IF I WERE THE DEVIL
Matt. 16:18, And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
John 8:44, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
2 Cor. 2:11, Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Satan is a murderer. He came to steal, to kill and destroy. He is the first murderer, from the beginning. Peter warned us to be sober, be vigilant, for our adversary the devil, walks about, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He is our adversary, our enemy. He is seeking to destroy. He is seeking to kill. He is a criminal against every law of God and godliness.
Today we live in a world very much accustomed to horrific crimes. We hear about murders every day in the news. We are all too familiar with stories of men and even some women who are serial killers, murderers, surely possessed by demons, who are driven to kill.
Murderers who will not stop killing, until stopped by an outside force. Law enforcement agencies are very much acquainted with the techniques and psyche of such killers. Modern day law enforcement agencies have developed techniques to capture these killers. A new breed of investigator is on the scene today. Detectives are trained specifically in hunting the habitual killer.
These investigators use several methods in tracking a killer. Using Crime Scene Forensics, they look at the crime scene, searching for any clues as to how the crime was committed, what the motive of the killer was. They try to understand the killer, to understand why he does what he does. They look at several crime scenes, looking for patterns the killer might adhere to. What makes him tick? Why does he do what he does? How does he stalk his victims, how does he kill? They understand that if they are not ignorant of the devices of the killer, they may be able to stop him. They may be able to save his next victim. The investigators are taught to answer the question, “If I were the killer, what would I do?”
Let me warn you, the devil is far more heinous than any murderer, serial or otherwise that has ever walked upon the Earth. He was the first murderer, the first habitual destroyer of human life. He is a skilled adversary, an efficient predator, a hunter of human life without equal. He has made trophies of great men over the centuries, from King Saul, whose head was caught off, and whose body was pinned to the walls of the false gods of the Philistines, to Judas, who betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. He is evil beyond comprehension. Void of love and compassion, full of hatred for humankind.
Like all killers, however, he has left clues to his motives and tactics. He has left his fingerprints on several crime scenes. If we were to examine the scenes of his unspeakable crimes, what would we discover? Would a pattern develop? Would we discover a method to his madness? Where does the devil seek his victims? What are his favorite victims to hunt? What are his tools and devices? How can he be stopped?
The best among the criminal investigators are the ones with the uncanny ability to get into the mind of the killer, to understand him. The ones who have learned to answer the question, “If I were the killer, what would be my next move? What type of victim would I choose? If I were the killer…
If I may be so presumptuous, I will take time tonight to examine the devil’s scenes of crime that are recorded in the Word of God. I want to uncover clues to his motives. I want to discover any patterns among his many crimes. I will ask the question tonight, “If I were the devil, what would I do?”
We find a clue to the devil’s personality in the twenty-eighth chapter of Ezekiel, the first crime scene of the devil.
Ezekiel 28:12, Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
We find that the devil began his creation as seemingly perfect in all his ways. He was full of wisdom, and immensely beautiful. He shone with brilliant glory, like precious stones. He was the anointed cherub, set in place by God, upon the Holy Mountain of God. This speaks to him being in a place of great authority, dwelling in the presence of the throne of God. He walked up and down among the stars. He was gifted with musical ability; tabrets and pipes are musical instruments.
Listen to me, Church of God. We need to be careful to what kind of music we listen to. Remember, the devil was a musician. He uses music today. Some of that music is demonic in origin. It will bring evil spirits into your home. He was a musician then, and he is a musician today.
He was perfect in his ways, until iniquity was found in him. His sin was pride. His heart was lifted up because of his beauty and brightness, and God cast him down from the stars, to the Earth.
Isaiah 14:12, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
The devil wanted to exalt his self. He was made to bring glory to God, but began to seek his own glory. He wanted to be like the Most High. Five times in this passage, Lucifer said “I will.” Contrast that with The Lord Jesus Christ, who said, “Not my will, but thine be done…”
The devil’s motivation then is pride and self-will. He wants his way, not God’s way. His servants are the same way. I am sure no one here would call their self a follower of Satan. But if we choose our way over God’s way, our will over God’s will, then we are following in the path of the devil. When we submit ourselves to God, declaring, “Not my will, but yours be done,” we are following Jesus.
The Church of Satan teaches the doctrine, “Do as thou will.” This is pride and arrogance, and it is devil worship. I am warning you, Saint of God. Doing what you will won’t get you to Heaven. Ambition in spiritual matters is dangerous, and you can lose your soul. That is why the Bible warns against putting a novice into the ministry, “lest they fall into the condemnation of the devil.”
Let us say, “Not my will, but thine be done!”
In the book of Genesis, we come upon another crime scene of the devil. Adam and Eve were perfect in the Garden of Eden, until the devil tempted Eve to sin.
What was the devil’s motive? Why did he choose Adam and Eve as his victims? I believe the first clue of this is found here. “And God created man in his image. In the image of God created he them.”
Remember, the devil wanted to be like the Most High God. How jealous he must have been to watch as God made Adam and Eve in His own image! Satan wanted to be like God, but could never be. In his jealousy, he will do whatever it takes to stop others from having what he never will.
And what were his tactics? How did the devil attempt to destroy Adam and Eve? They were protected in the Garden of Eden. The devil was powerless to harm them physically. He could not personally harm them in any way. So what did he do? The devil had to tempt Adam and Eve to harm their selves.
As long as you stay in the Church, as long as you remain in the body of Christ, praying as you should, reading your Bible as you should, seeking the will of God for your life as you should, the devil cannot touch you. You are protected by the hand of God. The devil knew the severity of God’s judgment. He knew if he could get man to sin, he would be judged by God.
The first thing the devil did was cast doubt on the Word of God. “Hath God said? God really doesn’t mean what he said.”
Satan has used this tactic from the beginning, and he still uses it today. He uses the word of God, watering it down, taking it out of context. He did it with Eve. He tried it during the temptation of Jesus.
If I were the devil, I would make some of my servants ministers of a false gospel, twisting the words of God into something God never intended. I would suggest to the worldly religious that all roads lead to Heaven. I would tell believers that God doesn’t really care whether they receive the Holy Ghost like they did in the book of Acts. I would tell them God does not care whether or not they are baptized in Jesus name. I would tell them God doesn’t require they live a repentant life, free from sin, holy and acceptable to God.
If I were the devil, I would fill the airways with preachers preaching prosperity and positive thinking, instead of the true word of God, and the true gospel that requires we take up our crosses and follow Jesus. I would have my ministers preach a form of godliness without the power of the Holy Ghost, tickling the ears of the people so they never realize their desperate need for the blood of Jesus, and the salvation of their souls. That’s what I would do if I were the devil.
2 Cor. 11:13, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
The devil had the audacity to suggest to Jesus, through Peter, that he should not die on the cross. “Be it far from you, Lord,” Peter said. But Jesus knew where the words were really coming from. Jesus had already decided, not my will, but thy will. “Get thee behind me, Satan,” He said. Any gospel that teaches anything other than the cross of Christ, any gospel that teaches we do not have to carry the cross is not of God, but of the devil!
Nearly every time the devil is mentioned in the Bible, it is in connection with the people of God. Satan stalks his victims in church. He already has the world. The Church is his primary concern. If I were the devil, I wouldn’t hang out in brothels or bar rooms. I wouldn’t hang out at Rock-n-Roll concerts. I would spend my time in the Church. The devil is more faithful to the House of God than we are. The Church of God is the only entity on Earth with the power to destroy the works of the devil.
If I were the devil, I would do everything I could to stop the Church from praying and reading their Bible. I would send distractions. I would send carnal diversions. I would lull the saints of God to sleep with television shows, bog them down with the cares of life. I would do whatever I could to stop them from sharing the gospel to the lost.
If I were the devil, I would go after the new Christians, before they could become men of God. Satan has a history of slaying the babes. He did it in the time of Moses, killing all boys born to the families of Israel. He did it in jesus’s time, killing all boys two years or younger in Bethlehem. He does it today. Hear me, ne Christians. The devil is after you. God has placed shepherds in your lives to declare to you the way of God. When we tell you that you need to pray, it’s for a reason. When we tell you you need to learn the Bible, it’s for a good reason. The devil is stalking you. He is out to get you, to stop you from becoming what God wants you to be!
He wants to keep you away from the Church. He wants to keep you from going to the House of God, from having your soul fed by men of God.
1 Peter 5:8, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Luke 10:18, And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Jesus gave the Church power over Satan and his demons. We must continue in prayer and fasting. We are here to destroy the works of the devil. We are here to wage war against the principalities, the powers, the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
