Daily Devotional
Satan Loves Religion

July 3, 2017

”And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

Paul is talking about ministers, Satan’s ministers, and he’s saying they can sometimes be found in the pulpits. Did you know all across America, Satan has put his ministers? On Sunday people may sit down in a service, and the man in the pulpit will be a minister, but he will be transformed by Satan to appear as a minister of righteousness, when he is a minister of Satan. Isn’t that frightening?

You need to understand that Satan is not against religion. His chief tool is religion. He’s always wanted to be worshiped as God. His temptation to you is not to be ungodly, but to be like God, but to do it his way. When he tempted Eve, he said, “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 3:5). This wasn’t a temptation to fall down, it was a temptation to fall upward.

Satan is the master of deception. Don’t think you could recognize him with human insight. The Bible says that if it were possible, Satan would deceive the very elect (Mark 13:22). That’s the reason we have to walk closely with God. “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17)