BECAUSE WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD WE ARE THE TARGET OF THE DEVIL Continued.
It is the Lord Who uncovers the devil's scheme. Were we not taught by the Lord we would be continually deceived. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils," 1 Timothy 4:1.
But as we see in this verse there is One Who counters the devil's lies - the Holy Spirit. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come," John 16:13.
Remember the Saviour's words to the seven Churches of Asia. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22.
Let me give you two examples of the Lord exposing the devil's deceits. One in the OT and another in the NT.
"And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain. Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations," Ezekiel 8:3-6.
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration," Rev 17:1-6.
The deceitful of the devil's schemes are seen in John's reaction. He was taken up with the earthly glories of this woman and lost sight of her wickedness. So it will ever be with us were it not for the Lord pointing the true nature of sin.
The devil's schemes continue right until the end of this age.