As I read the book of Acts, I noticed that Satan is using the same schemes today that he used against the Apostle Paul!
Do you want to know how Satan operates? Just look in your Bible. Satan uses the same tactics, schemes, and traps today that he used 2,000 years ago.
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9
After a certain age, you realize this is true because you’ve lived long enough to observe it for yourself.
SATAN IS BEHIND MURDER
“Some Jews formed a conspiracy to murder Paul.” (See Acts 23:12-13)
Today, all over the world, antisemites want to murder Jews just because they are Jewish. Extremists wish to murder anyone who disagrees with their ideology.
SATAN IS THE ACCUSER
Paul is falsely accused of “being a troublemaker and stirring up riots” (Acts 24:5)
But it isn’t Paul who instigated the riots. Rather, it was his accusers. Rioters blame those they hate for the riots when it is the rioters themselves who are responsible.
SATAN IS A LIAR
“Other Jews joined in the accusations, asserting that these things were true.” Acts 24:9
They were all lying. We see this today. Lies, lies, lies! They accuse their “enemy” of what they do themselves. (e.g., they say Israel is guilty of genocide. Nothing could be further from the truth! It is the enemies of Israel who pursue genocide of the Jews.)
Jesus told Paul, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God…” Acts 26:17-18
Those who are evil and fight against the Truth are under the power of Satan, the father of lies.
In His Love, Cindy
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
Psalm 122:6NASB
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
“Satan does not usually attack truth head-on. He questions it, reshapes it, and mixes it with just enough errorto make it attractive.”
Read Eric’s excellent post, The Devil Hates Truth here: DailyArmor.blog
Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! Genesis 3:1-4 NASB Read full chapter
In His Love, Cindy
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
I was feeling discouraged, tired, and weak. But my daily Bible reading fell in the book of Nehemiah. It was just what I needed! Nehemiah is packed with encouragement and reveals the sneaky tactics of the enemy. Once I realized that my negative feelings were really an attack of Satan, they lost their power over me!
If this is happening to you, congratulations! The devil is afraid of you, and he wants to stop your work for the Lord.
Satanic attacks are often disguised as your own feelings and thoughts. The enemy loves to attack our mind (our thinking). Those doubts, fears, frustrations, distractions, and even fatigue are an attack of the enemy.
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray … ” 2 Corinthians 11:3
“…the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers,” 2 Corinthians 4:4
These chapters are an example for us of how the enemy tries to stop the work God has given us to do. Whether it is writing a blog, teaching a Bible Study, going to the mission field, pastoring a church, or building a wall, the enemy’s plan is first and foremost to STOP THE WORK.
How does he do this?
(Parenthesis and underlining mine.)
1. Intimidation
“When Sanballat (the enemy) heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews,and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?” Nehemiah 6:19
“Tobiah the Ammonite (also an enemy), who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” Nehemiah 4:1-3
When you are feeling intimidated (which includes feelings of failure or lack of expertise, and you start second-guessing your calling), know this: Satan is attacking your mind because he’s angry! He wants to stop the work!
2. Stirring Up Trouble
“They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.” Nehemiah 4:8
Has trouble come against your ministry in any way? Have problems cropped up that you didn’t expect? It could come in many forms: extra bills, lack of resources, lack of workers, etc. Satan wants to stop the work!
3. Trouble From Within
“Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” Nehemiah 5:1-3
Jews who were more prosperous were taking advantage of their fellow Jews by charging them interest on loans, taking their children as slaves, and taking their property. Is there trouble within? Satan wants to stop the work!
4. Lies
Sanballat sent a message to Nehemiah:
“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”
I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” Nehemiah 6:5-8
Sometimes lies may be circulated about you. Satan wants to stop the work!
5. Fear
“They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”
Fear brings on fatigue. Enthusiasm brings on high energy. Satan wants to stop the work!
THE REST OF THE STORY:
Even though the enemy strategized many different ways to stop the work, he failed. Why? Nehemiah says,
“But we prayed to our God.” Nehemiah 4:9
“So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.” Nehemiah 6:15
Remember this:
“The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
In His Love, Cindy
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
Psalm 122:6NASB
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
To understand what is happening in our world today, we must be students of the Bible because if we aren’t, we will be at great risk of being deceived by our enemy, Satan. Everything we hear or read must pass the litmus test of God’s Word.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1
Paul is talking about Christians in this verse!
Our culture is at odds with the teachings of the Bible, and Christians are not immune to deception. The only safeguard against deception is to know the TRUTH. God’s Word IS TRUTH. Discernment comes to those who love and diligently study God’s Word.
Few churches are speaking out against the evils of our time, such as antisemitism, transgender ideology, sexual perversion, and abortion. These evils are not new. They have been in the works for a long time.
Antisemitism around the world has increased dramatically. And pressure to support anti-Christian ideologies is alarmingly strong. The Church must speak the Truth. It is vitally important!
“It takes a long time to go from a few intellectuals believing some bad ideas into the culture, more and more and more, until they bear fruit. The reason why we got here is because of the silence and inaction of the Church.” Seth Gruber
Americans don’t live in a culture with a Judeo-Christian worldview anymore. Will we compromise or stand for the Truth? Consider the words of Jesus,
“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Revelation 12:9) (Emphasis mine)
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (Emphasis mine)
I don’t know about you, but I want to be free and I want others to be free, too.
“Lovedoes not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:6
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you…” Matt 28:19-20
The command of the Great Commission is to “make disciples.” That means to teach or train people to follow and obey Christ.
Some churches are eager to “get people saved”, but they ignore all Scripture that makes people uncomfortable. Instead, they present Jesus as the way to riches and success.
Is this “easy salvation” the true Gospel? If it isn’t, we must ask ourselves this: Are people really getting saved?
What about “Take up your cross and follow me.” ?
Jesus said, ” “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
What about “The narrow gate“?
Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14 ESV
The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthian Church,
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 Read full chapter
The KJV says it like this:
“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus …”
What is another Jesus? It’s a created god they named “Jesus.” It is an idol. It is not the King of Kings and Lord of Lords of the Bible!
The devil will try to lead people astray by attracting them to a different Jesus and a different gospel.
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
My thoughts: We better make sure we are leading people to the authentic Jesus, not “another Jesus.” The fact that a preacher is popular and draws big crowds means nothing. That isn’t the basis for judging whether or not the message is Biblical. Examining the Bible is!
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11
People who follow a false gospel often fall away in difficult times. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes. It almost happened to me. If you want to know more about my experience with a false gospel, see my post Rescued From Word of Faith.
(I was inspired to write this post after reading Alan Kearns’ post on Devotional Treasure.)
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
“For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way.For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” 1 Thessalonians 2:18-20 (emphasis mine) Read full chapter
My thoughts: As I read Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, these words stood out to me: “Satan blocked our way.” Don’t be surprised if Satan tries to block your way! Press on!
Jeremiah Study Bible Notes: “Satan blocked Paul from coming to visit the Thessalonians. The Greek word for blocked is a military term used when armies put barriers in the roadway to impede enemy forces. Satan takes extreme measures in his attempts to prevent God’s people from doing his will. As believers labor for Christ, they may encounter challenges … but nothing brings joy like seeing the fruit of one’s labor … “
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
People aren’t inclined to put any specific Bible teacher in the category of “false teacher”. In fact, people are more afraid to say someone is a false teacher than they are to heed what the Bible says about them!
Most false teachers say a lot of true things, too. They appear to be doing God’s work. But the Bible warns us,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15
That’s a little harsh! Who said that?
Uh, that would be Jesus, the Son of God. Yes, they look like sheep, but they are wolves! People don’t believe it. They believe wolves will look like wolves.
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15a
Many false teachers have huge followings because they’re entertaining. People “love” them. If they teach anything that doesn’t agree with God’s Word, people will often excuse it because, after all, “we really like most of what they say.”
People will say, “I don’t agree with what they say about (fill in the blank), but I really like him or her.” But what does the Bible say?
Nowhere in the Bible does it say it’s ok to teach false things as long as most of what one says is Biblical. No, that would be the description of a false teacher.
“If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” Galatians 1:9
Isn’t that a little extreme, Paul? That isn’t very loving!
But the Bible clearly says that people who think that godliness is a means of financial gain are corrupt!
Is the teacher you love so much teaching what the Bible says about being a disciple or something else?
“. ..If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
“6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:3-10
At the heart of following Jesus is Jesus’ call to imitate Him and replicate Him. As disciples, we are called to imitate Jesus’s love (John 13:34), his mission (Matt. 4:19), his humility (Phil. 2:5), his service (John 13:14), his suffering (1 Pet. 2:21), and his obedience to the Father (1 John 2:3–6). Since he is our teacher, we are to learn from him and strive in the power of the Holy Spirit to become like him (Luke 6:40). This growth in Christ-likeness is a lifelong endeavor that is fueled by the hopeful expectation that one day we will see him face to face (1 John 3:2–3). (Kell)
Paul exhorts Timothy,
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4
A big part of becoming a disciple is reading and studying the Bible, cover to cover, and then doing it again. It only takes 10 minutes a day to read the entire Bible in a year. And that’s the only way to be sure about what it really says! I encourage you to do this, not once, but every year!
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
” … wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 (emphasis mine) Read full chapter
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3 NIV Read full chapter
“Satan disguises submission to himself under the ruse of personal autonomy. He never asks us to be his servants. Never once did the serpent say to Eve, ‘I want to be your master.’ The shift in commitment is never from Christ to evil; it is always from Christ to self. And instead of His will, self-interest now rules and what I want reigns. And that is the essence of sin.” (emphasis mine)
Dennis F. Kinlaw, “This Day With the Master”
“Personal autonomy” has become a popular theme in today’s society. Read Steve Brewer’s excellent post on how this relates to God’s Word HERE. I believe this message is essential for understanding today’s world.
Steve’s blog, The Brew Is Amusing, always brings an excellent message (and he does it in a few words!)
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
When it comes to truth, however, being close isn’t close enough. … Satan is smart. He wants to get people to deviate just enough in their thinking to get them off course, and if there isn’t a course correction, the result will be catastrophic.” Pastor Jack Hibbs, Living In the Daze of Deception
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
Real Christian Women 