Satan’s Strategy for Your Life #19: Promises the World
“And the devil took Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to Him, 'To You I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If You, then, will worship me, it will all be Yours.'”—Luke 4:5-8
One of Satan’s most effective strategies is to promise us the entire world. He will give us fame, fortune, power, comfort, and pretty much whatever else we want as long as we don’t worship Christ. The reality is that he can give us all of these things, because he does have authority in this world (v. 6).
Satan is considered the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Satan has power to give us all of these things that our sinful hearts desire, but, like everything else Satan says, it’s a lie (John 8:44). He doesn’t care at all about us, but only about himself. Which is why Jesus could say, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”—Matthew 16:26.
Satan might be able to promise the world and even give it, but it is worthless when compared with knowing Christ. Christ is worth infinitely more than this transitory and sinful world could ever offer. As the apostle John wrote, “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever”—1 John 2:17. We must recognize Satan’s schemes for what they are—lies that will never satisfy. They will always leave us wanting more, never able to satisfy our thirst, like drinking salt water—the more we drink, the more we want to drink, thus killing ourselves in the process.
God has given us life and this life is in His Son, and it is only by trusting and living for Him that we experience true joy and know what God wants for our lives. Satan may promise a world that is passing away, but God promises a kingdom that cannot be shaken and will endure forever.
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”—Hebrews 12:28-29. Amen.
One of Satan’s most effective strategies is to promise us the entire world. He will give us fame, fortune, power, comfort, and pretty much whatever else we want as long as we don’t worship Christ. The reality is that he can give us all of these things, because he does have authority in this world (v. 6).
Satan is considered the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Satan has power to give us all of these things that our sinful hearts desire, but, like everything else Satan says, it’s a lie (John 8:44). He doesn’t care at all about us, but only about himself. Which is why Jesus could say, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”—Matthew 16:26.
Satan might be able to promise the world and even give it, but it is worthless when compared with knowing Christ. Christ is worth infinitely more than this transitory and sinful world could ever offer. As the apostle John wrote, “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever”—1 John 2:17. We must recognize Satan’s schemes for what they are—lies that will never satisfy. They will always leave us wanting more, never able to satisfy our thirst, like drinking salt water—the more we drink, the more we want to drink, thus killing ourselves in the process.
God has given us life and this life is in His Son, and it is only by trusting and living for Him that we experience true joy and know what God wants for our lives. Satan may promise a world that is passing away, but God promises a kingdom that cannot be shaken and will endure forever.
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”—Hebrews 12:28-29. Amen.
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