Satan's Oldest Trick
Psalm 91 is a wonderful promise of protection.
Psalm 91:1–4 (ESV) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
This Psalm also shows up on the lips of satan himself in the wilderness as he's tempting Jesus. He quotes the 11th and 12th verses:
Psalm 91:11–12 (ESV) For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
But I never saw this before: Satan left a key part of those verses out in his temptation:
Matthew 4:6 (ESV) and (the devil) said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
On closer examination we see the words from Psalm 91 missing in Matthew 4 are these: "to guard you in all your ways." Satan left those out. God guards us in our ways, not satan's suggestions.
Why did Satan leave those words out? Because Satan's oldest trick is to keep you out of the true Word of God and get you to listen to his word.
To Eve he said, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Taking God's true word that they could eat all but one tree and questioning it. It's his oldest trick. And I think it may be his only trick (other than accusing us day and night). Satan seeks to separate you from God's Word.
Why?
Because God's Word is just that powerful.
Everything is established by God's Word. Everything. "And God said let there be..."
Salvation happens at His Word:
2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV) For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
When you come to the scriptures, you are coming to the real, living abiding life-changing Word of God! This is no book, this is LIFE and PEACE. Get to know it. Go to the secret place and listen to the Words of life so that when Satan comes at you with a twisted version of it, you'll spot it straight away and never fall for his garbage again.
You can approach the Bible as if it's something to read... or you can approach it as something to absorb. Soak it in. Let it read you. And watch the power of God come alive within.
Psalm 91:1–4 (ESV) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
This Psalm also shows up on the lips of satan himself in the wilderness as he's tempting Jesus. He quotes the 11th and 12th verses:
Psalm 91:11–12 (ESV) For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
But I never saw this before: Satan left a key part of those verses out in his temptation:
Matthew 4:6 (ESV) and (the devil) said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
On closer examination we see the words from Psalm 91 missing in Matthew 4 are these: "to guard you in all your ways." Satan left those out. God guards us in our ways, not satan's suggestions.
Why did Satan leave those words out? Because Satan's oldest trick is to keep you out of the true Word of God and get you to listen to his word.
To Eve he said, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Taking God's true word that they could eat all but one tree and questioning it. It's his oldest trick. And I think it may be his only trick (other than accusing us day and night). Satan seeks to separate you from God's Word.
Why?
Because God's Word is just that powerful.
Everything is established by God's Word. Everything. "And God said let there be..."
Salvation happens at His Word:
2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV) For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
When you come to the scriptures, you are coming to the real, living abiding life-changing Word of God! This is no book, this is LIFE and PEACE. Get to know it. Go to the secret place and listen to the Words of life so that when Satan comes at you with a twisted version of it, you'll spot it straight away and never fall for his garbage again.
You can approach the Bible as if it's something to read... or you can approach it as something to absorb. Soak it in. Let it read you. And watch the power of God come alive within.
Comments
Post a Comment