Does the Devil know more Scipture than I do?

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The title of this article came from a thought that occurred to me when I read Ps.91:11, 12 (see also Mt.4:5, 6, Lk.4:9-11). The Devil and his spiritual ministers have a distinct advantage over his earthly children, i.e. he knows God is and he knows the power and truth of God’s word, Gen.3:1, Mt.8:28-32, Jas.2:19, Jude 9, Ps.14:1. Whatever Satan’s motivation, his rebellion will lead him and those who are his to eternal punishment, Mt.25:41, 46.

It is both scary and humbling to know the Devil knows the word of God. We know he perverts it and influences its rejection, denial, and twisting to doom souls to eternal condemnation, Jn.8:44, 2 Cor.2:11, 2 Cor.4:3, 4, Gal.1:6-10, Gal.3:1, 2 Pet.3:15, 16, 1 Pet.5:8, 9. Back to my question; does the Devil know more Scripture than I do? As one who has been a Christian for over 30 years, it pains me to admit he probably does! However, this doesn’t shake my faith for a number of reasons. Foremost is the fact that not the hearer of the word is justified but the doer, Rom.2:1-13, Jas.1:21-25, Heb.5:9. Secondly, I know he is a liar and doesn’t rightly divide the word of truth, as is evidenced in his temptation of Jesus Christ, Lk.4:1-13, 2 Tim.2:14-19. Thirdly, I know God wants me to be saved and will assist me in distinguishing truth from error, John.17:17, Jn.8:31, 32, Col.2:8, 1 Tim.4:16, 1 Jn.4:1-6, 2 Jn. 9. Fourthly, I know faith is to be a lifetime process of spiritual growth, 2 Pet.3:18, 2 Pet.1:3-11. Lastly, we know the Devil is an eternal loser, Rev.20:10-15.

The Devil’s rejection of truth for attempted superiority makes his knowing the Scriptures of extreme importance to accomplish his goal of leading as many away from the truth as he can in the vain attempt to dethrone and humiliate God. He only succeeds in making his own torment throughout eternity greater. The knowledge that Satan knows more Bible than I do should make me more cautious, more humble, and more devoted to God, His Son, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Warnings are found throughout the New Testament against seeking to follow the commandments and traditions of men as substitutes to God’s word, Mt.15:1-20, Jn.12:42-50, 1 Cor.4, Rev., Chapters 2 and 3. As with Eve, Satan wants us to believe and accept substitutions to the word of God. Satan uses his knowledge of Scriptures to destroy, 1 Pet.5:8. How am I using mine, 2 Cor.13:5?

-Gordon Skinner

Uncertainty.

Doubt is a part of human nature. It is so integral a part in fact that it is arguably inescapable. Often times Christians are told over and over they must believe without any doubt or they will find themselves in danger of losing salvation. In Mark chapter 9, Jesus’ disciples find themselves unable to cast a demon out of a boy because of their lack of faith. Christ calls his disciples a “faithless generation” (Mark 9:19 KJV) in harsh rebuke for their doubts. The boy’s desperate father approaches Christ and begs that Jesus will cast the demon from his son. Jesus gives the man a very simple answer saying to him “If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth,” to which the man cries out with tears “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief,” (Mark 9:24 KJV). Jesus responds by rebuking the unclean spirit and casting it from the boy.

While Christ rebuked his disciples for their doubt, he rewarded this man by granting his request. The disciples’ error was not in doubting. Their error was in not wanting to believe the simple truth of the power of God. When you find yourself doubting, remember the man’s plea to Christ, “Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief,” (Mark 9:24 KJV) and trust that the mercy of God will suffice for the rest.

- The Unprofitable Servant - Luke 17:10

Distance.

Hebrews 12:1 – “…let us run with endurance the race that is before us,…”

Ever feel that you’ve gotten more than you bargained for. That you’ve got too much to handle?

Some days I feel like I’ve been training for a spiritual 5k race. It’s only a little over 3 miles, so my endurance doesn’t have to be too great, and it feels like just the amount I can handle. I’ve been preparing for this race for about a month now. I’ve been reading my Bible and praying more, and just all over trying to be the Christian the Lord wants me to be. I thought I was doing well in preparing for this race. I even tried to up my endurance level by talking to more people about spiritual things and attending gospel meetings. I felt confident that I was ready for my 5k, and that it wouldn’t be a problem. That it may even feel easy.

I showed up on race day bright and early and started with a quick warm up before I joined the crowd at the starting line. The gun was shot and the race started, and I took off with a smile on my face. I quickly realized that this wasn’t my race that I had signed up for. God had switched me and signed me up for a marathon. I got to mile marker 3 and immediately started saying “God this isn’t what I signed up for, I finished what I had planned. I want to be done.” God’s immediate reply was “keep going, I have faith in you.” By mile 6 I started to reason with God saying, “Lord, I’ve doubled what I planned to do, isn’t that enough?!” The Lord responded with, “Was it enough that I sent my Son to you and He was ridiculed in return?” I saw God’s point and started to run with a new vigor. I looked at the examples of those running before me, and decided to myself that if they could do it, so could I. I ran several miles without noticing because of how focused I’d become. By now the sun was out, and shining brightly…and it got hot. It didn’t take long before I saw mile marker 12 and started to complain to God saying, “Lord, it’s hot, I’m thirsty, my legs hurt, and I feel like I’m going to pass out…I just can’t take this anymore! I tried Lord.” The Lord’s response to me was this: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Mt. 11:28-30)” Well I kept running, but I muttered under my breath about how this wasn’t what I signed up for and how this was anything but a “light burden”. Soon I saw a little stand by the side of the rode passing out cups of water. I slowed down enough to take a quick drink and throw the cup by the wayside, not even paying attention to who handed the cup of water to me.  By mile 16 I saw a couple sitting on the ground cheering loudly for all that passed by, including me. I threw a quick smile to them, but kept on going. I ran for awhile longer wondering why God had signed me up for this race. Didn’t he know I wasn’t prepared for this?! My frustration continued to grow, until I felt a drop of rain on my cheek. I was about to lose it at that point when I heard God say to me, “just a little while longer, you’re almost there. I have faith in you.” Even though I was frustrated, exhausted, and in pain, I continued to push myself forward to the goal.

I only had three more miles to go before I crossed the finish line and I decided I wasn’t going to have come this far only to turn back. I started to run faster, knowing that soon this race would be over. When I saw the finish line in sight, I gave it all I had and sprinted for the Goal. My feet crossed the finish line and I saw God standing there beside me grinning widely and calling out my name. He looked at me and said “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. (Mt. 25:21)” I looked at God and said “why did you sign me up for the Marathon when you knew I had only prepared for the 5k?” God looked into my eyes and said, “Because I knew you could do it, I had faith in you. I also knew you wouldn’t learn much from the race you had signed up for; you wouldn’t appreciate the final goal. I also knew that if I let you run the race you had planned on, you would only depend on yourself, and never fully depend on Me.” Just then a thought dawned on me and I realized how wrong I had been. I looked up and said “That was You wasn’t it Lord? You were the one that gave me a cup of water; You were the one that sent someone to cheer me along. You were the one to send rain when I complained that it was too hot. You were there all along and I didn’t recognize it! I then realized how blind sighted I had been and fell down to the Lord asking for forgiveness. The Lord pulled me up and said “ yes, that was Me. You asked for help and I provided. Even when you didn’t ask and you complained to me, I still provided.”

I walked further with the Lord realizing how much He had helped me through the race. Not realizing what He had planned for me, because I couldn’t see the whole picture, and the Lord could. That was the day I learned to put all my trust in God and depend on Him fully. He knows best. The Lord took me on a different path that day then I had planned, but I learned so much from it, and was reminded that His thoughts are not my thoughts (Is. 55:8-9), and that God is the only one who can see the whole picture, He knows what He’s doing when He signs you up for a different race than you had planned.

-Ashlyn Barker

The Power of the Word.

http://vimeo.com/30484462

"The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

   I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army."

Ezekiel 37:1-10

Trivialized.

 http://www.patheos.com/community/bibleandculture/2011/09/25/the-clarion-call-to-watered-down-evangelicalism/

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken."  Matthew 12:26

My Watch.

What's the right thing to do? Questions like this matter in our thinking when faced with the greater ideals of our conduct as human beings. Even though we often wish not to believe it, our actions have consequences. The question that remains is one worth considering, “What will those consequences be?” Consequences are not always bad things, in fact they often can be quite good. However, just like Sir Isaac Newton said “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  Whether you believe it or not, the things you do affect others around you.

 So do yourself a favor ask yourself a question right now. “Do you want to make a positive difference in your life and the lives of those you come in contact with everyday?”

If you answered no, then stop reading right now…

But if you said yes, then perhaps we can aid you.

Consider for a moment the plight of Habakkuk in the Old Testament.  In Habakkuk chapter 1, he is told of a great danger coming upon his country in the near future. 

Look at the nations and watch—
   and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
   that you would not believe,
   even if you were told.
 I am raising up the Babylonians,
   that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth
   to seize dwellings not their own.
 They are a feared and dreaded people;
   they are a law to themselves
   and promote their own honor.
 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
   fiercer than wolves at dusk.
Their cavalry gallops headlong;
   their horsemen come from afar.
They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;
  they all come intent on violence.
Their hordes advance like a desert wind
   and gather prisoners like sand.
 They mock kings
   and scoff at rulers.
They laugh at all fortified cities;
   by building earthen ramps they capture them.
 Then they sweep past like the wind and go on—
   guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”

Try to place yourself in Habakkuk’s shoes for just a moment. You have just been told that your nation will soon be overthrown by a nation greater in number and more powerful than any enemy before, and it is all within the will of God, whom you serve. You’re dumbstruck that such evil could come upon you and your country men, and even worse , that God would allow it to happen. And so you ask God…

LORD, are you not from everlasting?
   My God, my Holy One, you will never die.
You, LORD, have appointed them to execute judgment;
   you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
   you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
   Why are you silent while the wicked
   swallow up those more righteous than themselves?  

Yet, after boldly questioning the God of heaven, yet your attitude is not one of anger nor indignation. You have simply asked a question, and you await an answer. So you wait…

I will stand my watch
      And set myself on the rampart,
      And watch to see what He will say to me,
      And what I will answer when I am corrected.

Habakukk 2:1

This is the attitude we are striving for. You see, our aim is simple. We want to help you live a better life. No, we are not counselors, instructors, or personal mentors.

We are on the watchtower.