4. The diabolic aim is worship. / 5
It has been said that the world says to us, Conform to me!, the flesh says to us, Satisfy me!, and the devil says to us, Worship me! There is biblical evidence to support each of these. Respecting the last idea of the three, the devil’s tempting of Jesus in the wilderness climaxes with this invitation (Matthew 4:8–9): “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” This appears to be the devil’s ultimate motivation: the desire to be worshipped. But to do so is idolatry. It is worshipping the creature rather than the creator (Rom. 1:24–25).5. There are two important diabolic guises.
The devil is a deceiver (Rev. 12:9). The apostle Paul warns the Corinthians that the devil can disguise himself as “an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). Paul is writing about the danger of false teachers who disguise themselves as “apostles of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:13). These “deceitful workmen” are agents of the great deceiver. False teaching, false gospel, and false teachers still persist and trouble the churches. This may be particularly so in the West. I once heard a pastor who had been imprisoned by the communist regime in the Soviet days say that the DD degree can stand for Doctor of Divinity or Doctor of Darkness.
However, there is another guise that is not subtle at all. It shows itself in persecution. Peter uses a startling metaphor in application to the devil (1 Pet. 5): “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Peter has persecution for the faith in mind as the next verse shows (1 Pet. 5:9): “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” There are Christian brothers and sisters in non-western parts of the world are experiencing the roaring lion as I write.
Join Qfeast to read the entire story!
Sign In. It is absolutely free!
