TRICKS OF THE DEVIL I

DATE: FRIDAY AUGUST 11TH 2017

THEME: TRICKS OF THE DEVIL I    

Memorise:

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.                                          Proverb 16:18

Read:  Isaiah 14:12-16

 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

14:16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

Message:

A trick is a cunning act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit a person. One of the greatest tricks by which the devil deceives men today is to cause their hearts to be lifted up in pride. Through pride, the hearts of mankind have rebelled against the knowledge and authority of God. Pride comes with arrogance, pomp presumption, conceit, self-satisfaction, boasting, high-mindedness and haughtiness. It is especially dangerous because of its silence and the stealth by which it operates. When pride is well seated in the heart and has taken full charge of a person, it becomes extremely difficult to pin down. However, we thank God because the light of God’s word is bright enough to expose it in all its forms. To understand pride, we need to consider the first entity in whom pride was found: Satan. Isaiah 14:13-14 reveals the thoughts of his heart that made God depose him from his exalted position in heaven:

"For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."

A careful consideration of the above scripture shows that pride is basically a sin that has its roots in the attitude and the heart. Hence, Proverb 21:4 speaks of “a haughty look” and “a proud heart” as sin. The first thing to watch out for in a man or woman with pride in their heart is the emphasis on their person in their speech. The speech of such people is normally laden with the personal pronoun “I”. In a single short statement, Satan made reference to himself five times. “I will ascend, I will exalt my throne, I will sit, I will ascend above, and I will be like the most high”. Secondly, the proud displays an unwarranted attitude of confidence and inordinate ambition, such as displayed by Satan. He was not satisfied with where God placed him, and he actually wanted to supplant God Himself. He was so confident of himself that he thought he could ascend into heaven and exercise dominion over all the angels of God all by himself.

However, pride cannot remain internalized or hidden. It often finds expression: through speech (such as boastings) through looks and through behaviour, such as acts of impatience and contemptible treatment of others. The Bible highlights the inevitable downfall of a proud person, and we should learn from what happened to Satan (Proverb 16:18, Ezekiel 28:16-19). The proud will not escape God’s terrible judgment; therefore, be warned!

Prayer Point:

Father, please expose every hidden tendency of pride and related attitudes in my life and completely destroy them, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

  

2 Kings 7-8

Ezekiel 23:1-21                                                                                                             

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: OH JESUS I HAVE PROMISED

1.  O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;

Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;

I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,

Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,

I dare not trust my judgment: Thy way shall be my will;

Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;

Oh, speak, and help me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee

That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;

And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end—

Oh, give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;

My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone;

Oh, guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;

And then in Heav’n receive me, my Savior and my Friend.