Satan is Subtle
One of the first sermons I ever remember preaching was called “4 Things You’ll Never Hear Satan Say.” (As with all of my early sermons, it was pretty terrible.)
Of those four things, the one that I still think about is this one: “Here I am!” The basic premise is that the devil is far more subtle than to just jump out and tell you he’s right there, blatantly tempting you with sin.
Earlier this week, police in Tampa, Florida had to remove an alligator, which they described as “very large and very angry,” from a fairly public area. But what made the story interesting was that the gator was directly below a sign that read, “Warning: Alligators.”
They further warned that, although the gator on the sign was slightly cartoonish and funny looking, the real alligator was anything but.
Our enemy simply does not work the way that alligator did. You will not find a sign that says, “Warning: Devil.” You will not see him just showing himself plainly in the most obvious of areas. Instead, he will go so far as to disguise himself, even as “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).
The Bible continually warns us about keeping our eyes open and our minds clear in order to be prepared for the attacks of the devil. Peter wrote that we must “be sober” and “be vigilant” (1 Peter 5:8). Paul reminds us that “we are not ignorant of [the devil’s] devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Too often, though, we want Satan to just show up and announce his presence. We try to plead ignorance when we fall into a temptation, all the while knowing that he is far more subtle, like a lion on the prowl (1 Peter 5:8) than that alligator right under the warning sign.
Are we continually looking out for our enemy? More than that, are we heeding the warnings to avoid him?
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
