"OPPOSE THE DEVIL"

                  "Oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you." -JAMES 4:7.

"GOD has disappeared, but the Devil remains." Those words of the French author Andre' Malraux could well be applied to the world in which we live.  The works of men certainly seem to reflect the wiles of the Devil more than the will of God. Satan is leading men astray "with every powerful work and lying signs and portents and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing." (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10)  In these "last days," however, Satan is concentrating his efforts on God's dedicated servants, waging war with the anointed Christians, "who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:1; Revelation 12:9, 17)  These Witnesses and their companions who have an earthly hope need to be vigilant. 

Satan is a deceiver through and through.  Using a serpent as a cover, he tricked Eve into thinking that she could find greater happiness by acting independently of God.  (Genesis 3:1-6)  Some four thousand years later, the apostle Paul expressed fears that anointed Christians in Corinth might fall victim to Satan's  craftiness. Paul wrote:  "I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that are due the Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3) Satan corrupts  people's minds and warps their thinking. Just as he seduced Eve, he can cause Christians to reason falsely and imagine that their happiness depends on something Jehovah and his Son disapprove of. 

Satan can be compared to a bird catcher who sets traps to catch unsuspecting victims. To avoid Satan's traps, we need to 'dwell in the secret place  of the Most High,' a figurative place of protection that Jehovah provides  for those who recognize  his universal sovereignty in what they do.  (Psalm 91:1-3) We need all the protection God provides through his Word, his spirit, and his organization so that we "may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil."  (Ephesians 6:11)  The Greek word for  "machinations" can also be translated "crafty acts," or "tricks,"  Without a doubt, the Devil uses many tricks and crafty acts in his efforts to ensnare Jehovah's servants. 

Next time: Traps Satan Set for the Early Christians

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002