There is no beautiful side of evil when you strip away the outer shell of deception. However, rarely does the god of this world dress himself up externally with obvious adornment of wickedness. The name of the game in the kingdom of darkness is deception. Satan is the king of craftiness. That’s why we are warned to avoid even the appearance of evil.
Saints, whether we like it or not, we are in a war. There is an adversary, the devil. He is also known as “the wicked one”.8 Scripture says that the wicked plot against the righteous.
The word plot in the military sense would be known as plans of the devices used to steal, kill, or destroy souls. We are not to be ignorant of the devil’s devices. Anything created by God, Satan seeks to destroy or defile. Anything redeemed or belonging to God, he relentlessly attacks.
Christian, the devil wants to destroy you with pride, envy, astrology, ease, or abundance and selfishness. He will also use secular Christ-rejecting philosophies and sexual encounters outside of marriage to destroy lives. How we need the discerning of spirits to unmask his camouflaged plots!
The enemy cannot steal your soul if you‘ve been sealed by the Holy Spirit, but he can make a shipwreck of your faith. James prescribes the way to stay afloat: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
