Red Bearded Pitch Fork Carrier

by Andrew Cromwell

We do not live in a vacuum. Neither do we live in the realm of the purely physical. There is an unseen world that has direct impact on our lives. We would be wise if we did not ignore this fact. Regrettably, our culture has become convinced that the supernatural does not exist (except of course, vague references to a “higher power” and anything paranormal and associated with horror movies).

I am convinced that reality is in fact rife with the supernatural. This is not because I see disembodied spirits or “dead people” behind every rock and around every corner. Instead, I am convinced of this because I am convinced of the truth of the Bible. And if the Bible is true, then we are unwise to live our lives in ignorance of the fact that there is more to the world than what we can see with our eyes.

In 2 Corinthians 2:11, the Apostle Paul tells us that we should not be ignorant of the strategies of the Enemy.  The devil is real. He is not the bearded, pitchfork carrying, two-horned, red-skinned cartoon character depicted so often. He is instead, a created being—an angel—who was once in heaven, but because he decided to rebel against God, has now been thrown out of heaven and his domain is now here on the earth.

He is a powerful creature, but he is not like God. He is neither omnipresent (everywhere) nor omniscient (all-knowing). Instead, he attempts to overcome these limitations by cooperating with our own fallen nature. He has spent a great deal of time and effort on setting up systems within the world that stand against God and that enslave people to their lowest desires.

Wherever you find deceit, hatred, bitterness, injustice, abuse, moral depravity and murder, you have found the fingerprint of the devil. He may never have actually been present in that situation, but his strategy and influence most certainly were. Usually, we play right into his game when we begin to pursue our own selfishness and personal gain. Love, forgiveness, peace, joy and all the gifts that God has given to humankind are never the result of selfishness and self-centeredness.

The devil’s strategy is to keep you from becoming the incredible person that God created you to be. He will do anything that he can to distract you from that wonderful destiny. And because each of us was created with unique interests and abilities, the Enemy manipulates us all a little bit differently, but always with the same goal in mind.

One of the more famous quotes about the devil is that the greatest trick he ever played on mankind was to make them believe he didn’t exist. If he does exist, maybe you and I ought to be familiar enough with his plans so that we can avoid them!  

This weekend the pastors in Kings County would love the opportunity to talk to you about your destiny and how you can avoid the traps the Enemy has laid out for each of us.