By: Rae Lynn DeAngelis
After a spiritual weekend retreat, my sister came away feeling completely filled by the Holy Spirit. With great enthusiasm she shared how God’s love and forgiveness were felt more powerfully than she had ever before experienced, and how her time with the Lord had ignited the passion in her spirit.
I told Kathi how happy I was to know she was blessed by her time with the Lord, but I also cautioned her to beware of Satan’s probable attack, knowing full well that he would try to bring her down from her spiritual high.
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)
A few days later, my sister called and shared how she came to a particular passage of Scripture that had knocked her down from her spiritual high. The passage in question seemed to conflict with that which she came to understand about God during her time at the retreat, and she was very confused. Because this particular situation involved Scripture, she never recognized that it might be an attack from Satan. I quickly reminded my sister how Satan loves to twist God’s Words. One of his tactics of deception is to cause us to doubt or misunderstand what God has said. The enemy has been using this method since the beginning of time. He even used this approach on Jesus some 2,000 years ago.
“Then the devil took [Jesus] to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written:
‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:5-10)
Even though Satan quoted Scripture, Jesus was not deceived. Like Jesus, we need to know all of God’s Word—not just certain parts. We must put on the full armor of God and take our stand against the devil’s schemes.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)
Satan is the master of deception—the father of all lies. He loves it when he can get us to doubt God, and he can easily pull out a few passages of Scripture here and there in an attempt to get us to build a belief system around his falsehood.
First we must view all Scripture in the context of which it was written.
Next we must view all Scripture against the backdrop of the entire Word of God. If something seems to contradict other passages, perhaps we don’t fully understand God’s original intent for the verse.
Finally we must examine each portion of Scripture in light of God’s character which is represented in the person of Jesus. If what we have come to believe or understand about a verse contradicts God’s character, then once again, we do not fully understand the passage in question.
If we are still confused about a verse, perhaps we are being called to simply believe by faith.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)
One day we will know in full what we now know in part. But until then, we need to be armed with the sword of the Spirit and be ready to wield our weapon with confidence and authority.
