Skip to main content

The Deception of Satan

It is fitting for us to be vigilant and observe on every side the machinations, deceits, and tricks of the enemy. For, as the Holy Spirit became in Paul ‘all things to all men, that he might gain all,’ so likewise the devil strives ‘to become all things,’ that he may nail everyone to their destruction. For he prays with those who pray, that he may seduce them into conceit by the opportunity of prayer. He fasts with those who fast in order to deceive them into a good opinion of themselves. In the same manner, he beguiles those who possess a knowledge of the Scriptures, wishing to ensnare them by the form of knowledge. And so, also, those who have been gifted with any light of revelation. For Satan ‘transforms himself into an angel of light,’ that, by the appearance of a false light, he may draw them to himself. And in a word, he transforms himself into everything, and to everyone, that he may subdue them by the deceptiveness of appearance, and so receive them to destruction. 
MACARIUS THE EGYPTIAN (301-391AD)

An extraordinary observation from the Egyptian church father. Macarius is sometimes referred to as ‘the Elder’ or ‘the Great’. Macarius was extremely ascetic and lived for sixty years with a colony of monks in the Egyptian desert. I think we can sum up what he says here in one sentence: underestimate the evil one at your peril. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pornography as Occultism

There is a kind of helplessness that a man engaged in pornography exhibits. He often speaks of it in terms of a “struggle” or an “addiction.” Now both of those terms are accurate, I believe, but they distance a person from his sin in a soul-decaying manner. Pornography is not just an addiction; it is occultism. The man who sits upstairs viewing pornography while his wife chauffeurs the kids to soccer practice is not some unusual “pervert”; he is (like his forefather Adam) seeking the mystery of the universe apart from Christ. That’s the reason the one picture, stored in his memory, of that naked woman will never be enough for him. He will never be able to be satisfied because he will never be able to get an image naked enough. I say pornography is occultism because I believe the draw toward it is more than biological (though that is strong). The satanic powers understand that “the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:18). They understand that the pornographic ...
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →

The Wound of Sin

Bless the Lord, O my soul, that when you were playing with the bait, unaware of the hook like so many others, He opened your eyes—allowing you to see your folly and danger so that you might flee from it. And now, be careful that you do not grasp at any of the devil's temptations, lest he ensnare you with his hook. For though you may be restored by grace, it will not be without a wound—just as a fish sometimes escapes the hook but swims away injured. That wound may bring sorrow and take long to heal. And you have already known this to be true. THOMAS BOSTON  ( Source : The Art of Man-Fishing) A sobering truth from Thomas Boston. Sin always damages. God always restores His children when we fall but it is never without the wounds. We often carry the scars of our sins. This is another m reason for us to avoid sin altogether. Sometimes in our presumption of His grace, we tend to be antinomian. Boston is warning that such an attitude is foolish since sin always damages. It always leaves ...
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →

Do Not Be Anxious

Do not be troubled if you are poor - Christ Himself had no place to lay His head. Do not let the prospect of future hard times make you anxious about how you will endure, for "you will not be ashamed in evil days, and in times of famine you will be satisfied." God has said (Psalm 37:19) therefore, you must believe it. Do not be overly concerned with securing provisions for old age, for by all appearances, you may not live to see it. It is more than likely that you will reach your journey’s end sooner than expected. Your body is frail - it is already declining, greeting decay as its mother before it has even fully entered the hall of this world. The supports of your earthly tent are being loosened little by little. Take courage, O my soul, for soon the devil, the world, and the flesh will be crushed beneath your feet, and you will be welcomed into eternal mansions.   But even if the Lord prolongs your days to old age, He who brought you forth from your mother's womb will n...
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →