A WORD FOR TODAY, July 31, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, July 31, 2025
“Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:8-9, WEB
Some friends were holding a Bible study in a public chat room on the Internet, when a stranger joined the group. He greeted the group and wondered if he could ask some questions unrelated to the study. The group welcomed him and his questions. He began by asking, “If Lucifer is God’s most beautiful angel, where did the horns and pitchfork come from?” This shocked and upset the members of the study but one member answered that they were talking about God, not Lucifer. The visitor became upset and left in a huff.
The feeling about this visitor was that either he was a Satanist causing a disruption to the study or some kid playing games. As he left, he tried to make everyone feel bad for not taking up his challenge, as if he was a person asking a very genuine question. Yet, my friend was certain that if he had been allowed to continue, he would have manipulated the group and destroyed the study.
The visit brought up an interesting question. How did Satan become a foolish looking creature? The modern image of the devil is a dude wearing red tights, with horns and a tail. He seems more like a myth or legend than a very real force in this world. Many Christians even laugh at the mention of his name, because they no longer believe he exists. He certainly has this world fooled, doesn’t he?
Satan doesn’t devour people by eating them or causing them to do horrible evil things. Rather, he roams the world looking for people who can be manipulated away from the word of God. It doesn’t take much; just a slight twist of the truth sets us on the wrong path. If you read Genesis 3, you can see how easily it can happen. “Did God really say?” he asked Adam and Eve. “Surely you won’t die,” he continued. He twists God’s words while trying to convince us that he doesn’t really exist and that it’s ok to do things we know we should not do. There are many things that are acceptable in our society that the Lord has warned us to avoid. Satan’s job is to tempt us to do those things. He doesn’t do it by force, but by manipulation.
James tells us to resist the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7). The visitor to the Bible study did flee when he was resisted. He did not leave quietly, trying until the last moment to instill feelings that are inappropriate for Christians. Yet, the group stood firm in their faith and told him to leave. We should listen carefully to inspired words of Peter, to be self-controlled and alert. Satan is here, and the closer you are to the Lord, the more he will seek to devour you. Resist all his temptations and stand firm in your faith in Jesus Christ.
We can face those times of temptation and manipulation with the assurance that God is always near, even when it seems like He is far away. We may experience times of trouble, but God always uses our difficulty to build us up, give us courage, teach us what we need to know, strengthen our faith, guide us in the right path, and ensure us that everything will be right according to His Word. Our lives are meant to be lived to glorify Him in everything we do.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org