The cunning Enemy
The Devil is skillful in doing deceit and is clever. He is wise as serpent, but his heart is as firm as a stone, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. When he rises up himself, the mighty are afraid. The arrow cannot make him flee: slingshots are turned with him into stubble (Job 41:24-25,28). He laughs at the shaking of the spear.
He being once the angel of light beholds all high things; he is king over the children of pride (Job 41:34). Stubblefield says, even though this super being and his angels were cast out of heaven, he never accepted defeat. He did not become idle, silent or inactive. He went to direct to Eve in the garden and bewitched her to believe his lie.
The Devil, and Satan is going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it. When the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan came also with them (Job 1:7 & 6, 2 & 1). This vile individual speaks villainy, and his heart work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord (Isaiah 32:6).
He is the seducing spirit and has doctrines to himself, speaking lies in hypocrisy, and has the conscience of men to be seared with hot iron (I Timothy 4:1-2). We see him as a roaring lion, walking up and down in the earth seeking whom he may devour. Then we find him standing before the woman (
Israel ), which was ready to be delivered.
He is to destroy her child (Jesus) as soon as it was born (Revelation 12:4). For Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to
Bethlehem and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found him, bring me word again (Matthew 2:7-8).
The wise men followed the star and saw the young child and worshipped him. After they have left, Joseph in his dream was told to take the young child and his mother to
Egypt for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him (Matthew 2:10-13). Herod when upon seeing he was mocked by the wise men was exceedingly wroth (Mat. 2:16).
Here the true Anti-Christ was in action. From then to now – Satan has put forth every effort to tear down, destroy and hinder all that Jesus has done to redeem souls from sin, and slavery to the devil. Satan hates all purity, culture, refinement, holiness, modesty, decency, respect, and the Godly (Luke 4:18-21).
When the dragon could not destroy the child, he tried to destroy the woman that brought forth the child (Revelation 12:13-16). When God delivered her from this enemy, the dragon declared war with the woman’s children (the Saints) (v. 17). The war will continue through his last day on this earth.
The angel of God will bind Satan with a chain, and cast him into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. Then, and not until then, he will exert his last efforts by gathering all his followers to make war against the saints (Revelation 20:1-10). Behold, and the be prepared for the Lord God will come quickly before the devil tries to destroy his saints.
-o0o-
