Of all the ways the devil will tempt a person, catering to one's vanity is his favorite means to get them to fall. After all, before the inception of time, he also succumbed to pride. He believed he had an inward right to the heavenly throne, and through promulgating the potential of self exaltation to other angelic beings, he led a massive insurrection against the Almighty. There was absolutely no chance of a “successful rebellion”, but reason often dissipates when one is steeped in prideful bitterness. Simply put, the devil began to hate God, for being, God. This attitude of entitlement parades itself in every heart. We may be able to mask it for a while, but given enough hardships and displeasure, we often become the corrupted clay, vilifying the ways of God and distrusting the commands of His word (Isaiah 29:16).
The apostle Paul's warning to believers at Ephesus was, “Don't give the devil any opportunity to work (Ephesians 4:27).” Yet, in the garden of Eden, we find that Eve allowed satan to plant a seed of doubt over God's Word. Once the vile serpent saw that he could get Eve to question whether God's command was truly for her and Adam's benefit, he then struck her with the temptation of haughtiness, implanting the radical idea that God was hiding something great from them (Genesis 3:5). Perhaps God did not have their best interests at heart. Perhaps not eating of the forbidden fruit was holding them back from their full potential: To be like God and filled with supreme knowledge. Why should anyone be subjected under any kind of command or authority? Can't they be the master's of their own fate?
Indeed, the pride of life is tantalizing to the flesh (1 John 2:17). Where Christ says that the meek will inherit the earth, the devil says that power is found in self exaltation. Where Christ says to deny yourself, the devil says to believe in yourself. In today's society, we are inundated with the teaching that for one to believe in himself, follow his heart, and find his own light within, makes him superhuman. He somehow transcends into a higher plane of existence and awareness. This is nothing new. It is the temptation of the pride of life wrapped in a new package, so it can be marketable to the masses.
It may seem strange, but the new term “The Great Awakening” puts me on edge, even though it describes a rising number of people who are finally realizing what depth of evils has been going on in government, different religious sects, entertainment, and big business (This movement has particularly spread across the globe through alternative news outlets, online forums, and YouTube videos). What raises a red flag to me is that while evil is being “exposed”, instead of people returning to the righteousness found in the gospel, they replace the message of redemption with the narrative that all belief systems are bad and mankind, once awakened or enlightened, will become a beacon of hope for the cosmos.
Since the fall in the garden, mankind has been hopelessly depraved (Jeremiah 17:19, Psalms 51:5). Contrary to our own feeble attempts at holy living, Christians must understand that there is nothing good within the believer, except the Spirit of Christ (Psalms 39:5, Romans 7)! When we truly examine ourselves, we will not find a “heart of gold.” We are met with an ugliness that goes deep. Even when we do good, our intentions are often for vainglory or to mask the shame of a sinful heart. How many times does our integrity all but dissipate under the pressure of financial problems or when provoked by the unwarranted attitudes of others?
This is why we need God's grace. Purpose is not solidified when we make much of ourselves. It is when we prostrate ourselves before a holy and gracious God, acknowledging our need of Him (John 15). As we receive His grace and love, without any merit of our own doing, we will find hope and abundant life. This kind of humble trust and childlike devotion infuriates satan. It angers him to the core to know that God's grace could be lavished upon such a lowly and pathetic creatures. How could God be pleased with a persons petty faith in Him? Mankind is dust. How could God look upon Him with any interest (Psalms 40:5)? I can almost see satan scowling at Adam and Eve, as they walked with God in Eden. It is the same disdainful look that would soon be found on the face of Cain, after Abel offered up a pleasing sacrifice to God. I don't know why God loves us, but He does; and for that, we should be deeply humbled.
In times of hardship, we can either protest and scrutinize the plan of God or we can rest in His sovereign wisdom and unfailing love. I am reminded of the lyrics in the song If you love the Lord by Keith Green in which he sings, “If you love the Lord, you will love His will for you. Instead of questions why, there will be praise for all He brings you through.” You see, it was satan, speaking through Job's wife, who demanded that he curse God and die (Job 2:9). In suffering, satan desires us to bitterly fume at God, but in good times, he wants us to pridefully forget God (Hosea 13:6). Sadly, because the devil demeaned God's intentions and lied about the potential for divine enlightenment, Eve lost sight of the precious truth that the greatest joy and purpose of life is not found in self glorification, but through humble communion with the Almighty.
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