Three Things That Satan Wants You to Do!

Christians have a cunning, deceitful, and busy enemy. He seeks to turn those who follow God away. He even tempted our Lord. His name is Satan. Concerning him and his activity, Scripture says:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Christian, notice three courses of action in the above text:

Be sober: be aware, alert, and awake.

Be vigilant: be watchful, careful, and on guard.

Resist: struggle against, and do not give in.

Consider three things that the devil wants you to do.

Satan Wants to Keep You Out of the Lord's Church. The saved are in the church (Acts 2:47). The devil does not want you to become a Christian; he does not want you to be part of the saved. You who read these words, who have never obeyed the Gospel are right where Satan wants you to be. He is Happy! The church preaches the Gospel (Eph. 3:10), glorifies God (Eph. 3:21), and acts under the leadership of Christ (Col. 1:18). So, Satan is glad you are not part of this activity—he already has you!

Satan Wants to Get You Back into the World. If Satan fails in keeping you out of the church, he will do everything he can to get you back into the world. Indeed, the Bible teaches that a Christian can stop serving God and return to the pollution of the world (2 Peter 2:20-22; Heb. 10:28-31), and Satan will rejoice if that happens to you. He has succeeded in the past (2 Tim. 4:10; James 4:4) and will be working hard to be weakening your faith, corrupting your morals, exhausting your resolve, undermining your convictions, and getting you to quit the service of God. If you let him, then he will succeed

Satan Wants to Make You Worthless to the Cause of Christ. If Satan cannot keep you out of the church or get you back into the world, he will try to make you ineffective to the cause of Christ. He will seek to get you uninvolved in the church and her work. You are to be zealous and active in the service of God (1 Cor. 15:58; 1 Thess. 1:3; James 2:17). So, if Satan can keep you ignorant and apathetic, make you lazy and discouraged, and get you self-absorbed and self-concerned, he will be successful in making you worthless to the cause of Christ.

He cannot do this if you do not let him! Are you a Christian? Are you active and involved in the work of God? Are you seeking first the kingdom (Matt. 6:33)? If not, you have succumbed to the enemy! Do not be ignorant of Satan's devices (2 Cor. 2:11). Resist the devil (James 4:7). Be vigilant against the old serpent (Rev. 12:9-10). Do not befriend the world (1 John 2:15-17). Always allow God to guide your life in all ways and at all times!

—from the June 6, 2022 Beacon, a publication of the Bellview Church of Christ in Pensacola