Wiles of the devil

The devil and his ministers have thousands of wiles (schemes) to keep Christians from fully serving the Lord. We are commanded to not be ignorant of those schemes and to keep from being sidetracked by them:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6.10-12)

There are many other schemes that the devil and his ministers of evil (2 Corinthians 11.15) use to distract, sidetrack, confuse, deceive, and mislead Christians so they cannot serve their Lord and Savior fully.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6.10)

The love of money is the most powerful weapon that the rulers of darkness use to keep Christians from being dedicated bond servants of Jesus Christ. Virtually everyone in the Western World has a love of money, some more than others. All Christians must fight the desire of the flesh to be rich. We are commanded to replace our natural love of the world and all that is in it with the love of the Father:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away , and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2.15-17)

We must replace the natural (sinful) love of the world and the things in it with the love of the Father. The way to do that is by being in prayer, in the Word, in fellowship with the brethren, and sharing the Gospel. It does not happen overnight. It takes decades to replace the love of the world with the love of the Father. It takes dedication, discipline and accountability.

But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. (1 Corinthians 7. 32-35)

It is not a sin to get married (1 Corinthians 7.28), and it is better to marry than to burn in lust (1 Corinthians 7.9). If a couple is 100% sold out to Jesus Christ marriage can increase the time they serve the Lord. Yet the vast majority of marriages are not between two Christians who are sold out. Most spouses end up spending more time serving each other than they do the Lord. In the bad marriages each member neglects their duties to each other and also to the Lord. One or both fall away and become backslidden and shipwrecking their faith.

A Christian couple that is not sold out to the Lord can be if they want to. The following steps will help you become a true bond slave couple of the Lord:

7. Live a holy life and share the Gospel as led by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 3.15)

8. If you have children disciple them (Deuteronomy 6.6-9; Proverbs 2.1; 3.1; 4.1; 6.20)

For single Christians who are dating or courting their relationship can help them serve the Lord better. Yet for the vast majority of un-wed Christians their relationship detracts from their service to the Lord. The way to not be sidetracked while you are courting is to follow the first seven steps above.

Sex is a problem for all singles. They are commanded to “flee youthful lusts flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” Instead of wasting time and money chasing loose women, brothers in the Lord are to spend their time serving the Lord with other Spirit led Christians. They should give some of their money to the work of the Lord instead of strange women (Proverbs 29.3).

Sisters in the Lord who allow brothers or unsaved men seduce them in hopes of getting married are fooling themselves. Most men abandon the women they seduce for another. It is always better for a brother or sister in the Lord to wait until marriage to engage in sex.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6.33)

Everyone must work. Paul commanded the pastors of the church in Thessalonica to compel all Christians to work. If they refused to work they were not to be given food (2 Thessalonians 3.10).

Yet for too many men and women a career or job becomes the most important thing in their life. They neglect the Lord, their spouse, their children, their neighbors and strangers. Some Christians neglect the Lord and others almost fully, while some neglect the Lord and others to a lesser degree. Christians must never allow their career or job to consume them and come before the Lord and their family. Sadly, many pastors and evangelists neglect their family.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10.31)

There is probably no Christian in the Western World who has not become distracted from serving the Lord to some degree by secular television, movies and secular music. Far too many Christians spend more time watching television and movies than they do praying and studying the Bible. If Christians in the West were to spend more time in prayer and in the Word than they do just watching television and movies there would be a revival greater than that of the Great Awakening.

Television and movies are two of the most effective forms of brainwashing ever invented. Viewers are conditioned to accept what is shown through thousands of viewings. The brainwashing is very subtle and it takes decades to fully brainwash people. Some of the behaviors that television and movies have conditioned people to accept as normal are – drunkenness, getting high on drugs, smoking, pre-marital and extra-marital sex, homosexuality, abortion, cheating others, lying, stealing, cursing, gambling and doing whatever it takes to get ahead. It has also been used to push the numerous isms that plague the world – atheism, humanism, evolutionism, communism, socialism, feminism, existentialism and hedonism.

There is very little worth watching on secular television. Some news programs, documentaries, wildlife shows and talk shows can be worth watching, but virtually all dramas, situation comedies, soap operas are a total waste of time. Quiz and game shows and reality shows are also a waste of time. They are just trivial pursuits.

Christian television for the most part is merely entertainment with very little serious Bible teaching and preaching. Be very careful what you watch. There are hundreds of false teachers on television who are leading Christians astray.

If you need to relax read the Bible or a good book about the Bible. Talk with your spouse and children. You can also go to church. Attendance on Sunday and Wednesday night is about ten percent of the Sunday morning service for most churches in

America

Think about what Christians did before radio, movies and television were invented. They have been used by the devil and his minions to weaken the service of Christians and keep the unsaved from being saved.

Virtually all secular music and far too much Christian music are not pleasing to the Lord. Rock and Roll, Hip Hop, Rap, Blues, Jazz and Country Western music are for the most part not edifying and they are definitely not honoring to the Lord. Most Christian music is not edifying or honoring to the Lord either.

Be very discriminating in what music you listen to. It is a subtle form of brainwashing just as television and movies are.

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. (1 Timothy 4.8)

Professional and amateur sports are a phenomenon of the 20th century. Even though they began in the 19th century they did not mass appeal until the 20th century.

There is nothing wrong in participating in sports. Yet some Christians spend far more time participating in all kinds of sports and it becomes a compulsion. During the fitness craze of the 1970s and 80s some Christians spent more time in the gym than they did in church, prayer and the Word. Some still do. How sad!

There is also nothing wrong in watching a sporting event in person or on television, but the vast majority of brothers in the Lord spend far too much time watching sporting events. If every brother who watched sports in person or on the one-eyed monster were to spend more time in prayer and study of the Bible than watching sports there would be a revival in the West greater than the Great Awakening of the 18th century.

Among men at church sports is the most popular subject of discussion. It is hard to believe but many churches have Super Bowl parties at church. Most men at church talk about sports after service or at potlucks. They rarely talk about the Bible. Why? They know everything about their favorite sport and teams, but almost nothing about the Bible. Pastors need to set the example by never talking about sports at church or church gatherings and they should discourage the men from talking about sports. Every pastor should challenge the men in the church to give up one Super Bowl. They should have an all men’s prayer meeting and Bible study during the Super Bowl where the importance of spending time each day in prayer and Bible reading, study, memorization and meditation is taught. Pastors can call it the Super Bowl Fast. Maybe some pastors will be able to wean their men off the worship of the idol called the Super Bowl. They can also do the same thing for the World Series, the basketball and hockey playoffs.

Imagine how happy the wives would be. It might even bring some husbands and wives closer together.

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (1 Corinthians 15.33)

Peer pressure is a big distraction among Christians. Christian young people have extreme pressure put on them in the public schools to fit in. Most give in to the pressure and hang out with the unsaved. They do the things the unsaved do and far too many get dragged into the lifestyle of the wicked. By the time they graduate from high school they no longer go to church and the few who do go to make their parents happy. Once they head off to college they usually fall away entirely and live liked the wicked. That is one reason why most Christian singles marry the wicked.

It is the duty of the pastors and the parents to teach their youth that they are not to hang with the wicked. They are not to have unsaved friends and never date an unsaved person. This does not mean they can never speak with someone who is not saved. They should do that every day and share the gospel through word and deed. It means they are not to do worldly things with their unsaved friends.

They can have unsaved friends go to church and church events with them, but they must never go to places and do things with the unsaved that have nothing to do with a church event. A possible exception might be playing pick up or organized ball. Yet if the unsaved men they play with use foul language and tell dirty jokes they must tell them they will not tolerate it. Most of the time the unsaved will comply with their wishes. If they do not they should walk away. When they play ball with the lost they should be the leader and always take the time to say something about their faith in Jesus Christ.

Virtually all the unsaved and most Christians worship celebrities. Christians do not consider their admiration of celebrities to be a form of worship but it is. Any time a Christian spends more time following the exploits of a celebrity than they do fellowshipping with their Savior, that is celebrity worship. If you spend more time following your favorite celebrity than you do in prayer and Bible reading, study, memorization and meditation you have a problem with idol worship. That celebrity is an idol that you worship. Study the warning that John gave all of us.

Anything that you devote more time to than prayer, the Word, fellowship with the brethren and sharing the Gospel with the lost is an idol. The only exceptions are sleep and work. Examine yourself to see if you have any idols. Take the faith Check in Appendix A.

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. (Philippians 3.19)

The devil does not have to work very hard to sidetrack Christians with food, but he pushes junk food with a vengeance. He knows it kills more people every year than anything else. About one million people die every year in

America

alone from heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other ailments that are caused primarily because of a poor diet.

For most Christians it is something they over-indulge in without much help from the forces of darkness. They do not understand that their body is a “temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in” them, and “if any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1Corinthians 3.16-17). That means if a Christian destroys his body (the temple of God) through eating a poor diet, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, drugs or tobacco, or a lack of proper sleep and exercise, God will destroy him.

Very few Christians today die of old age. They die prematurely due to myriad ailments caused from eating a poor diet. They consume far too much sugar, caffeine, meat, processed foods and milk products. These are the killer foods that cause heart disease, stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. (Alzheimer’s is caused primarily from drinking sodas in aluminum cans. The aluminum leeches into the sodas and accumulates in the brain causing Alzheimer’s disease.)

Below is a list of the leading causes of death for 2007 in

America

Heart disease: 616,067

Cancer: 562,875

Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 135,952

Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 127,924

Accidents (unintentional injuries): 123,706

Alzheimer's disease: 74,632

Diabetes: 71,382

Influenza and Pneumonia: 52,717

Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 46,448

Septicemia: 34,828

Pastors should set an example by eating a healthy diet and exhorting their flock to do the same. Yet most pastors set the example of gluttony and their flock follows them. Gluttony is a sin (Proverbs 23.20-21; 28.7), and no matter how many excuses a pastor or layman may make there is no excuse to not loose weight. It is very easy for anyone to lose weight. All they have to do is reduce their calorie intake and eat healthy foods. No matter how slow a person’s metabolism may be he can lose weight. The key to losing weight and having a healthy “temple of God” is to get proper sleep and exercise, drink pure water, and replace unhealthy foods with healthy ones. Keep replacing junk foods with good foods until all you eat is healthy foods. Whenever possible buy organic foods. Below is a list of healthy and unhealthy foods:

Healthy Foods	Unhealthy Foods
Fruits	Alcohol
Vegetables	Sugar (raw and in foods)
Raw cereals (no sugar/additives)	Sodas
Nuts	Coffee
Seeds	Milk
Eggs	Ice cream
Legumes (beans)	Cheese
Grains (rice, corn, millet, rye, etc.)	Cottage cheese
Stem tubers (potatoes)	Yogurt
Root tubers (sweet potatoes/yams)	Meat
Peppers	Fish
Herbs	Fowl
Allium (onions, garlic, shallots, scallions, leeks, chives)	Processed foods (Most foods in boxes, cans and packages)

If you eat any of the unhealthy foods buy organic only. To learn more about the dangers of the Standard American Diet that has killed millions of Americans watch the video Food: The Ultimate Secret” (www.infowars.com/food-the-ultimate-secret-exposed), watch the movie Food, Inc., read the book by Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation, and read the articles at www.naturalnews.com.

There are other dangers not only in the food we eat, but the water we drink. To learn about the dangers of fluoridated water check these links: www.radioliberty.com/nldec04.html & www.naturalnews.com www.freeworldfilmworks.com/ahw-fluoride.htm. When you go to the Natural News website type in fluoride in its search engine to see a list of articles dealing with it.

One last danger to consider is the cell phone. For articles concerning the dangers of the cell phone type cell phone into the search window at www.naturalnews.com.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5.18)

Abuse of alcohol and drugs (legal and illegal) is one of the leading causes of crime, loss of work productivity and divorce. They will continue to be abused until the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. During the Tribulation drug addiction will be universal. Virtually everyone will be a drug addict of some kind whether it is a legal or illegal drug (Revelation 9.21; 18.23).

No Christian should ever become intoxicated with alcohol or drugs. If you do not get “high” by studying the Bible there is something wrong with you. Studying the Bible is the most exciting thing any Christian can do. There is nothing a Christian can do in this life that is more exciting than studying the Bible.

Alcoholics get “high” by drinking a couple beers at the beginning, but eventually downing a six-pack is not enough. They have to move on to more powerful drinks to get “high.” Some end up drinking themselves drunk every night.

Drug addicts start with a weak drug but the “high” they get is not that big so they take more of the drug or they move on to more potent drugs. Many drug addicts get to a point that no matter how powerful a dose they take they cannot get “higher.” The only way they can get “higher” is to over-dose themselves into Hell.

There are also thrill-seekers who seek out all sorts exciting activities, but after they have done them a few dozen times the thrill isn’t the same. They seek something bigger, better, faster and scarier. Many of these thrill-seekers end up dying.

Thrill-seekers always run out of things to do or take to give them the “rush” or the “high” they seek. But for Christians they can get “high” and get a “rush” greater than anything man can experience by studying the Bible. Studying the infallible, holy Word of God is more thrilling than anything you can imagine. The Bible is God revealing Himself to us. The more we study His Word the more learn about Him and get to know Him.

How could any physical experience be more thrilling and exciting than communing with the Creator of the Universe? Do you really believe that fellowship with the Creator of the Universe is boring? If you do not get so excited when you study the Bible that you want to rush out and share what you learned with others you may be spiritually dead. If the infinite wisdom, understanding and knowledge of God are boring to you it is possible you may not be saved.

If studying the Bible has been boring to you try studying these books – Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Daniel, James, 1 John, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude and Revelation. Start with one book and read a chapter or two each day. Take notes. Write down new things you learned. Memorize verses that speak to you. Meditate on verses that are meaningful to you. Write notes about things you do not understand and find someone who can teach you.

If that does not get you excited study the following passages – Genesis 2.6; 3.24; 6.1-4; 15.17; 20.12; 24.2-5; 28.12-17; 29.22; 32.24-32; 38.1-30; Exodus 4.24-26; 32.20; Isaiah 8.1-3; 20.1-6; Micah 1.8.

Extreme phenomenon – Joshua 10.12-13; 2 Kings 20.9-11; Joshua 10.11; Revelation 16.21; Revelation 16.18-20

Forces of darkness – Daniel 10.20; John 12.31; 14.30; 16.11; 2 Corinthians 4.4; Ephesians 2.2; 6.12

Biological weapons – Job 2.7; Exodus 12.23, 29-30; Psalm 78.49-51; 2 Samuel 24.15-17; 1 Chronicles 21.14-16; Amos 4.10.

If the above passages do not give you a hunger and thirst to study the Bible you just might not be saved.

The devil and his minions have thousands of schemes to keep Christians from serving the Lord. Here are a few other tricks of theirs – false religions, cults, isms, politics, the Internet, night clubs, gambling, shopping, hobbies, secular books and magazines, and civic duty.

The devil’s gang has thousands of schemes which they use to blind “the thoughts of the unbelieving so that the radiance of thegospel of the glory of Messiah does not shine on them, who is the image of YAHWEH” (2 Corinthians 4.4). Christians should be aware of these schemes so we can defeat them through prayer and the Word of God. The top ten blinders are:

The schemes of the devil to distract Christians and blind the lost are almost identical. He uses the same old tricks that have worked for thousands of years. Yet when new technology is developed, such as movies, radio, television and the Internet, he races in and uses it to deceive mankind.

The devil uses false religions, cults and isms to deceive the saved also. In these last days these three deceptions have deceived millions of Christians. It is the duty of pastors to teach their flock what the false religions and cults of the devil are, and train them to resist being seduced by them. The pastors should also train the flock how to lead people in these false religions and cults to the Lord. Pastors also need to educate the flock about all of the isms and show them from the Bible that they are of the devil. The leading isms plaguing the world are:

Atheism	Liberalism
Evolutionism	Socialism
Humanism	Communism
Hedonism	Existentialism

Below is a list of the leading causes of death for 2007 in America:

Heart disease: 616,067

Cancer: 562,875

Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 135,952

Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 127,924

Accidents (unintentional injuries): 123,706

Alzheimer's disease: 74,632

Diabetes: 71,382

Influenza and Pneumonia: 52,717

Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 46,448

Septicemia: 34,828