Have you ever noticed the words that are used to describe the devil? Let me provide three examples.
First, he “prowls.” We find this detail in 1 Peter 5:8: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Second, he is “crafty.” This detail comes up in the Garden of Eden. The serpent, who embodies the devil, was “more crafty” than the other creatures (Genesis 3:1).
Third, he “schemes.” We find that in Ephesians 6:11. In Greek, the word is “methodeia,” making us think of our English word “method.”
To summarize, he prowls around looking to destroy us. He is crafty. He schemes. Because of these traits it’s safe to say that most of the time he will not be obvious!
Here is one of the biggest ways he tries to get at you.
In the Bible, one of the chief sins is idolatry. When we hear that word today, we tend to think about statues, golden calves, the occult, or false religion. And yes, those are all a part of it. But in our modern day, one of the biggest risks for idolatry is staring back at us in the mirror.
The devil doesn’t want you to focus on him only. The devil wants you to focus on you, because the more you are focused on you, the less you are focused on God.
Let me say that again. The devil doesn’t want you to focus on him only. The devil wants you to focus on you, because the more you are focused on you, the less you are focused on God.
Sounds crafty to me!
So, what’s to be done? Be humble and focus on Christ.
Humility is an antidote to the devil. He loves to sneakily convince you that everything is about you. But when we remember that life is primarily about Jesus and his kingdom (and not just about us), we are better able to neutralize one of our adversary’s most frequently used weapons—pride.
The devil doesn’t want you to focus on him only. The devil wants you to focus on you, because the more you are focused on you, the less you are focused on God.
Notes:
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-Bible quotes, ESV.
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