Skip to main content

Trash-talking The Devil

             Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord.  But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.

They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!  They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. (II Peter 2:10-16)

Getting back more clearly to the false teachers, in this passage Peter brings up an idea that bears some consideration. Some folks like to sing songs about the devil being put in his place, or to teach about telling the devil that he has no place here or there. I challenge you to check through Scripture for interactions between God and Satan (or other demons) and pattern your behavior after God’s.

But all the while false teachers are trash-talking at the devil, he’s sitting back and laughing because they are doing what he desires them to do- to be arrogant, bold, unafraid to do is not their right to do, carousing, committing adultery (in their minds if nowhere else), being greedy, leading others astray, and basically being his disciples.

I’m not recommending the movie “The Devil’s Apprentice” to you because it’s a disgusting film in some ways, but it portrays this idea wonderfully. A young lawyer gets hired by an older lawyer and finds himself tempted in many ways, often sexual. His wife is nearly driven mad by events. Eventually, when asked to do something professionally unethical, the young lawyer comes to his senses, says “No!” and quits. And he and the audience cheer - he’s beaten the devil. Hurrah! But has he? Or has he learned that he can “beat” the devil?

It's also like addictions. One never starts drinking to become a drunk. Those addicted often say they can stop any time they want. It’s all good - until it’s not. They’re strong, until they’re not. They can take that step closer to the edge, they won’t fall - until they do. Wisdom says to avoid temptation - not to play with it. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Way, The Truth, and The Life

              Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me . (John 14:6)           If “I am the gate of the sheep…I am the good shepherd” from chapter 10 is a double whammy, this verse is a triple whammy. And its first victim is the notion that any other so-called god was acceptable or the same as Jesus. He, and He alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to get to the Father. There is no other Savior, or Redeemer, according to Jesus. Now, to be fair, other religions will claim that their religion or god(s) are the only way. That is the nature of gods and of religions. If this and that are equally good and agree on what’s necessary, then this and that are the same thing, so there’s no need to from the other to one. If that’s the case, then why speak against the other or promote the one? There’s a song I’ve been listening to i...
Post a Comment
Read more