by Chris Steele

A disturbing message was left on the answering machine in the office the other day. The caller asked, “Have you accepted Satan as your master?” He went on to say that we should follow Satan because he is able to give us a better life with riches and powers (read Matthew 4:8-10). Although the caller invited us to discuss these matters further, he failed to leave a contact number, plus the call was marked “private” on the caller ID system.

The truth of the matter is that God has given us the ability to make choices. So we can love and trust the devil, if we want. Yes, we can turn to Satan and give him our whole heart, our allegiance, our faith, and our lives. Doesn’t it sound out of place when we use the same terminology to describe a relationship with the devil as we do with the Almighty God?

It is true. You can trust the devil. You can trust him to be a liar and a cheat (John 8:44; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). You can trust him to deceive the unsuspecting and uncaring of this world (Revelation 12:9). He is the accuser of mankind (Revelation 12:10). That means that while he pretends to be your friend, he laughs behind your back. He says you are weak and worthless, and you just can’t help but to be bad. You can put your faith in Satan, but he will sell you short. You can serve “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31) diligently for his promise of a world of wealth and pleasure, but he will only give you the wind to put in your pocket. (cf. Hebrews 11:24-26). The devil will try to entice you to become a friend of the world and end up being an enemy of God (James 4:4).

We must believe that God is the one who truly loves us (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8). We can trust him completely (Hebrews 2:13), because he will never lie to us (Hebrews 6:18). God has revealed everything that we need to know concerning the devil with his cunning and subtle craftiness. “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). God has promised us the necessary means of resisting the devil, so he will flee from us (James 4:7). Don’t fall into Satan’s trap! “Be sober, be vigilant for your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).