YOU SLY DEVIL!

YOU SLY DEVIL!

“You sly Devil/You sly dog” = sneaky, devious, lucky; often used as a term of endearment or admiration.

That is, unless you really mean that the Devil is sly, and then it certainly isn’t a term of endearment.  But nonetheless, Satan is a liar, that’s what he does best, and wants only what is best for himself.  I say, “Himself” because Satan is real and active in this world.  He is a created being who was forcibly expelled from the presence of the Lord (cf. Isaiah 14).  His power is limited according to the purposes of the Lord, but his desire for power and his aspiration for victory have not decreased in intensity.  I have read the end of the book and Satan is the loser, but that doesn’t seem to dampen his work in this world.  You might ask, “Randy, where is Satan at work?”  The answer: everywhere there is evil, everywhere there is temptation, and everywhere there are those actions, events, attitudes and desires that run contrary to those of our Heavenly Father.  But remember, he is evil, not stupid.  How do you go about attempting to thwart the purposes of an omnipotent and omniscient Being?  Here lies the premise – you have to be sneaky, subtle and sly. 

How would you change the morals of an entire society?  Would you crash a load of sin right through the front door?  No, you do it in small bites – just like you would eat an elephant!  How would you get millions of people to accept, as common practice two people walking into a business and only one person walking out alive?  You slowly change the definition of what constitutes life.  How would you get millions of people to welcome into their homes others who swear at them, call their view of life “stupid, narrow or ignorant,” or begin to take off their clothes once they get into their living rooms?  You tell them that art imitates life, therefore your favorite TV shows just reflect society, they are not out to change society.

Satan has gotten so good at the subtle art of temptation that we hardly notice anymore.  Like a pebble that has been in our shoe for a long time, we have grown used to the irritation, used to the continued movement of the “line in the sand” when it comes to right and wrong.  Satan is smarter and craftier than we are, so pay attention! 

The good news is that he loses in the end!