Satan says, “let us negotiate.”

Unless you’ve been in the proverbial “black hole of Calcutta” for the past 8 or so months, you’re acutely aware of what has taken center stage in our news reports during that time span.  Of course I speaking of “politics.”  Don’t be alarmed, I’m not going to delve very deep into that subject, I’m only using it as a springboard, so to speak, for our lesson today.

A check of any good dictionary will tell you that the word “politic” means “shrewd or artful.”  Some will even say “cunning or clever.”  Another phrase you see used in talking about this subject is seeing it referred to as “the art of politics.”

That ushers in another related word which is “compromise.”  According to my dictionary that word means “to settle something by compromising.”  I submit to you that the “art of politics” is also the “art of compromise.”

Now, included in the definition of “compromise” is the idea of settling something between two parties by “concession.”  That’s simply referring to what we call a “give or take” situation.

Where I’m going with this is, in many things of life, we are allowed the freedom of compromise.  We compromise probably every day in some form or fashion.  What item/s to purchase based upon a compromise between what we’d like and what the wife wants.  Or even a compromise on the cost of something.  Sometimes the higher priced unit is a better buy than the cheaper one.  I’m just saying that we’re allowed the freedom of compromise in areas such at this.

But, in the area of God’s Law we do not have that liberty, that freedom.  Probably the first and easiest scripture that comes to my mind is the one found in Matt. 6:24 where we read “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”  In other words, there is no compromise between God and sin.  We cannot divide our loyalty to God with loyalty to the world.

We find that concept borne out by the words of Jesus in Mark 3:24-25 where He says that a kingdom or a house “divided against itself cannot stand.”  And compromise and the art of concession is a form of division.  A division of loyalties, if you will.

In the division of loyalties, in the art of concession and compromise, is found another integral word - negotiation.  As I mentioned earlier, we have the freedom to negotiate and compromise in many areas, but in the area of “thus saith the Lord” there can be no negotiations.

Think about it for a moment.  With whom would we be negotiating?  Who’s the opposing “party” to God?  That’s right - Satan, His “adversary the devil.”  (1Pet. 5:8).  In fact, in the descriptions given there by Peter of our “adversary” we could probably include “a shrewd and cunning” negotiator.  And that is exactly who we would be in negotiations with.

Let’s just establish right here and now that should we ever do that, negotiate with Satan, WE WILL LOSE!  We cannot win.  I’m going to use the rest of my time and space to tell you a little story that is Aesopian in nature.  His stories always had a moral to them that was easily understood.  I believe that to be the same with this one and that it summarily points out the results of negotiating with the devil.

    “A hunter raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear.  When he was about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft soothing voice, “Isn’t it better to talk about this than to shoot?”  “What do you want?  Let us negotiate the matter.”

    Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, “I want a fur coat.”  “Good,” said the

bear, “that is a negotiable question.  I only want a full stomach, so let us negotiate a compromise.”

    They sat down to negotiate, and after a time, the bear walked away alone.  The negotiations had been successful.  The bear had a full stomach and the hunter had his fur coat.”

Satan says, “let us negotiate.”  But there are some things that cannot be compromised.  If we try to compromise with sin, we are deceiving ourselves and will fall into a trap that will destroy us.  I would suggest that you take your Bible and read what God said in 1John 1:8 and Rev. 12:9.

Better yet, let’s remember the warning given us in 1 Thess. 5:22 “Abstain from every appearance of evil” and not even go near the negotiation table of Satan.

Respectfully submitted,

Ron Covey