Beloved, Satan is the invisible being behind every lie and falsehood in this world. He is the one who keeps people in darkness (or in ignorance of the truth). Jesus pointed out during His earth ministry that Satan is a liar and the father of it, and that Satan does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. (see John 8:44). Satan’s goal is and has always been to deceive mankind by opposing or disputing the truth of God’s Word. Moreover, because Satan is the god of this world (see 2 Corinthians 4:4) and the whole world is under his control (see 1 John 5:19), he propagates his lies everywhere through the world’s educational, political, religious, economic, cultural and social systems. In fact, Satan’s most potent weapon against man is and has always been his ability to deceive subtly. If Satan ever loses the power of deception, he will cease to be relevant. Thus Satan works very hard to stay relevant. And the Bible says that he deceives the whole world. (see Revelation 12:9). In the garden of Eden he deceived Eve by his craftiness. (see 2 Corinthians 11:3). He was able to trick Eve into believing his lies over the truth of God’s Word (see Genesis 3:1-6); and that is what he continues to do today, not only through secular literature, but also through the doctrine of false apostles who have infiltrated Christian churches. No wonder Jesus told us (His true disciples) to be on our guard against the yeast (or doctrine/teachings) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (see Matthew 16:6, 11-12). No wonder Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15). Beloved, don’t allow anyone to teach you doctrines that are not Scriptural, for Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be set aside.” (see John 10:35 NIV). All of man’s opinions and traditions will pass away, but the Word of God will never pass away. Therefore, stick with the Word, and never be ashamed of it. God said, “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.” (Psalm 89:34).
Indeed God loves the world so much (see John 3:16), and yet Satan, through the power of deception has been able to turn the world against God, making many men rebellious against God and against the Word of God. How sad! Many men are rebelling against God and against Jesus today, just as Adam and Eve did, just as Judas Iscariot did, just as the chief priests and elders of the people of Israel did, together with Pilate and Herod.
The Bible says that, in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus had finished praying, “He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” And while He was still speaking, behold, JUDAS, one of the twelve, WITH A GREAT MULTITUDE WITH SWORDS AND CLUBS, came FROM THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND ELDERS of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “WHOMEVER I KISS, He is the One; SEIZE Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and KISSED Him.” (Matthew 26:45-49). Here, you have just witnessed the greatest treason in human history next to Adam’s treason; and ironically, it was committed with A KISS. Judas Iscariot rebelled against God and betrayed Jesus with a kiss. As is always the case with Satan and his minions, Judas chose a symbol of love (i.e. the kiss), and corrupted it to glorify evil; Judas chose a symbol of love (the kiss) and turned it into a symbol of hate and betrayal. How evil, how dishonorable, how tragic! Satan (THE DECEIVER) always seeks to corrupt the good, to turn the good into evil. Indeed, we are not ignorant of his devices. (see 2 Corinthians 2:11). And unfortunately, Satan often succeeds (even if temporarily). He succeeded with Eve in the garden of Eden. (see Genesis 3:1-7; 2 Corinthians 11:3). And here in the garden of Gethsemane, he did it again through Judas Iscariot in betraying Jesus. In the early stages of the New Covenant Church, Satan also sought to corrupt the great love that the believers shared, by making Ananias and Sapphira lie and keep back part of the proceeds from their property which they had sold to share with the other believers in that communal living that the early believers practiced. Satan influenced Ananias and Sapphira to turn that symbol of love into an opportunity to defraud and cheat their fellow believers, thereby revealing their own hypocrisy and paying the penalty for it. (see Acts 5:1-11). Ananias and Sapphira died (physically) because they were living or walking according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit, just as Romans 8:13 warns will happen to those who live as such.
Again, in the Corinthian Church, Satan sought to corrupt the Lord's Supper by making some believers turn what was instituted as a memorial and symbol of love and a proclamation of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, into an opportunity or an occasion for greed and selfishness. (see 1 Corinthians 11:17-34). Later, Satan also sought to corrupt the entire Church of God by working through the Roman Catholic Church to introduce idolatry and teachings that are blasphemous and contrary to the finished work of Christ — false practices and teachings that are still prevalent in the church today. Indeed, the Roman Catholic Church has rebelled against God and betrayed Jesus by corrupting and turning the innocent image of Mary the mother of Jesus into an idol or a goddess that the multitudes are being deceived to pray to and worship against the will of the one true God (see Deuteronomy 5:8; Isaiah 44:17; 1 John 5:21; Colossians 2:18, Revelation 9:20). They are like the rebellious Israelites who “secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves HIGH PLACES in all their towns. They set up SACRED STONES and ASHERAH POLES on every high hill and under every spreading tree. At every high place they BURNED INCENSE, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. They WORSHIPED IDOLS, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.” (2 Kings 17:9-12 NIV). And the Lord said, “They set up their VILE IMAGES in the house that bears my Name and defiled it.” (Jeremiah 32:34 NIV). The Roman Catholic Church is doing all of this against Jesus’ insistence that we worship the Lord our God, and serve Him only (see Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8), against Jesus’ command that we only pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus our Lord (see John 16:23), against Jesus’ command that we worship God in spirit and in truth (see John 4:24). “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” (Titus 1:16). What a betrayal of Jesus! And so God says, “And they will know that I am the Lord, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak—places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols.” (Ezekiel 6:13 NIV). Beloved, don’t participate in the blasphemies of the Roman Catholic Church. God says, “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4 KJV). “Come out of her, My people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the Lord.” (Jeremiah 51:45 NIV). Here in Gethsemane, such betrayal of Jesus began, as Judas Iscariot, the son of perdition, betrayed Jesus with a kiss, giving Him up to the multitudes (the detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees — see John 18:3) who had come with lanterns, torches, swords, and clubs to arrest Jesus. May you not be ignorant of Satan’s devices. Remain blessed. #SpiritLife
