“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14
For the most part, people think of the Devil’s work as being something visibly horrifying. But this describes the end results, and misses the work itself.
Satan’s power of transformation is the ability to persuade man that that which is contrary to God’s Word is what is good, acceptable, and even perfect for him. This is what “deceit” is all about.
Because of this “power of transformation,” Satan succeeded in defeating Adam and Eve, thus overthrowing their power of dominion on earth and usurping his own, i.e., “the god of this world.” (2 Corinthians 4:4.)
We know Adam and Eve were not helpless victims. But Satan succeeded because they allowed him to convince them that they needed something else besides God’s way. After listening to Satan, Eve felt she had to partake of the forbidden fruit or she would lose out. At this point, God’s way seemed to be more “doctrinal dogma” and not enough of a ministry to her whole person, so she concluded that she must eat to be fulfilled. For Adam, since his wife ate, he felt like he just had to eat with her.
So, in their thinking, the pressure of their circumstances overrode God’s way. Although they knew very well what God’s Word said, under the pressure of their circumstances, their finite mind allowed them to take exception to God’s way. This proved to be the Devil’s work. His work was accomplished by getting Adam and Eve to think that they needed to go ahead and do that which God’s Word forbade. Everything that happened thereafter was just the result of the Devil’s work.
Never has there been a more perfect husband and wife, than was made in Adam and Eve. Adam was created in God’s image and Eve was Adam’s “prime rib.” But no matter how great a Christian one may be, the allowance for thinking that it is all right, better, and yea, even necessary that one must needs do differently than what God’s plan in His Word specifies, is giving the Devil all the room that he needs to do his work.
God’s Word reveals Satan’s transforming power to be the ability to convince man that it is good to be or do different than what God’s Word says. Once convinced, this allows God’s way to just slide to the level of insignificance in a person’s thinking. But when Satan achieves this, there is nothing to stand between man and utter ruin. Ask Adam and Eve. Ask the prophet of 1 Kings 13:14-32.
In answering the Devil’s work, Christ took the position, “…it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. To not be deceived and avoid falling for the Devil’s work, we must stand with God’s Word.
SHARING
