If the Bible was a play, the devil actually only gets three speaking parts in the entire show. He's really only a minor character, but there's lots we can learn from his presence in scripture. With that in mind we took a closer look at his three key 'scenes' today (with Adam & Eve in Genesis, talking with God in the book of Job, and finally his temptation of Christ in the wilderness).
Check them out yourself and you'll notice that every single time he opens his mouth, the devil uses questions to try and sow doubt and he ALWAYS misrepresents the people involved ("did God really say that? He's just worried you'll become as powerful as him" ; "Job isn't really a good man - he only loves you 'cos you spoil him" ; and "...if you really were the Son of God...").
Ever noticed how this happens in your own mind? You run into conflict with someone or someone does something that annoys you, and suddenly your mind is supplied with a complete script about why they do things like that and what they're real motives are etc. As much as the devil seems to be a literal personal being of evil, he also represents the selfish side of us. His chief sin is pride...ours is too. His presence in scripture reminds us of that - those very same seeds of evil lie in each of us.
So these passages are a real warning to us. We need to be on our guard against our own tendency to judge others and make assumptions about their motives. (When we do that, we are actually acting as if we are God - as if we actually have full insight into people's motives and actions and circumstances. It's arrogant).
James 1:19 warns us to be "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger."
Don't give the devil a foothold - let's not give him an opportunity to sow division in your relationships. He's a minor character in scripture, let's keep him in his place!
Bless ya team - here's the notes and the rest of the scriptures.
Have an awesome week!
p.s.The other scripture we referred to was Proverbs 26:2 "Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest."
Check them out yourself and you'll notice that every single time he opens his mouth, the devil uses questions to try and sow doubt and he ALWAYS misrepresents the people involved ("did God really say that? He's just worried you'll become as powerful as him" ; "Job isn't really a good man - he only loves you 'cos you spoil him" ; and "...if you really were the Son of God...").
Ever noticed how this happens in your own mind? You run into conflict with someone or someone does something that annoys you, and suddenly your mind is supplied with a complete script about why they do things like that and what they're real motives are etc. As much as the devil seems to be a literal personal being of evil, he also represents the selfish side of us. His chief sin is pride...ours is too. His presence in scripture reminds us of that - those very same seeds of evil lie in each of us.
So these passages are a real warning to us. We need to be on our guard against our own tendency to judge others and make assumptions about their motives. (When we do that, we are actually acting as if we are God - as if we actually have full insight into people's motives and actions and circumstances. It's arrogant).
James 1:19 warns us to be "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger."
Don't give the devil a foothold - let's not give him an opportunity to sow division in your relationships. He's a minor character in scripture, let's keep him in his place!
Bless ya team - here's the notes and the rest of the scriptures.
Have an awesome week!
p.s.The other scripture we referred to was Proverbs 26:2 "Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest."
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