2 Corinthians 11:3-4-But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 

Paul here is addressing his people that have allowed themselves to be persuaded from pure devotion to Christ unto a way that will cause division from him, but most importantly Jesus.

What ends up prevailing when Satan gets a foothold in a person’s mind is that we will follow after a spirit that breeds division away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ, and devoted people eventually.  So I ask myself in those times what is the main reason a person would go astray?  The answer is the cunning serpeant.  Underestimating the devil might be the greatest mistake we make as Christians.

The way the enemy uses our emotions to be “rational” instead of sacrificial, “tolerant” instead of truth preserving, “relaxing” instead of purposeful, or how he provokes us into blaming others for our emptiness.  All are examples how the enemy uses our insatiable desires of the flesh to justify ourselves rather than justify Christ and His Truth.

This is the most heartbreaking thing to watch unfold if you ever have.  Whether it has been in your own life or a friends, to see someone gradually slip away from the faith is difficult.  Sadly, rather than be grieved at their spiritual plight we may celebrate the thing(s) that have replaced Christ!  Yet Satan maybe using such things to deceive us into thinking that, “devotion to Christ may not be worth all the suffering and frustration a sincere faith will bring.”

Don’t allow what is true though difficult, to persuade you away from the person of Jesus.  To know Him as perfect love, and replace Him for what is gratifying a very temporary desire is the evidence of being deceived by the “cunning serpent”.

In His Love, Ld