Satan offers us a smorgasbord of deceptions, and he cares not which one we choose, only, do not venture in the “wrong” direction or you might incur his wrath. Regardless of which lie or distraction we prefer, common to them all is the goal of steering us away from reliance on the Word of God, living cruciform lives, and proclaiming Christ Crucified to the Nations of the Earth.
Christ
crucified is the “canon within the
canon” of Scripture, the measuring rod that separates truth from
falsehood, light from darkness. Any teaching or practice that is contrary to Calvary
is not of God.
 |
| [Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash] |
Through the Prophet Isaiah, the Maker of Heaven and Earth declared, “All these things have my hand made, and so all these things came to be. But to this man will I look, even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word” – (Isaiah 66:2).
This
description certainly fits Jesus of Nazareth. Materially, he was poor in this
life. “The foxes have holes, and the
birds of the heaven have nests, but the Son of man has not where to lay his
head.” He was a man from a small village of
no consequence, one with no social standing or political power - (Matthew 8:20).
He
was the Suffering “Servant of Yahweh” who was “despised and rejected, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief.”
He did not raise his hand against another man either to defend himself or to advance
his world-changing agenda - (Isaiah 42:1-3,
Matthew 12:20).
He
demonstrated his submission to God repeatedly. When Satan taunted him to turn
stones into bread, he retorted that rather than give priority to his own desires,
man must learn to “live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
When
the Devil tempted the very one whom Yahweh appointed to rule the nations with
political power, Jesus chose submission to his Messianic calling and instead submitted
to the Way of the Cross. Was it not written in His Word, “You will give
homage to God, and Him only will you serve”? He chose obedience to the Word
rather than self-promotion and self-will no matter how horrific the
consequences might be.
CHRIST CRUCIFIED
During
his ministry, Satan did not comprehend God’s plan until it was too late for his
plans; otherwise, he would never have conspired to kill the “Lord of Glory.”
Thus, in obedience to the Word of his Father, Jesus triumphed over the “powers
and principles” on the Cross, having been slain by his enemies rather than
slaying them.
Because
he poured out his life “unto death” rather than attempt to seize the Divine
likeness, God “highly exalted him” and made Jesus the “Lord” over
all things.
But the Devil is no fool, and he learned from his mistake. Since that blunder, he has devised one new scheme after another to get around the Cross. While he no longer has access to Jesus, he plots against the men and women who take up the Cross daily and follow him.
God’s
“power and wisdom” are found in the proclamation of “Christ crucified,”
the “Word of the Cross.” His victory over sin, Satan, and death was achieved
on Golgotha through his self-sacrificial death, the very thing that virtually every
deception launched by Satan and his agents works to resist, twist, and divert
in the Church.
In
his death, the nature of God and His redemptive plans were revealed. The “word”
by which all things were made “became en-fleshed” in Jesus alone. He is
the Logos, the “Word”, and in him, we behold the Divine glory. In
him “word” and “cross” are combined into the ultimate expression
of God.
In
the Book of Revelation, it is the “Slain Lamb” who qualified to open
the “Sealed Scroll,” not the roaring “Lion of Judah.” All
Creation declared him “worthy” to possess all power and sovereignty
because “by his blood” he redeemed men from every nation. His death at
the hands of Rome was not a failure, but a tremendous victory!
In
this Crucified Messiah, the “mysteries hidden in the past ages” are unveiled,
and neither Jesus nor God can be understood apart from his sacrificial death on
Calvary.
This is the one dish you will not find
served in Hell’s Kitchen. The “Dragon” does not care what you do or
believe if you do not seek revelation, wisdom, and understanding at the foot of
the Cross or from God’s Word.
Jesus
exhorted his disciples to deny themselves, take up his cross, and follow him “wherever
he leads.” This is all found in Scripture, and this is what Satan fears most
– believers who follow their true Lord by emulating his self-sacrificial
service and sticking like glue to his words.
 |
| [Photo by Nicolas Peyrol on Unsplash] |
The Devil understands that if we follow Jesus and heed his teachings, his ‘goose is cooked.’ Therefore, he works relentlessly to trick us into evading the Cross and looking outside the Word for revelation, guidance, and wisdom. Anywhere and anything other than Christ Crucified, the “Word become flesh.”
A people conformed to the Cross, an Assembly that trembles at the “Words
of Yahweh,” is a force that will drive back the works of the Devil and
radiate the truth and light of the Gospel in this sin-darkened world.
RELATED POSTS:
- Apostasy and Misdirection - (Believers who are watching for apostasy outside the Church will be among the first who are overtaken by it as it operates in the Assembly)
- Serpents in the Assembly - (The Spirit of Antichrist is working to destroy the church from within, especially through deceivers and false teachers)
- Indisputable Evidence - (“The Spirit expressly says that in later seasons some will revolt from the faith, giving heed unto seducing spirits and teachings of demons”)