Smooth words can tickle our ears and build up our self-image, but the motive behind those words must be examined.
United States Senator Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky once gave this wise advice to the then young newcomer, Senator Stephen M. Young:
"If some colleague refers to you as 'the distinguished Senator from Ohio,' consider yourself lucky.…"
"If this same colleague refers to you as the 'able and distinguished Senator from Ohio,' be on your guard, for the knife is getter sharper.
If, however, your colleague refers to you as 'the able and distinguished Senator from Ohio and my good friend,' then duck fast because he's trying to see if the jugular vein is exposed."
"And, in case your colleagues should refer to you as 'my very good friend, the able, distinguished and outstanding Senator from Ohio' then run for your life!"
We must be on guard because the enemy will try to use clever ways to deceive us. The enemy is rarely going to come at you in a blaze of fire. Most often, it will be in the form of something sweet or good.
Satan is a counterfeiter and a masquerader who never reveals his true nature. He can even come as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and lead us astray.
Sometimes the enemy even uses well-meaning people to trip us up.
I've experienced this in my life, and you have to. I've been fortunate to manage a few businesses and Pastored in a few churches. And there's nothing that will prick my ears to the working of the enemy more than when someone saying things like:
I'm so sorry you have to work so hard without anyone noticing. People don't know everything you do, or I wish you were in charge so that things would get better, or You're so much more qualified.
The truth is, God has placed each of us exactly where He wants us, and we need to work for the Lord. Stop jockeying for position, power, or authority. Humility always wins in the kingdom of God.
Flattering words are a sure sign that the enemy might be working because he knows we are self-absorbed. We love to be validated.
We need to find our value in what the Scripture says about us. We need to take our strength from the great crowd of witnesses who have overcome by the blood of the lamb. I'd much rather have that approval than approval from a slippery-tongued trouble maker.
Remember, the enemy loves to make offers that he can't deliver.
We can tell when Satan is at work because he questions God's Word and encourages us to deny the authority of Scripture, asking us, "Did God really say…?"
Satan first questions the Word, denies the Word, and substitutes his lies.
Our reply must be, "Yes, God did say, and I will respect it!"
We must immediately turn to the Lord in prayer and seek His wisdom. He will remind us of what we have learned from the Scriptures, and we can use the sword of the Spirit to defeat Satan, as Jesus did when Satan attacked him (Eph. 6:17; Matt. 4:1–11).
There's only one way to recognize when the enemy makes blasphemous offers.
Psalm 119:11 (NLT)
11 I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Scripture is our absolute truth. We must measure everything through the lens of Scripture!
God's Word has all the answers. It's nearly impossible to fall for a lie of the enemy if you know the truth!
Walking around Disney world, especially when you first enter, you are met with the sweet smell of cinnamon rolls. Your mouth starts watering. The brain tells your tummy that you're about to have the most excellent treat you've ever had.
So, you seek out that cinnamon roll only to find that these jokers have cinnamon roll air fresheners pumping right out into the street to make you think they are baking fresh fluffy rolls. They are not baking cinnamon rolls at Disney world. They are selling $200 dollar imposters! I saw them unwrapping them from a pre-made package!
Once you know the truth, that sweet smell becomes annoying and a repellant.
It's the same thing with the offers of the enemy. If you spend time meditating on the Word of God, then you will be able to recognize the counterfeit.
Back in the garden with Eve, the enemy told a lie and made an offer.
Genesis 3:4–5 (NLT)
4 "You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman.
5 "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil."
Verse 6 says the woman was convinced. She believed him over God.
We do the same thing all the time. What offers are you believing right now?
I'm telling you that the most effective tool we can have in our tool belt is - contentment. Content to trust God. To have faith that He is working.
How do we defeat the enemy? We stop listening to his offers and start standing on the truth we find in the Word of God.
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