The Deceitfulness Of Sin. Series

Awhile ago The Lord peeled back the causes of the internal struggles we face at times to live a godly life and it really opened my eyes, I pray it opens yours as well.

In James 3, a clear distinction is made between a "Wisdom from above" and that is from God, and a "wisdom from below" that is devilish or demonic. Our actions reflect which wisdom we have accepted and acted upon. James 3:14-17 says the wisdom from below is sensual and leads people into sin and enforces sin, while the Wisdom from above is "pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits." Scripture breaks it down further and gives us examples of the 'wisdom from below' and says where there are things like strife, contention and envying, "there is confusion and every evil work" it says, "every evil work", so the source of this 'wisdom from below' is clearly shown to be a force of evil which is devilish or demonic, it is from the enemy.

The source of this wisdom is not self because we are new creatures made in Christ's image recreated after God in righteousness and true holiness and as 2 Corinthians 5:18 says, "all things are of God". This Is our new nature the old sinful nature was crucified and died with Christ so this "wisdom from below" that is sensual, earthy and devilish and that enforces sin, is not from us but has its source as the enemy of our soul. This wisdom gratifies the flesh and is contrary to our nature in Christ and because it is not of us and is contrary to us, Hebrews 3:13 calls it "the deceitfulness of sin" that hardens the heart making it unresponsive to the things of God, Ephesians 4:22 calls it "deceitful lusts" which is the sinful ways of the old man, 2 Thessalonians 2:10 calls it the "deceivableness of unrighteousness", a work of the enemy. These Scriptures show at the heart of this 'wisdom from below' is deception, because this wisdom makes us act in ways contrary to our new nature in Christ.

This wisdom is deceitful because these wants and desires all sinful in nature, are contrary to our nature and are not genuine but synthetic and manufactured by "the father of lies", the enemy. These deceitful lusts, desires or wants are implanted into our minds by the enemy, "the wisdom from below", and these implanted thoughts tell us what to want, what to feel, how to act or respond, what to like and not like, what to desire, this is the 'wisdom from below' that is not from God. The enemy tries to control us by thoughts it implants because if it can control our minds it can get us to think sinful thoughts, and eventually act on those sinful thoughts.

This topic might be uncomfortable for some but The Lord is giving us a behind-the-scenes look at why Christians at times struggle to live a godly life despite being a new creature in Christ Jesus. the enemy would like for us to think we can't live a godly life, it will says its too hard, or it will try to get us to settle into a compromising lifestyle that gives us control over our decisions instead of seeking The Lord's council, but as Jesus said, our part and the only one, is to believe He is Who He says He is. We died in Christ and He now lives in us, it's His Life operating in us, so it becomes an effort only if we try to do it our way instead of yielding and submitting to Christ in us the hope of glory.

Knowing about the enemy's deception isn't enough, we can only overcome it's deception if we acknowledge and keep looking to Jesus Who is our Life. We successfully resist the enemy's lies and deception by coming boldly to the Throne of grace to receive help in time of need. Romans 6:6 says our old man was crucified with Christ and the body of sin destroyed, so we should not serve sin and the Scripture continues and says now that we are dead to sin, we should resist sin and not obey it's lusts. By listening to the "wisdom from below" that is contrary to our nature in Christ, we serve sin. James 1:21 says now that we are dead to sin and alive to God, we should lay aside all filthiness and naughtiness, which are sinful and deceitful desires implanted by the enemy. Paul tells us time and time again to live like our true nature in Christ and "put off" the old man and his ways and to "put on Christ", 1 Peter 2:11 personifies these deceitful lusts and says these lusts "war against our souls", they are enemies of our souls, demonic lusts that try to get us to serve them, that want to enforce sin in our lives. James 4:1 says internal wars come from fleshly lusts that are not godly but evil and demonic, he says these lusts war in our members creating internal conflicts.