Our world is in chaos. That is no different than it has been since shortly after the world began. It was created with everything perfect. There was no chaos. There was no sin. When sin came into the world, everything changed; and no one is safe from the elements sin brought us.
The devil has been there from the time of Adam and Eve, and his presence has been visible throughout all generations. He is alive and working among us today, and he will continue his evil until the Lord comes again.
The devil is not a neutral player. He isn’t unbiased or impartial. He is all in, pushing sin to the front, and making it look as attractive as possible. We can see this in the Bible’s description of him. Revelation 12:9 refers to him as a dragon and a serpent. First Peter 5:8 calls him our adversary and compares him to a roaring lion, looking for prey. Paul refers to the devil as one who sets traps or snares for his victims (First Timothy 3:7). Paul also refers to him as a schemer in Ephesians 6:11.
If these passages are not enough to give us cause for concern, take a look at his handiwork. It began in Genesis and continues to this day. Sometimes he wins, but sometimes he loses.
In Genesis 3, the devil wasted no time in tempting the last of God’s creation, man and woman. He brought along his toolbox of tricks, and he skillfully presented them with desires that would tempt man throughout history. John would later refer to these as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Eve succumbed first, and then Adam. Both sinned, and both suffered the punishment for their sins.
One of their sons faced temptation in a different way. Cain offered a sacrifice to God, but it did not please God. He was angry because his brother received praise for his sacrifice, and he took his brother’s life. Pride was his downfall.
Genesis 6 relates the story of the great wickedness of man and that “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Noah and his family found favor with God, and they were saved from the demise of all that lived on the earth.
The story of Job gives us a picture of the devil’s daily activities. He came into the presence of the Lord, and the Lord asked him where he had been. Satan’s reply was, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Remember that passage in First Peter about the devil being a roaring lion seeking his prey? That is exactly what he was doing.
The Lord was proud of his servant Job, his righteousness and his ability to turn away from evil. But Satan wanted a chance to win him over, and he tried with every trick he had. He took away his children and his flocks and even struck him with boils. Then he left him with a hateful wife who wanted him to curse God and die. “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
John tells us that the devil entered into the heart of Judas Iscariot. Judas sold out to Jesus’ enemies and betrayed Him with a kiss (John 13:2).
There are many others, but the point is made. The devil is not a neutral player. He is active in finding just the right temptation to seduce us. He even tried this with Jesus in Matthew 4. He tempted Him, even using Scripture to persuade Him, but Jesus would not give in.
Because the devil is not a neutral player, we need what Paul describes as Christian armor. We need a full set of armor: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. We need prayer, offered often for our own strength and for the church.
We must be on guard all the time lest the devil sneak up on us and pull us away from the truth. Because he is not neutral, we cannot be neutral. We must be firm in our belief lest we too are led away.
Sandra Oliver