INDULGENCE/EXCESS

A DOUBLE STANDARD

ROOT OF BITTERNESS

FLATTERY (The tool of ulterior motives)

INTERFERING WITH THE PURPOSES OF GOD

MISPLACED VALUES/WORLDLY MINDED

PROMOTING THE SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS

YOU KNOW NOT WHAT SPIRIT YOU ARE OF

HELPS TO KEEP US FROM BEING A TOOL OF THE ENEMY

-SAFETY VS FRIENDLY FIRE

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18 NIV

 As in a war, the careless acts of a soldier, especially of an officer, can cost the lives of others. The term used is FRIENDLY FIRE, or shots that are taken to destroy an enemy but hit your own men instead. In the battle for souls, our careless actions and words can be no less devastating.

  We may be shocked at how careless we can be with our words and actions, sometimes thinking that we are being funny, truthful, or even doing God a service, yet all the while we are being used as a tool of the devil. One night after working late, I decided to call up a buddy (we were both bachelors at the time) to dig him with some wisecracks while he was still at his work. He was on the graveyard shift. I proceeded to let him have it with what I thought to be some mild and friendly ridicule. He stopped me in my tracks and told me that the things I think are funny about people are tools that the devil uses to hurt them. If I can remember correctly, he told me that I had been hurting a lot of people with my jesting comments. My mouth dropped. I had no idea. How foolish I had been! I then wished that I could go back and apologize to everyone I had hurt.

 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21

  Dear friends, when we consider the capabilities of the tongue as declared in the Bible, we must understand that what we carry is an amazing tool or a deadly weapon. These abilities step up the scope of our responsibility before God Almighty with regard to how we manage it. What comes out of our mouths is up to us. Jesus said, "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37. I do not know about you, but that puts the fear of God in me when I consider this and some of my conversations. Would we so comfortably sit around a table and talk lightly about the apparent misgivings of someone if we were consciously aware that Jesus was there listening in on our conversation? And, knowing that if Jesus were to expose or even just address some of our own failures and shortcomings, how ashamed, hurt, and humiliated would we be? "Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only One Lawgiver and Judge, the One Who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?" James 4:11-12. 

 So with that in mind, by whom, then, are we being used? May the love of God fill our hearts and minds at all times, "...for out of the abundance of  the heart, the mouth speaks." Matthew 12:34

INDULGENCE/EXCESS

  "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess/self-indulgence." Matthew 23:25 KJV & NIV.

 "For, brethren, you have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Galatians 5:13

  By the grace of God, Jesus has purchased for us wonderful liberties, but these liberties must be subject to the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit and within the parameters of the Word of God. "All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient (helpful, good, profitable). All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." 1 Corinthians 6:12 Dear friends, any time we start to please or indulge the flesh, we can become seduced by its passions and urge to excess. What we like and want may be fine as far as the grace of God goes, but if it gets the better of us, we are not only in danger of error, but may also cave to the tendency to neglect, or walk over others, and even bully people to obtain it. That is a characteristic of the pursuit of passions and rights. Yet all the while we feel justified. Thou servant of God, who then are you serving? 

A DOUBLE STANDARD 

 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater damnation." Matthew 23:14

  I lived in a church building for nine years. The parsonage was on the other side of the building, which was where the pastor and his wife lived. I worked with that man for years and saw how he was in every situation. It did not matter how long he worked, and how hard, or how late, or how inconvenient it was; he was always the same person at any time of the day or night. He always lived by the same standard, a humble servant of Christ, and was ready to help and serve anyone who came.  What an example of a servant of Christ!

 We may not be behaving like the Pharisees, but if we live by a double standard, are we the better? What I am referring to is something that we Christians are regularly accused of by outsiders, and perhaps sometimes with justification. If we are known churchgoers on Sunday, but live like sinners the rest of the week, are we not living a double standard? Do we talk, drink, and party with and like the sinners who don't know Jesus? Do we cheat people at work, or mistreat our fellow workers? Are we ruthless to those in debt to us? Do you not realize that such behavior is a reproach against the name of Christ? These attitudes and behaviors cast a stumbling block, especially in front of new believers and unsaved people who need to see Jesus. Are we not then working for the enemy of their souls? True, there is a time to be firm, and even hard, but it must always be for the glory of God with honesty and integrity, and for the benefit of others, no matter how tough it may be. But is that always the genuine motive behind our actions and behavior???

ROOT OF BITTERNESS

 "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any foot of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." Hebrews 12:15.

  As we abide in the grace of God, we are able to forgive and overlook the offenses and shortcomings of others; however, if we refuse to forgive and cancel their debt, bitterness, resentment, anger, and even hate creep in. But it never just stops with us; we spread it like a virus to those around us, and in so doing, we drag them down into the pit of resentment and possibly evil surmising along with us. The devil who feeds our bitterness and resentment with all kinds of self-justifications then has a heyday, and the work of God is defiled. Therefore, "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32 

FLATTERY (The tool of ulterior motives)

"Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus to him. 'King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, SAVE OF YOU,(besides you) O King, he shall be cast into the den of lions.'" Daniel 6:6-7

  Doubtless, you are familiar with the story. These men were jealous of Daniel and wanted to get rid of him. However, the only way they could do it was to be able to charge him with wrong before the king. Yet because the King favored Daniel, and Daniel's behavior was above reproach, they had to manipulate King Darius into a position that would force his hand against Daniel. This they accomplished by using flattery and manipulation. True, that this is an extreme case, and hopefully, we have never tried to manipulate people by flattering them into getting them to do something we want, and or cause them to stumble. If you think about it, this is a gross evil. Elihu in the book of Job said it like this, "I will show partiality to no one, nor will I flatter any man; for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away." Job 32:21-22 Think about how subtle and deceitful we can be. We would certainly never flatter someone to get them to give us something or do something we want, especially not someone younger, weaker, and certainly not of the opposite sex. Would we? May the holy fear of God continuously police us against such wickedness!

INTERFERING WITH THE PURPOSES OF GOD - So-called well-meaning advice.

"From that time forth, began Jesus to show unto His disciples how that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again on the third day. Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'Be it far from You, Lord: this shall not be unto You. ' But He turned and said unto Peter, 'Get thee behind Me, Satan: you are an offence to Me, for you savourest/set your mind not on the things that be of God, but those that be of men.'" Matthew 16:21-23

  How often can our well-meaning advice be the voice of the devil and cast a stumbling block in front of someone who is attempting to answer the call of God in their life, step out in faith, or has determined to do something that does not sit well with our perception or understanding of the Bible? I read a testimony of a minister of the eighteenth century, who was pastoring a very successful congregation, but felt called to a harsh mission field. Concerned people, using all the logical reasons and no doubt, even assumed Biblical justifications, persuaded him against it. Having decided that they were right, he turned the opportunity down only to realize later that he had missed the Lord. He regretted it the rest of his life. May the Lord help us be ever so careful with our generous and sometimes very careless advice. Now, God holds us accountable for our own decisions, and we cannot blame others, including the devil, for the choices we make. We must, however, be careful not to listen only to the people who say what we want to hear. We are more likely to err. The Lord will confirm His word to you.

MISPLACED VALUES/WORLDLY MINDED

 "Woe unto you, you blind guides, which say, 'whosoeve shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! You fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?'" Matthew 23:16-17"

"For I have often told you before and now say again, even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body." Philippians 3:17-21 NIV

 "Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw yourself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. Having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 1 Timothy 6:5-9

 Those of us who profess to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ must be careful who we listen to and from where we get our life's values. If our focus becomes fixed on earthly things and values, our conversation and lifestyle will reflect the same, and so will we project that in our sphere of influence. Consequently, not only are we off course, but those vulnerable to our influence will be subject to, and possibly fall into that same trap of misplaced values, thus undermining their focus on Jesus Christ and their heavenly calling. May we be ever free and guiltless of coveteousness and its influence. This also applies to over-emphasizing external things such as physical appearance, certain social and cultural proprieties, and other worldly values, wherein we can unjustly reject people, or burden and subject them to oppressive rules contrary to the liberating truths of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. (James 2:1-4, Galatians 2:11-14)

  Now, I want to point out here that there is a place for social propriety and considerate behavior for those who should know better. There is a spirit of lawlessness that can creep in, but we must depend on the Holy Spirit to change people and not to interfere with His inner workings lest we project a false gospel on those who are growing and getting to know Jesus Christ. As for the rest, the Lord will help and direct those in authority. If we are not careful in these areas, we can give place to the devil and allow his deceitful and oppressive influences to afflict God's people with legalism. Oh, how we need the Lord's discernment, wisdom, guidance, and heart! 

PROMOTING THE SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS

 "Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of LAWLESSNESS is revealed, the son of destruction." 2 Thessalonians 2:3

"For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." Jude 4 NIV

  As we draw closer to the End Times and the return of Jesus Christ, the Bible teaches that deceivers will increase. Another trap of the devil is LAWLESSNESS. The devil always counterfeits the works of God. Lawlessness may seem like grace, but it is a false grace that promotes tolerance toward what the Bible calls sin and wickedness. Taking the lives of the innocent (abortion), the use of what is called recreational drugs, and all forms of what the Bible calls sexual promiscuity are all sin, and the grace of God in no way endorses these. The grace of God, which is in Christ Jesus, enables us to be delivered and escape from these and not to remain in them. Anyone who teaches oppositely is a voice for the anti-Christ. By following this, our compassion is misplaced, and we are doing the souls trapped therein more harm than good. Instead, through the Love of Jesus, we strive to set people free from these bondages. Dearly beloved, please be careful who you listen to, and do not promote the works of wicked men.

 YOU KNOW NOT WHAT SPIRIT YOU ARE OF

"And (Jesus) sent messengers before His face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for Him. And they did not receive Him, because His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, 'Lord, will You that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?' But He turned and rebuked them, and said, 'You know not what manner of spirit you are for.  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.' And they went to another village." Luke 9:52-56

"...Yes, the time comes that whosoever kills you will think that he is doing God's service." John 16:2

"The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

 Being zealous for God is wonderful, and it is as it should be; however, if the devil cannot get you to turn from God, he will try to use you to inflict harm on others in the name of the Lord. But that is not the heart of Jesus Christ and God our Heavenly Father, nor is it how He commissioned us! "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son...But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." John 3:16, Romans 5:8. Hurting or killing people should never be a motive in our minds or hearts, ESPECIALLY IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! We are commanded to overcome evil with good, to do good to those who hate us, to love our enemies, to pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us, and share Jesus with those who don't know Him. That is how we love and serve God! Romans 12:21, Matthew 5:38-48 

HELPS TO KEEP US FROM BEING A TOOL OF THE ENEMY

  I must confess that I have and am learning these for myself, and in the great fear of God, I want to share them with you.

 - Avoid foolish talk and jesting; it only gets worse. "But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness." 2 Timothy 2:16 Some things may seem funny and innocent, but if left unchecked, they can easily get out of control, and the devil will gladly use your tongue and behavior to inflict as much harm as possible. It is the same with critical opinions and prejudices. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers...Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks." Ephesians 4:29, 5:4

 - Be moderate with your liberties and the things you enjoy, which God has richly blessed us with. We must be ever ready to let them go as the need arises. A good indication that we may be out of step with something is if or when we are challenged about it, we become defensive, demanding, and especially if we get angry. In such a case, the devil has an open door in our lives. Paul describes the restraint that they used with their rights in this manner: "Nevertheless, we have not used this power, but suffer (endure) all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ." 1 Corinthians 9:12

 - Do not allow your heart to be divided. Jesus said it like this, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24  We must make up our minds as to where we are going to set our hearts and affections, and forsake all other loves, lest we be found to be hypocrites. Then all our activities can be genuinely Christ-centered.

 - Forgive means to CANCEL ALL DEBTS and STRIVE TO LOVE. As long as we feel someone owes us something, we will fight with bitterness and unforgiveness. Those are deadly poisons. In the love of Christ, bitterness and unforgiveness cannot thrive. Oh, how we need to abide in His grace!

 - Watch out for deceitful, evil motives in your heart - the little foxes that spoil the vine, Song of Songs 2:15, "I find then a law, when I would do good, evil is present with me." Romans 7:21 Everything we do must be done in or through our flesh. The challenging thing about that is that while our initial intention may be upright, an evil, self-gratifying thought or desire may try to attach itself to it and defile our motives and intentions. It will then piggyback on the most noble-sounding deeds and completely defile the work of grace and truth. Thus, we may find ourselves attempting to manipulate someone to do our will. Please keep in check and continually scrutinize the thoughts, desires, and intentions of your heart. If there is the least inkling of resentment, jealousy, selfish ambition, greed, or lust, KILL IT! REPENT! They are all open doors to evil. Balaam would not directly disobey God by not declaring the word of God, as he told Balak, but he still wanted the reward. So he connived a plan to seduce the children of Israel to sin against God so that God would have to punish them. It cost him his life even though he was a prophet of God. Numbers 22-25, 31;8

-"But seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Colossians 3:2-3 "For where your treasure is,  there  will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21 So if you are struggling with worldly temptations, repent, and surrender your heart to Christ without restraint or conditions. 

- Embrace the Grace of God in Christ Jesus in all its fullness, for therein is our salvation, and the salvation of the world. Through it, He does His WONDERS! "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

- Believe the Bible at face value! Any time we find ourselves or someone else interpreting the Bible to say differently from what it says up front, that is a warning sign. Trust the Lord and His Word. He does not make mistakes. Don't be surprised if what He says does not fit our understanding or our worldview. "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:6-9

 - Beware of self-righteousness. It is great and wonderful to be full of zeal for the Lord, to be determined to do what is right, and to campaign for the cause of Christ. But if not tempered by humility, teachableness/correctableness, and the grace and love of God, you can turn into a monster, and the one who is attempting to battle the devil can become a tool of the devil. Luke 9:52-56

 CONCLUSION

  I wrote this because of an incident that I caught myself in, and a wound was inflicted. Now, I do not want to make people paranoid and fearful of being used by the devil, but just to be cautious against the subtle, presumptuous, careless attitudes and behaviors that we may tolerate in our lives, and that are left unchecked. I did use some extreme examples, but I am certain that those are rare cases. If we follow Jesus wholeheartedly in humility, faith, and love, He will keep us. The actual ability to walk upright is not of ourselves, but it is our duty to manage our motives. May the Lord use you as a messenger of peace.