The Devil's Opportunity

For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. Romans 7: 11

In yesterday’s devotion, these questions were asked and answered. Who seized? Sin seized. What did sin seize? Sin seized an opportunity. Who provided the opportunity? God did.

Is any of this speaking to you? What is all this saying to you?

Many striking facts are glaring out before us. The commandment is of God and from God, so that the commandment is good. As soon as God gave us this good, the devil pounced upon it, taking hold of the opportunity it provided. The commandment of God remains good up to this very minute, and the devil remains faithful, to this very moment, to take every opportunity it provides. Do not ever forget or become slack on the warning about the devil, given in 1 Peter 5: 8. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Believe you me, the commandment still provides him with opportunities which he never misses nor passes up. No opportunity to devour one of the Lord’s sheep is ever missed. Now that scared me. That surely must keep us on red alert.

One of the things that scares me and keeps me on red alert, as I‘m sure it does you too, is that the opportunity for deception was provided by Good, by God. I know it, but I guess I was afraid to think of it, speak it, or articulate its truth in any way. God provided the good and the devil seized it as his opportunity to do what was bad. This is what stupefies me and still has me whirling. The devil never made up different commandments. He never made up look-alikes. He simply took hold of the opportunity it provided. Seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment.

I go back to the news article about the children being sick after eating the sweets. The evil one who sold the school children sweets, never forced his way into the school area. The children were allowed to buy sweets from vendors who sold by the school. The person simply seized this opportunity afforded by the school, to ply his evil trade. He used what was good to do what was bad. He never had to do a thing but just come with his deceiving, friendly, caring manner – selling sweets to children - that which most, if not all children desire.

I think of you, me and all believers who so desire to live the Christian life. The Lord has given us the commandment and we are only too anxious and happy to obey. However, the devil knows this passion in us to obey and please our heavenly Father, and he, like the person with the sweets, comes to us with his camouflages. We are then offered his good – his ways, his words, his feelings, his triumphs – and we feel that we are pleasing our Father, God. I know that this was one way I was being fooled and lived in a fool’s paradise.

I know, for example, our Lord commanded us to love Him and have no other gods beside Him. I would see others worshipping false gods, images and statues, proudly holding them high. I saw myself as different, as only worshipping the One, True, Living God, until I was shown anxiety and how I bow, bend and give obeisance to it, before Jehovah.