Being deceived and pressured into doing something wrong is one issue. A whole new level of evil arises when evil is shared with others. The devil doesn’t want you alone. It wants your whole family, your friends, your neighbors, and everyone you know. The devil wants everyone you know to be trapped in a cycle of confusion and unbelief. He causes pain and hurt to draw people away from God. It is your responsibility to keep the evil from spreading beyond yourself. We are called by God to repent, and to repent every day. Repentance was never about us alone as individuals. Repentance involves the lives of others we encounter. We do not live alone on an isolated island. We live in a world full of lost people, seeking and searching for relief and truth. It is the Christian’s duty to prevent sin from spreading, as well as spread the truth of Christ to the lost and dying world.
When we repent, our worldview changes, and our direction changes. Change is attractive and influential. When we see someone close to us change, we feel inspired to make a change ourselves. Repentance does this. It influences others to do the same in turning to God. If you have been sharing the Gospel with someone and it seems as though it is not progressing, consider repentance for your own sins that you are aware of. They will notice your change of direction louder than if you were to use words. It would be more effective and beneficial as a witness to live out your faith before attempting to share your faith. Your life, as well as the lives of those around you, will change.
However, knowing this effect and reaction, the devil seeks to prevent you from repenting. Your unwillingness to change will motivate others when they are struggling to change. If a person sees a Believer fall into sin, and it becomes publicly exposed, nothing good comes from this revelation other than sinners finding one more reason not to believe. Certainly, we are not to walk around with a badge on our chest declaring that only we know the truth and everyone else is wrong. Again, nothing good can come from this behavior. We are like sheep following along with what the other sheep are doing. The unfortunate fact is, if the first sheep jumps off the cliff, all the other sheep will follow. How we act and behave is detrimental to the witness of Jesus Christ. Surely, we will never reach a point in this life where we achieve perfection and holiness, but sharing with others the righteousness of Christ must be done with humility and love. The Gospel should never be preached arrogantly, condemingly, or flippantly. The Gospel must be preached and shared with Christ as the central focus and message. The Gospel is not about us, our testimonies, and how God has changed our lives. The Gospel is about Jesus Christ and Him alone. Jesus is the living Gospel of God.
The Power Of Words
Words In The Beginning
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)
In the beginning, the Lord God created the entire universe. The medium and method God used to create was His Word. He spoke everything into existence. Nothing was made apart from his declaration of existence. God created the world with his words. The apex of God’s creation was the creation of the first human, Adam. 
Adam was not made like all the other creatures that roamed the earth. Adam was made in the image of God, and he imputed his image by breathing into the nostrils of the first man. It was through the silent breath of God that Adam was declared different than all other creatures. Adam was to rule and reign on earth as God rules and reigns over the universe. Adam’s role was to imitate the glory of God by caring for creation under his domain. God’s words and breath produced all that we see. With this significant understanding, we should take the use and purpose of words in this world seriously. God could have created everything with a snap of a finger, like Thanos in the Avengers, or he could have waved a wand like Harry Potter, but God chose the simple act of speaking into creation. This act reveals the power, authority, and distinction between the Creator and creatures. The creature did not and cannot exist apart from God’s words. It is through God’s words that we have life and know all that we understand. Words are that powerful and meaningful to God. Through God’s words, the foundations of the universe were laid out. Through God’s words, He will destroy it all in the end.
However, through the words and promises of God, he made a way out of this impending doom. The Living Word of God entered into this universe to reveal the Word of God. The world has seen this act played out in the coming of Christ. God’s words became visible, and walked among us. The Creator himself came down to become our words of salvation and life. It is through the Word we see, hear, and speak the truth. God’s Word gives life. 
Because of the seriousness of the words of God, we, as image-bearers of God, must choose to use our words carefully. How we use our words is scrutinized and judged by God.
“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37).
We must realize that the words we use and how we use them matter greatly to our Lord. In the Garden of Eden, Satan used his words to trick and deceive our federal headship in Adam. Adam and Eve believed Satan’s words over God’s words with one question asked. Up till this point in the story, Adam and Eve believed and trusted God’s words from the beginning. God’s words were never questioned or challenged. The devil’s questioning God’s words was the beginning of their fall.
The serpent deceived Eve with carefully chosen words: “Did God really say…” (Genesis 3:1)?
With this one question, a slew of doubt, confusion, and rebellion arose within the hearts of the first couple. They believed in the devil, rather than God. Essentially, this is the root of all problems that exist in the world. Believing in the devil rather than God leads to death. Believing in God leads to life. Where your faith rests its head, your body and soul will follow. Satan used the creative power of words to turn it against the image-bearers of God, so that they would use their words to steal, kill, and destroy others. Words are the only mechanism through which it crosses over between the physical and spiritual. Nothing in the physical can or will affect the spiritual, and vice versa, but words cross between the physical and spiritual. Words are the only medium that affects both the physical and spiritual. Words can affect the outcome of both and are intertwined between the two. It is through the Word of God that we were created. It is through the Word of God that we are saved. It is through the Word of God that we have a promise for the future. Words matter. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Words In The Middle
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1–2).
Words not only played an important role in the creation of the world, but they also continue to play a significant role throughout history, as God demonstrates the use of His words to communicate with His people. God used to commune with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden daily, but due to sin, their free-form communication was broken, and the sinners could not hear God’s voice anymore. Sin has caused them to be blind and deaf to the existence of God. They knew God was still there, but could no longer sense His presence, because God cannot dwell in the presence of sin. He is holy, and all creation will instantaneously disintegrate in his presence. Sin and evil cannot exist in the presence of God.
God, being loving and not wanting His creation to cease to exist, communicates His words through the prophets, priests, and kings of the land. Of all the many peoples and cultures that exist, God chose one race to represent Him and be the ones to bring dialogue between the Creator and the creature. 
The Hebrew people were the chosen race to bring the words of God to the world, yet due to the sinful hearts of men, they hoarded His words as belonging only to themselves. They spoke as if they were the “chosen ones,” and they were to be identified above the rest. Unfortunately, their pride and arrogance warped the Words of God, and the struggle between God and his “chosen people” began. On many occasions, God instructed his prophets and priests to perform an act or speak words to the nations (i.e., Jonah, Job, Moses, Jacob, David). The rest of creation has lost the memory of their Creator and needed a mediator to remind them of who God is. The Jewish people were given this commission, but misrepresented God, which led God to discipline and sometimes punish the people. The struggle and battle of words between God and His people continued until the Living Word of God revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. The Jews rejected God’s living Word and pursued their own initiatives.
The prophets, priests, and kings were given words to write down on scrolls, preserving the Word. Many writings were preserved in clay jars and passed down through generations via written records and oral tradition. The Jewish culture took the word so seriously that they would train their children to memorize the entire Torah (the first five books of the Bible). 
God’s words were revered so greatly that the prophets and priests would have a ritual of washing their bodies seven times before writing the name of God in Scripture, because God’s name was that holy. The Hebrew people showed immense respect for God’s name and Words, yet they did not realize that the words were not only for them. God’s decision in choosing one race was His commission to send that one race into the world as His missionaries. Rather than obediently spreading the word, they held on to it as a treasure for themselves, hoarding all the blessings and benefits that come with the Word. Their mission work failed due to pride and sinfulness. The entirety of the Old Testament is a picture of this failure. The pattern is God speaking to his people, but the people added or took away from God’s perfect words to make them more suitable and fitting for their own cultures. God’s words again were not accepted as truth, but twisted into deception and lies. It is the purity of the Word of God that must be preserved by the Church of God. The Church of God was given this responsibility in the New Testament.
Words In The End
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:1, 14)
The New Testament is a restructuring of God’s communication with mankind. No longer does God speak to all people through the words of prophets, priests, and kings; Instead, God sends His only Son as the true representative of His words. 
Christ is the true Prophet, Priest, and King of all Kings. Jesus Christ is the Word of God in visible form. We can see and hear God once again in Christ. The words of promise were given to Adam and Eve after their fall (Gen 3:15), but in Christ, the words become life and fulfill this promise. We can see, hear, and know the living God in Jesus Christ, because He is God among us. God himself came down by His Son, to dwell among men once again. However, sinful people either accepted and believed, or they rejected and denied the God-man. Their sinful hearts resisted knowing God because they loved their sins more than God. The moment God enters your space and stands before you, you will reject him and walk away, continuing in your sins, or you will fall to your face in worship and reverence. You can never be neutral in His presence.
Jesus Christ is the walking, living Word of God. Everything he said and did represents who God is. No one can claim they did not know him in the final judgment, because he clearly revealed himself in Christ. To know God the Father is to know God the Son. There is no distinction and separation in being (John 14:9). They are two people, identified in One. A study of the Trinity will help clarify this doctrine, but without getting sidetracked, it is essential to recognize that Jesus was not only here to be a sacrifice for sinners but also a revelation of God to all creation. 
Jesus was and is the true missionary of God. He brought the Word to a lost and sinful world, to show that God promised a way of salvation from sin and death. Those who believed in the promise to come (pre-Christ), and those who believe in the promise that came (post-Christ), must believe He is the true and only way to God. Although Jesus gave us a clear picture of who God is, our sinful hearts desire to reject him and make idols we are comfortable with. We did not want the God who is, but wanted to make a god we like. Man’s desire is to form and shape God into something we can handle and bear. Our difficulty with the living God is His holiness. He is holy, and sin shuns the holy One. It was sin that led Christ to the cross, and it was sin that nailed Him to the tree. Our sins sent him, tortured him, and killed him. All sinners have blood on their hands because all sinners sent Christ to the grave. God’s mercy and grace prevail over our sins, cutting a path to life. We no longer have to live in dark misery, but have an everlasting light that guides our walk.
In the book of Revelation, Christ will return in glory to judge and rule the world. The first coming was to fulfill the promise of salvation and eternal life.
The second coming will be to consummate redemption. He will return riding on a war horse, ready to battle and end evil once and for all. The devil and evil will finally be judged and destroyed. Our glory and joy is to look forward to the day when sin no longer captivates us and chains us down. We can be free from the presence and power of sin. We will no longer struggle and fight to live in piety, but we will be made new. Jesus will end all wars and battles by using his words. The God who created all things into existence will end it all by his word.
“From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron.” (Revelation 19:15)
Creation, redemption, and final judgment are all initiated and finalized by the word of God. It is with the words given to us that we will worship and glory in the presence of God. Through his words, we have life and live. The redeemed will cry out in the end the words of life:
“They cried out in a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:10)
Salvation was made possible by God, through God, and for God’s glory. The final declaration and praise are cried out by the words of God’s people with the words given to them. Our lives are peppered with the words of God from our existence till we take our last breath. Our words are what identify our faith (John 17:20). Faith is not a feeling, nor is it just a thought and understanding of truths. Faith is living out the words of Truth in practice, piety, and love. Faith is believing Jesus, and all the words He spoke. Faith is trust in the Word of God.
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17).
Taming The Tongue
“…the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness… staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life…” (James 3:6).
Why does the Bible distinguish words from deeds? Are they not one and the same? Deeds are rebellious acts we commit against God’s laws. The laws are God’s words for life, yet we rebel and do the opposite of the law, which brings death. We reject in our action the words of God. Every time we sin, we are saying we don’t believe God’s words as truth, but in that moment of sin, we believe our own lies. If we truly believed God and what he said, we would be trembling at his feet in terror over his majesty and glory. In contrast, we shield our eyes from God’s truth to see what we want to see (idolatry) and believe what we want to believe (rebellion). We are often inclined to believe our own lies rather than the truth. We have lost the capacity to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Jesus (Matt 16:24).
Why are words judged separately or distinctly from deeds? Words are important to God, as we have observed earlier, and because words play an intricate part in creation, words are judged separately. It is through the medium of words that God chose to communicate with his creation. 
The words transcend beyond this physical realm and can pierce through dimensions and layers of this universe. Only words cross over into the multidimensional aspects of life. Words are what reveal a person, not their physical structure. For example, have you ever met someone who looked intimidating from a distance, but only after speaking with and hearing from that person did you realize they were the kindest person you had met? The words of that person instantly changed how you viewed them. It was the individual’s words that revealed the nature and character of the person once feared. In the same way, God, who is to be feared above all things, uses His words to reveal His true nature and character. It is through words that a person’s heart and intent are expressed.
Those who are closest to us are the ones with whom we have interacted the most. Our relationships develop and grow through the words we share with each other. 
Words are the building blocks of intimacy. It is impossible to have a close relationship with someone without exchanging words. Is it possible to never exchange a word with someone and yet still truly know that person? That would be impossible. You can only know someone through and by the words exchanged. Without words being used, you will not be able to know the person. The more you share of yourself, your likes and dislikes, your moods and feelings, your knowledge and wisdom, all these can only be known through the written word or speech you produce. It was Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher (469–399 BC), who once said, “Speak, so that I may see you” (Latin: “Loquere igitur, inquit, adolescens, ut te videam”) (Erasmus et al. 2014).
Character, wisdom, and understanding are all revealed through words. We are who we are through the words we speak. You may say you are who you are by your actions and what you do, but in fact, your words make and create who you are. 
You have the power of words to direct or redirect your life. It is not a power that resembles God’s creative power, but a shadow of God’s creative medium. Through our words, we proclaim the name of Jesus, identifying ourselves as belonging to Him, or we reject Him, identifying ourselves with the world. Our words matter. Our identity is concentrated in words. When we enter this world, we are immediately given a name. The name separates us from others around us and identifies who we are and to which family clan we belong. Our identity is given to us in our name, even before we are able to say that name. Our only identity has changed, and in the last days, we are given a new name in Christ, a new identity in Jesus (Isa 62:2).
To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it (Rev 2:17).
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name (Rev 3:12).
Since our words carry power and identity, we are to use them wisely. Many today ramble about anything and everything, and talk nonsense, saying whatever comes to mind. This is dangerous since the words we use will be judged by God. It would be equivalent to someone wielding a sharp sword and flailing it around in front of others. Someone will eventually get hurt. Our words have the power to both kill and heal. With our words, we can encourage someone and build them up when they are down, or we can cut them down and destroy them with a single statement. For instance, have you ever had a moment when you were speaking with someone who started out friendly and kind, only to have the conversation take a wrong turn and end in an argument and fight over something that wasn’t intended? It happens to all of us at some point. What causes this change in interaction is the words we used. Either we said something or heard them say something that was either misunderstood or mistaken out of context, triggering an argument that neither of you was even thinking about. Fights always begin with words, either spoken aloud or silently in our minds.
As we covered in the previous articles in this series, the devil uses words against us. It is through the devil’s words that we are tempted and led astray to believe and follow. He is a master craftsman with words and raised the one question that caused humanity to fall into sin. 
If you were given one shot and one opportunity to bring down all humanity into sin and rebellion, what would you have said or done? I don’t believe we could have come up with a better thought or question other than what the Devil asked. He used God’s words against Him, in questioning the reason and purpose of God’s words. He initiated doubt and disbelief. He crafted and spoke the words so carefully enough to cause doubt in the hearts of Adam and Eve. “He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’” (Gen 3:1). The three-letter word, ‘Did,’ brought doubt and questions into Eve and Adam’s minds. For the first time, God’s authority was questioned.
We are constantly listening to words around us and in our heads to find direction and guidance in life. Where those words come from makes a huge difference in where you will end up. It is through your words that you profess you believe in Jesus, or through your words you deny the existence of Christ. 
Either way, you and I will be judged for what you profess and believe. If you can recall how you came to faith in Christ, you will see that it was through the words of God that brought you near. It was not the words of the pastor, preacher, or missionary, but the words of sacred Scripture that were written years ago, planted in your heart at one point, and watered over time to grow into faith (1 Cor 3:6-7). Hearing those words spoken to you at the right place, in the right moment, is what drove you to Christ. The words of God initiate faith and lead a person to conversion. The Holy Spirit of God awakens our hearts to hear, know, and believe in His words. We have salvation in Christ because of the words given to us by the Holy Spirit of God. Without His words, there is no salvation. We are commissioned to spread his words through the world so that all may know who He is and believe. It is through words that we bear witness to the truth.
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but only what is useful for building up” (Ephesians 4:29).
On the other hand, our words can also destroy and harm others. There are some who have mastered the art of words to deceive, hurt, and destroy others’ well-being, taking after the Devil himself. They have the ability to turn a conversation into a dark direction, which leads to pain and hurt. Some do this intentionally, while others unknowingly. In either case, the end result is filled with evil intent. 
During the Second World War, the Nazi regime used words as propaganda tools to push forward their objectives for ordinary German citizens to view the Jews as “rats,” “parasites,” or “vermin” in speeches, posters, and films (Kallis 2008). A constant reidentification of the Jewish people began to sink in, and violence and murder against the innocent Jews seemed acceptable. Hitler blamed the Jews for their defeat in World War I, and called them “the enemy within.” Phrases like “Jewish conspiracy” and “racial contamination” were repeated to stir fear (Herf 2008). The Nazis claimed Jews threatened the purity of the “Aryan race.” The Nazi Party published the newspaper Der Stürmer, filled with inciting articles and cartoons portraying Jews as greedy, criminal, or corrupt. The constant repetition shaped public opinion. Without following Christian practices or beliefs, the Propagandists misused Christian language, calling Jews “Christ-killers” and suggesting their suffering was divine punishment, which reinforced centuries of anti-Jewish sentiment (Bytwerk 2001). Words were used as weapons to curse a race, while glorifying their own.
All battles and wars start with words. During World War II, Hitler’s speeches and Goebbels’ propaganda framed Jews as the enemy of the people long before violence began. In the 
U.S. Civil War, fierce debates, pamphlets, and speeches about slavery escalated tensions before shots were fired at Fort Sumter. In the Rwandan Genocide, radio broadcasts repeatedly referred to Tutsis as “cockroaches,” priming ordinary citizens for mass violence (Propaganda and Conflict 2019). With words, the world we live in was shaped into what it is today. The words of people have impacted every aspect of humanity. Technology advancements, history, and everything we have and use were passed down from generation to generation through the words preserved. Knowledge and wisdom are obtained by words, and will sustain a person with words. Through words we condemn ourselves, and through words we profess our faith in Jesus Christ. We are, and become what we declare, through the words we use.
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).
We are accountable for what we say. We will be judged for what comes out of our mouths. Jesus said, 
“It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matt 15:11). And continuing, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone” (Matt 15:18-19). We are condemned by the Laws of God for what we produce, not only what we consume. When we consume evil, immoral words and images, we are feeding the old nature of our souls, which leads to further sin and consumption. When we produce evil, we are participating in the works of the devil by spreading the lusts of the old nature onto others. The Christian life entails consumption of the Word of God so that our spirit-filled souls and bodies may flourish and grow. Where we are in our walk with Christ is determined by what we consume and produce. If we are not producing good fruit, then we must be consuming ungodly words. Jesus said,
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:43-45).
What comes out of you was in you already. You produce what you are and what you have inside. An evil person will continue to produce evil unless God intervenes in the person’s life and changes their disposition of heart. 
God must plant a new seed of life that grows into a fruit-bearing tree. A tree cannot produce fruit of its own will and desire. A tree produces fruit when it is time for harvest. Others enjoy the fruits of the faith of other faithful believers. What comes out of the mouth must be inspected and filtered at all costs so as not to hand out poisonous fruit. By our choice of words and language, we either condemn ourselves or bless others. Our words are fruits produced.
“The tongue is a fire… it corrupts the whole body” (James 3:6).
In the book of James, he describes how a blazing forest fire is kindled by our tongues. It may start out as a small spark, yet it can turn into an uncontrollable inferno. Their fury of flames will rip through anyone and everyone within range. You may think that this sounds exaggerated, but recall those moments in your life when something small was spoken, but ended up ablazing your whole world. What you considered a joke was received differently and turned for the worse. Words have the ability to calm a situation or magnify it. Words transcend space and time. It encompasses the very essence of all living beings. Life is in words.
Conclusion:
“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
Who is the Devil? What does he want? Why does he continue to pester us even post conversion? If he knows his ultimate fate and doom, then why is he continuing to do evil? We assume the devil is like us in how he thinks and acts. This again is the same tactic to make himself invisible to you so that you cannot tell if he is there or not. Strangely, some fear Satan more than they fear God. How could this be in a world that was created for the Lord? Satan did wonders in manipulating and twisting the Truth into a lie. If the cup of Truth was tainted with poison, even the smallest amount, it would eventually end the person’s life. 
The Devil has a range of 99% of the Truth to alter, morph, and blend into what the world wants it to be. However, there is that 1% of Truth that is untouchable. The Truth is Christ. He has made a way of salvation when there was no way. He has proclaimed He is the Only Way, the Only Truth, and the Only Life (John 14:6). However, Satan takes this 1% Truth and turns it into something completely different. The end result will determine which religion, theology, and denomination is followed by that 1%. No one can claim an organization, group, or people are automatically part of that 1%, but determining whether or not you are in that 1% is a personal matter. Has the Devil deceived you in your endeavors to live faithfully? Is the wicked one continually whispering lies and deception in your ears? Are you looking at things you should not consume? Is your daily consumption and feeding on the things above, or do they come from the things below? Are you part of that 1% that placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone? Satan wants you to take the 99% instead. It is easier, faster, and shinier than the 1%. Why struggle to be faithful to that 1%? Rather, Satan would say:
“Believe me. Why do what God says? What has God done for you recently? If he is real, why doesn’t he just reveal himself instead of playing games of hide and seek? Is God really there? Does God really care? Why should he care for you? He accuses you of sin, then punishes his own Son. What kind of justice is that? That does not sound like a just, righteous, loving God to me. Maybe God doesn’t exist, and all this is a crutch for lonely and scared people to hold on to? Maybe you are on your own? You can do it. You can accomplish whatever you put your mind to. You don’t need God. He doesn’t love you. God is not real, but you are real. You are the god of your own world. You have the power and wisdom to do whatever you want. No one tells you how to live or what to do. No one has dominion over you. You are god.”
Satan is an imitator and replicator. He wants you to believe there is no God and to believe him, who desires to be like God. His yearning for praise in the highest never left. He swarms at the sight of people rejecting and refusing to obey and follow Christ. He wants his missionaries to spread the lies as far and wide. With every invention, with every technological advancement, the Devil is there first in line to utilize these things for his own glory. He wants to use technology for his sinful practices and bring people to obey his commands. He always finds a way to corrupt and pervert the things of God, for it to become vices and chains. The world is imprisoned in the enticements of Satan.
Think of the most unhinged, untamed person wreaking havoc. To you, they may have no concern or love in their hearts, yet even that wild, raging person has a deep-down restraint holding them back from unleashing the most evil they can imagine. Those ideas usually won’t originate from the person, but the inception of the evil idea comes from the devil. He places the thought in your head and expects you to follow through on it. Most resist these evil temptations, but some who are on the wrong path to destruction eventually obey the command of their father, Satan.
In this series of articles, it becomes clear that Satan is not unintelligent. We must never think he is. Satan is a fallen angel of God. He looks beautiful, glorious, and radiates an imitation light. His agenda is to utilize everything in his arsenal to attack, imprison, and devour the lost people of the world. He wants even more, to gain trust with the weaker siblings of the faith, to twist and turn the Truth into a lie. Satan gloats at the sight of a believer who backslides, falls into sin, and struggles with their sins. Every hammer swing he can inspire the followers of Christ to hit the nails in His hands brings joy to the Devil. The more pain and uselessness he can facilitate, the more his heart flutters. His purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
As we’ve covered in many stages, our eyes should now be open to the lies of the Devil. When you hear your thoughts, question yourself: Is that glorifying to God, or do those thoughts and words lead to sin? Since the beginning of time, when we first heard of the Serpent’s deceptive words, lies have continued to spread throughout all generations and peoples alike; the words passed down have perpetuated the growth of this cancer. The words used to propagate the lies of Satan throughout history can be traced back to the Garden of Eden. Not only do our ears and minds consume the food we feed them, but our eyes betray us when we judge others and ourselves. Satan patiently waits and can play the long game. His plan is to have a generation where all people believe in him and lose faith in God. His desires are evil in the truest sense of the word. He longs for people to spread the lies with their words and speech. A continual outflow of deception will produce a poisonous mixture. Only in Christ are we given new cups, as He drinks the cup of wrath. 
“For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs” (Psalm 75:8). The cup of wrath will be given over for all to drink in the Last Days. This is when God’s justice is finally poured out upon the world. He will bring final enmity to all who refused His Son, and they will all be required to drink from this cup. All the wrath God has patiently suppressed will be detonated in the cup. Those who are in Christ are freed from this pending doom and will drink of the cup of celebration with Christ in His Kingdom. Those who have placed their faith in Christ repent of their sins daily and receive the Word of God as their source of food. Christ drank from the cup of wrath for those who follow and believe Him. When Christ returns in glory to bring final judgment to the world, He will shout with a loud cry a word to bring this judgment. The Bible does not reveal what this word will be, but considering all the long-suffering that God patiently endured, withholding His wrath, we can only speculate what that word will be.
“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations…” (Rev 19:11-15).
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess 4:16).
I can only imagine what that word will be, but when He speaks it, it will cause all to tremble in fear of the awesome powers of the returning King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. That word, I believe, will be “…enough.” Enough of the sins; Enough of the broken hearts; Enough of the pain and misery of the world; Enough of the wicked prophesying; Enough of the poor lacking; Enough of the lies, deception, and coercion; Enough of Satan and his dominion. The Evil One knows his pending doom. Let us not entertain his motives, but pursue the Word of Christ as our source of life.
Through our words and actions, we produce fruits of the Spirit, or fruits of wrath. What we say and share is of utmost importance. To use our words without filter is a practice and pursuit of spreading poison to those we love. Satan is not after you alone. You are not the sole target. Satan wants your children, your spouses, your friends, and your family members. He wants everyone you know to bow and worship him. Although he may attack you and pursue your family, you are not his ultimate goal.
Satan has been stewing on revenge for thousands of years. What revenge? He wants vengeance on God. He knows he cannot hurt God directly, for what creation can hurt God? Satan knows that to get at God, he needs to get at those He loves. We are being used by Satan to hurt God, and he has succeeded in many lives. How does Satan hurt God? By tempting us to follow him and turn away from God. By believing in Satan rather than God (Gen 3:1), and by living as the devil’s missionary, doing his works. Satan wants followers and believers in him, just like God. Remember, he wants to be like God. Don’t get mistaken that God is hurt because you fell for the devil’s tricks, or because you committed sin. God is not hurt because you did something wrong. There was only one time and one event that hurt God deeply, and that was when He gave up His Son for the sinful people. When Satan bruised His heel, that hurt God. God was not void of feelings or pain, but God’s love for us is what caused God to send His only begotten Son. While Satan uses us to get at God, God uses Satan to win us back. We see, hear, and speak the words of Truth to those around us to reveal the great deception of the Devil. God is ultimately in control, and even the hurt God felt for a moment does not compare to the love He wants to give you. God is madly in love with you. Do you not realize that everything that has happened to you so far was all for the purpose of winning you back to God’s heart? He has designed your world so that you can freely come back to Him and taste the fruit from the Tree of Life. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).
Kallis, Aristotle A. 2008. Nazi Propaganda and the Second World War. Palgrave Macmillan.
