Understanding the Devil: The Master of Disguise and Subtle Conspirator
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. – Genesis 3:1
Our first introduction to the devil in the Bible was not in his natural form. He came in disguise; he appeared as a serpent.
Note, the serpent was not the devil. Serpent is another word for snake. However, to fulfil its mission of orchestrating the downfall of humanity, the devil needed an earthly collaborator. The snake was the perfect match for his scheme as the snake itself was described as having natural cunning attributes. That was why the devil partnered with it to get at the woman.
The fact that the devil did not approach the woman directly himself indicated that he knew he would not have her audience. Therefore, he had to come to her in the guise of one of the friendly neighbors of Adam and Eve in the garden, the snake.
The Oxford Dictionary defines conspirator as ‘a person who takes part in a conspiracy: conspirators had planned to seize the state.’
The synonyms for conspirators include conspirer, plotter, schemer, intriguer, colluder, collaborator, conniver, machinator, confederate, cabalist; traitor.
The classic earthly agenda of the devil as crystalized in John 10:10 as coming “to steal, to kill, and to destroy,” gels perfectly with the nature and operations of a conspirator. Therefore, a child of God must always be alert and watch out for the disguised antics of the devil and the friendly atmosphere or form he may appear.
So, in order not to fall prey to the devil’s antics, we must be prayerful and pay attention to subterfuges, developments, appearances, and entrances that come to us in a seemingly harmless or friendly form. Obviously, not every new thing, person, proposition or development that come to us are treacherous and originate from the devil. It takes discernment to identify which is which.
The more reason a child of God must be spiritually grounded, as the key to cultivating discernment is to watch and pray.
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. – Habakkuk 2:14
Also read:
- Understanding the Devil: Exposing His Schemes and Tactics
- Women in the Bible: Eve, the Naive
- Getting Your Calling Right (1)
- In One Basket: Finding Unfailing Hope in God
- How’s Your Communication?
- Salvation Through a Dream
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