There are numerous passages in the Bible that indicate that the devil is on the earth, and he is dedicated to deceiving the nations and the whole world. It is always narrated in a general tone, which implies that he influences the masses to make them sin.
“And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.'” Job 1:7
“And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.'” Luke 10:18
THE DEVIL DECEIVES THE WORLD BY MOVING THE MASSES
Since ancient times, different cultures throughout history have committed many atrocities (sins) that were openly accepted by the masses. The Bible shows how they passed their children through the fire (burning babies alive), relied on witchcraft and sorcery, idolatry (worship of images), forbidden sexual practices, among others.
The enemy has dealt with the sin of the masses, that is, convincing an entire population or culture that such practice was acceptable, leading us away from God. Nowadays, we have celebrities who move millions of people with bombastic songs that become top sellers, such as the Rolling Stones and their diabolical song (“Sympathy For The Devil”). In the Word, we can find:
The enemy has dealt with the sin of the masses, that is, by convincing an entire population or culture that such practice was acceptable, leading us away from God. Nowadays, we have celebrities who move millions of people with bombastic songs that become top sellers, such as the Rolling Stones and their diabolical song (“Sympathy For The Devil”). In the Word, we can find:
“And the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:9
“He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” Revelation 20:2-3
“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!” Isaiah 14:12
THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD
In the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ refers to the devil disdainfully as the “prince of this world” several times:
“Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” John 12:31
“In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:2
“I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” John 14:30
“and of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” John 16:11
Referring to him as the prince of this world, or prince of the power of the air, implies that he influences his followers. Note, he is not called a king but a prince because Christians know perfectly well who is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
WHOEVER COMMITS SIN IS OF THE DEVIL
The Lord Jesus taught us that we are either children of God or children of the devil. Yes, it is quite strong, but it is a choice and it has to do with our deeds. John 8:31-47
“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44
“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8
There is no other way, either we are of God or we are of the devil. Either we do the works of the Holy Spirit or we are doers of sin. Therefore, the Lord Jesus called us to reflect. What do we desire for our lives, to follow the crowd with its sinful deeds or to follow Christ with the works of the Holy Spirit? That is why the Lord spoke to us about the wide gate (the way of the world) and the narrow gate (the way of Jesus), because the world follows the crowd with its customs and deceits:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” Matthew 7:13
SATAN’S DECEPTION OF THE UNBELIEVERS
One of the cunning devices that the devil uses is to move the masses towards unbelief, using philosophies such as divinity, reincarnation, or simply the belief that there is absolutely nothing after this world. The masses believe more in witchcraft, sorcery, and ghosts and spirits than in a living God. What is the purpose of all this? Simply to prevent the light of the gospel from shining forth and to keep the masses in darkness.
“in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4
That is why many people are preached the Word of the Kingdom of God, and they do not want to hear it or do not understand it. They do not want to pay even the slightest attention because their minds have been transformed not to hear the gospel:
“And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.” Mark 4:15
SATAN’S DECEPTION WITH RELIGIONS
Another of the cunning devices Satan uses is the use of religions to disguise the true teaching. For example, the Bible clearly states that God hates images in the 10 commandments. Read Exodus 20.
How can it be that one of the religions with the most followers in the world is the most idolatrous of all, going against one of the 10 commandments? The Bible also indicates that “bishops must be the husbands of one wife,” as 1 Timothy 3 says, and yet there are religions that compel their ministers to observe celibacy, opposing the word of God. Other religions use money as their foundation, even making business with the Word of God. Where in the Bible can we find that the Lord Jesus or a prophet performed a miracle or healing and charged for it?
“And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” 1 Timothy 4:1-3
“Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness […]” Acts 17:29-31
Satan’s goal is to make people see that everything related to God has an economic interest or paganism so that people do not understand that the important thing is to know the Word of God and follow Christ. The Lord Jesus taught us that if we remained in His Word, we would know “the truth”:
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'” John 8:31-32
THE DEVIL TRIES TO TEMPR US TO SIN
From Genesis, we see how the devil used all possible means to incite man to sin.
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:1-6
The devil, who controls the world and the masses, will use all channels available to try to call good evil and evil good. In Genesis 3, we see how Satan, symbolized by the serpent, “was cunning,” and indeed he is. Through sin (disobedience to God), he will try to disguise what is evil and make it feel good, and most importantly, to achieve this, he will tell us that if we commit such action, “we will be like God.” What does that mean?
What does it mean? Well, quite simply, he will make man feel that if he commits that action, the state in which he will find himself will be superior. Here are some examples.
- To the young teenager: if you smoke and drink, you will be better, more mature, you will attract
more, etc. - To the person who uses drugs: if you use drugs, you will reach a higher state.
- To the married person: if you have another relationship, you will have more fun, pleasure, you will feel more complete.
- To the one who goes to the witch: your state of wealth, health, and problems will be in a superior state.
- To the one who worships an image: by lighting candles and praying, your wish will be fulfilled and everything will be solved.
These examples show us how the devil’s deception repeats itself over and over again throughout human history, with the sole purpose of making man sin and leading us away from a living and real God.
Even the Lord Jesus Christ was tempted and offered power and kingdoms:
“And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.'” Luke 4:5-6
CONCLUSION
Take a moment for introspection and consider what characteristics define you as a person. If you recognize that you are enslaved to some vice or addiction and want to change your life, we invite you:
- If you do not know the Word of God and have not given your life to Christ, we invite you to receive Him in your heart and seek out a Christian community where you can gather and learn the Word of God, which will set you free. Visit our page GET TO KNOW CHRIST.
- If you are a believer and still struggle with sin, remember that it is necessary to pray and fast. Confess your weakness to the Pastor of your Church so that he can guide you through this process, and remove from your life anything that could lead you astray. Jesus Christ is freedom.
