The wiles of the devil

For the past few months we’ve had to endure the election coverage of all the aspiring presidential candidates.  Just for the record, I’m tired of it already and we’ve got over a year to go ‘til the election.  For one thing, I’m just tired of being reminded daily about the state of our nation.  That it’s bad and getting worse by the day.  Reminds me of something said by Thomas Paine in 1776:   “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

But, when you think about it, perhaps the candidates are not so wrong about the condition of our nation.  At least not in the “spiritual sense.”  Thinking about it in the realm of our national spiritual condition I’m reminded of a passage in Judges where it is speaking about the condition of ancient Israel and I see it just as applicable to us today.

In Judges 2, verses 10-15 I read where it says that, after a generation of faithful people had passed away, each succeeding generation moved farther away from God than the previous.  And, in doing so, it says that they adopted “other gods.”  They simply forgot Jehovah and all that He had blessed them with.  It goes on to say that they did evil in His sight.

I’m sure that in it’s natural progression they became more and more evil as the generations passed.  Look at it this way.  If we have moved so far from God and His influences in our lives, it stands to reason that much of society doesn’t know (or care) if their actions are in conflict with His ways or not.

Thus, they don’t realize, or care, whether they “provoke” God to anger by their ways, their behavior.  But, you know what?  We shouldn’t be surprised by this continual degeneration of society.  We’ve been warned many times in the Scriptures that this is the way man operates outside of God’s influence.

The apostle Paul even told Timothy, and us, that “in the last days perilous times shall come.” (2Tim. 3:1)   The phrase “perilous times” is rendered as “times of difficulty” in other Bible versions.  He then goes on in the following verses to identify some of the evil actions of an unbelieving society.  And a lot of these fit well with some of those running for public office.

Notice some of those he lists there: “lovers of self” - “lovers of money” - “proud” - “arrogant” - “ungrateful” - “unholy” - “heartless” (IE: harvesting unborn baby parts) - “slanderers” and so on.  I don’t know about you but, I have no trouble seeing those things going on today in our society.  Are we in “perilous times?”  In “times of difficulty?”  You bet we are.

Another Bible passage that comes to my mind that is befitting our nation’s spiritual situation is the one found in Isa. 5:20.  The prophet writes “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.”

How many examples exist today that fit into one of those categories?  Just off the top of my head, how about the current phenomenon seen all over the country where rebels, criminals and rioters are proclaimed as “good” and the police are “evil.”  That the “evil” acts of the rebels are somehow a “good” cause.  As a retired police officer I can only say:   “Hogwash!  With apologies to the hog.”

Or, as previously mentioned, the harvesting of body parts of unborn babies for money?  All being done under the guise of providing women’s health.  Isn’t this a prime example of just how far our society has slipped?

You know, it’s not just the tolerance, but the embracing of the vile practices so prevalent in our society today.  Speaking “generationally-wise” I’m reminded of something a very observant person once said in this regards:   “What one generation tolerates, the next embraces.”  When you think of what happened in ancient Israel and we look at what’s going on today, no truer words were ever spoken.

When I speak of “vile practices” you know what type of sins I’m referring to, don’t you?  I’ll just call them what God calls them in Rom. 1:26-27:   “Dishonorable passions” and “shameless acts.”

Another example of our national spiritual declination is that we’ve pretty much reached the status of being a “shameless society.”  We just don’t seem to be ashamed of our behavior anymore.  Rather, we seem to glory in it.  This is not only a bad situation - it’s a sad situation.

And, we can know what God thinks about these behaviors.  In Rom 1:28 it says that “God gave them up to a debased mind.”  That tells me that God isn’t going to reach down from heaven and stop anyone from their “shameless acts.”  But, they will pay the supreme penalty for conducting their lives in such a “shameless” manner.  2Thess. 2:11-12 makes that abundantly clear.

One more thing I’d like to mention before we bring these thoughts to a close that is also noticeable in these “last perilous times” is those who are exalting themselves above God.  (Ref: 2Thess. 2:4)   When you consider it, that’s what anyone is doing who believes that their way, or doctrine, is equal to or superior to God’s. 

Here’s a fairly recent example of this, and I don’t know if you caught it in the news or not but, in May of 2013 the Pope in Rome decreed that “those who do not believe in God can ascend into heaven if they lead good and honorable lives.”  I’m not sure just where to start in rebuttal to that pronouncement, but probably Rev. 21:7-8 should be sufficient.

Brethren, we have to remain faithful to God especially in “perilous times.”  There is a phrase from Rom. 8:37 that I really find encouraging as we strive to live on the “island of faith” while surrounded by an “evil sea.”  That passage simply says that when we live faithful to God and are obedient to His Way when all around us is “perilous times” then we are “more than conquerors.”

And,  we’ll be victorious over the “wiles of the devil” because that victory is “ours through Christ who loved us.”

Respectfully submitted,

Ron Covey