The Snares of the Devil (The Word of the Lord and what God says about this.)

The Snares of the Devil

We live in a world that is filled with entertainment, technology, and instant-access information. It is a world where movies can be watched at any time during the day or night and practically anywhere where one has internet access. Time is stolen as people spend time seeking their own interests and hobbies. Time is a precious commodity and we have less of it than we realize.

The enemy of man is a very cunning and crafty being named Lucifer or Satan. Lucifer, once an angel of God, had rebelled against God and sought worship for himself. God cast him out of Heaven along with other fallen angels that had joined Lucifer. God gave the prophet Isaiah these words:

Isaiah 14:12-15 (bold added)

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!

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

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

Lucifer became Satan, the deceiver. Satan wanted to be God, but God cast him out for his pride and rebellion. After being cast out, Satan sought how he could get at God. He decided he would attack Adam and Eve, the first humans. Genesis 3 gives the true account.

Genesis 3:1-5

3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Notice how Satan attacks Eve? He asks her a question: “…Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1). Then, Satan said: “… Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5). Here, Satan is telling Eve that she should not trust God and that God is keeping a very important secret from Adam and Eve that they are not meant to know. To Eve, the idea of being like a god sounds enticing. She will no longer be ignorant of evil. She will have special knowledge God never intended for her to have.  

That is the trick of the Devil. Satan wants people to think that God is hiding something special from them. Satan wants people to think that if people learn this special knowledge, they can become true gods with their own power.

The Self: Doing Thine Own Will

The New Age movement (including witchcraft) has promoted man as having inherent god-like powers because they believe that God is just a force and that everything is “God”. A woman named Karen left witchcraft to become a follower of Jesus Christ. She wrote that for a witch: “It's all about power and control and the power is INSTANT. Immediate gratification.” (“Testimony of a…”).

So, witchcraft is all about “power” and “control” and “Immediate gratification.”

Anton LaVey, the founder of The Church of Satan said:

“...and he must, as a satanist, knowing this, realizing what his human potential is, eventually, and here is one of the essential points of satanism, attain his own godhead in accordance with his own potential. Therefore, each man, each woman is a god, or goddess in satanism.” (Stewart).

The Devil wants people to believe the lie that they are a god or that they can have “god-like” powers. Witches seek power.  Aleister Crowley, an infamous Satanist and occultist said: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” ("Aleister Crowley Quotes.").  Jimmy Page, a member of Led Zeppelin, inscribed Aleister Crowley’s Satanic phrase “Do what thou wilt. So mete it Be” in the vinyl of their Led Zeppelin III album (Motes). According to Page, Led Zeppelin’s songs came via “automatic handwriting”, which is an occultic channeling of demons (Motes).

The Devil is a Liar

The focus of the Devil has been on the self and becoming a god. The Devil has told people that it is all about what you want to do, what you want to be, etc. Satan wants people to think that they do not need to trust in the Only True God because Satan hates God and Satan hates everyone God created. Jesus Christ told the wicked Pharisees this truth:

John 8:44

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The Devil is a murderer and a liar from the beginning. Satan seeks to devour anyone he can.

1 Peter 5:8-9 

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Satan wants people to believe the lie that they came become a god or have godlike powers and that they can live life however they want, with no consequences.

Psalm 82:5-8 (bold / underline added) 

5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 

7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. 

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

If people live according to their own sinful desires (and do not repent), there will be eternal consequences. Revelation, the last book of the Bible, says…

Revelation 21:8 

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

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Eternal torment in a lake of fire is what awaits those who live life for themselves and who do not turn to the true Jesus Christ for salvation. Jesus Christ is NOT one of many “christs”. Jesus Christ is THE CHRIST. Christ is identical to Messiah, which means “the Anointed One”.  Jesus Christ was anointed by God the Father to save people from their sins. Jesus Christ is God the Son and He is fully God. Colossians 2:9, speaking of Jesus Christ, says: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

1 Timothy 2:5 says: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 

Acts 4:12 says: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation 

for humankind. 

Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation for humankind. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot become gods with divine power. It is true that we can live however we want, but there will be eternal consequences, including eternal fire in the lake of fire. God has given us a free will. Eve could have said “no” to Satan (in the serpent) and refused to eat the forbidden fruit. Adam could have refused to eat that fruit. There are choices God has given men and women to make.

We can follow what our sinful nature wants to do or we can deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ, making Him our Lord and Savior.

Jesus gave the choice to us here:

Mark 8:34-35 

34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

We can either live according to what we want to do, or we can turn to God and seek Him and do what He wants us to do (through His strength). The choice is up to you and me. Will we serve Jesus Christ or will we do our own thing?

If we serve Jesus Christ and seek to know Him personally, we will be rewarded (Revelation 2:10) and we will experience a relationship with God that is truly that of a loving Father to His son (or daughter) (see Luke 15:11-32). God will embrace you just like the father did to his prodigal son in the parable Jesus told in Luke 15:11-32.

Would you like to find out how to Know God's Name Personally?

IF YOU ARE SEEKING TO KNOW GOD, please read this message.

1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 

Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” 

Ephesians 2:8-9 

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

God loves us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and shed His precious blood to pay for all of these sins. (See John 3:16; and 1 Corinthians 15:3-5; and Romans 5:8-11.)

If you repent (turn away) from your sins (Acts 3:19), and believe and confess aloud that Christ has done this for you (Romans 10:9-10), and have made Him your Lord and Savior (again Romans 10:9-10) you are saved.

Now seek God with all your heart. Seek to know Him and you will (Jeremiah 29:13).

John 17:3: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” 

Jeremiah 29:13: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” 

John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” 

Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

WORKS CITED

"Testimony of a Former Witch." jesus-is-savior.com. jesus-is-savior.com. n.d. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.

Stewart, David J. "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law." www.jesus-is-savior.com. Jesus-is-Savior.com, n.d.  Web. 29 Dec. 2014.

"Aleister Crowley Quotes." www.brainyquote.com. BrainyQuote®BookRags Media Network, n.d. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.

Motes, Eugene T. The Moral Decay of Society: America Under Attack!  Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse.com, 2010. Print.