How Satan Works - 05/22/08 04:10 PM
How many of us really stop to think about HOW Satan works to destroy marriages and to push us toward sinful lives?
I've been pondering how best to describe what how I think Satan works, and I finally turned to the ultimate source for enlightenment.
As I was reading Proverbs, it really hit me that the description of an adulterous woman and a malicious man are also excellent descriptions of how Satan works, too. I'm sure there are many more apt descriptions, but these are the ones I have found thus far:
Proverbs 5:3-6
"3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths are crooked, but she knows it not."
Proverbs 26:24-28
"24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips,
but in his heart he harbors deceit.
25 Though his speech is charming, do not believe him,
for seven abominations fill his heart.
26 His malice may be concealed by deception,
but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it;
if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin."
This is what we are to do in the case of encountering an adulterous woman (or Satan, as it may be):
Proverbs 5:7-14
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your best strength to others
and your years to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich another man's house.
11 At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent.
12 You will say, "How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!
13 I would not obey my teachers
or listen to my instructors.
14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin
in the midst of the whole assembly."
My opinion? When someone whispers soothing words in your ear that seem to validate EVERY feeling you have and implies that you are a poor victim who can't help doing wrong for whatever reason, start paying attention to his/her actions. Watch for dissension that trails in the wake of this person. Also watch for wrongful actions perpetrated by the friends of this person. The friends may also have been fooled by the person.
Proverbs 21:8
"8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright."
To protect yourself, PRAY with a sincere and open heart, that God will grant you the gift of discernment...the ability to recognize evil.
God grants us the power to rebuke Satan. There is one catch: While Satan can whisper into our ears in such a way that we believe those words are our own thoughts, he can NOT read our minds. Rebuke Satan aloud, and in the Name of Jesus Christ. Command him to leave your presence. I am positve that, if Satan is presently there, you will FEEL him leave; he has NO CHOICE but to do so!
Satan DOES fear God! Be still, and LISTEN to GOD!
(Even if you are not a Christian and don't believe in Satan, these verses are still a description of someone who wishes to HARM you under the guise of being helpful and kind to you.)
I've been pondering how best to describe what how I think Satan works, and I finally turned to the ultimate source for enlightenment.
As I was reading Proverbs, it really hit me that the description of an adulterous woman and a malicious man are also excellent descriptions of how Satan works, too. I'm sure there are many more apt descriptions, but these are the ones I have found thus far:
Proverbs 5:3-6
"3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths are crooked, but she knows it not."
Proverbs 26:24-28
"24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips,
but in his heart he harbors deceit.
25 Though his speech is charming, do not believe him,
for seven abominations fill his heart.
26 His malice may be concealed by deception,
but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it;
if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin."
This is what we are to do in the case of encountering an adulterous woman (or Satan, as it may be):
Proverbs 5:7-14
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your best strength to others
and your years to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich another man's house.
11 At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent.
12 You will say, "How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!
13 I would not obey my teachers
or listen to my instructors.
14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin
in the midst of the whole assembly."
My opinion? When someone whispers soothing words in your ear that seem to validate EVERY feeling you have and implies that you are a poor victim who can't help doing wrong for whatever reason, start paying attention to his/her actions. Watch for dissension that trails in the wake of this person. Also watch for wrongful actions perpetrated by the friends of this person. The friends may also have been fooled by the person.
Proverbs 21:8
"8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright."
To protect yourself, PRAY with a sincere and open heart, that God will grant you the gift of discernment...the ability to recognize evil.
God grants us the power to rebuke Satan. There is one catch: While Satan can whisper into our ears in such a way that we believe those words are our own thoughts, he can NOT read our minds. Rebuke Satan aloud, and in the Name of Jesus Christ. Command him to leave your presence. I am positve that, if Satan is presently there, you will FEEL him leave; he has NO CHOICE but to do so!
Satan DOES fear God! Be still, and LISTEN to GOD!
(Even if you are not a Christian and don't believe in Satan, these verses are still a description of someone who wishes to HARM you under the guise of being helpful and kind to you.)