The Devil Hates Us

As Christians, we know the problem of sin. In Romans 3:23, Paul wrote, “…For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It’s the reason why Jesus came to earth, John 1:29. It’s the reason the world is in such a mess, 1 Timothy 2:13-14. It helps us to understand our true enemy: Satan, 1 John 3:8.  It’s what Satan seeks to get us to do through a variety of temptations!

Satan attempted to get Jesus to sin while He was in the wilderness, Matthew 4:1-11. Satan’s tactics have not changed since the beginning in the Garden of Eden. He seeks to get us to sin through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, 1 John 2:15-17. However, Satan wasn’t able to defeat Jesus! Jesus responded with a “It is written…” to defeat the temptations the Deceiver used. Satan reasoned from Scripture to get Jesus to sin, yet Jesus knew how to properly handle the word of God and defeated that tactic as well. Eventually, the devil left Jesus, Matthew 4:11. That would not be the last time he would attack Jesus. In Luke’s account (4:13) it reads, “When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.” 

Just reading that reminds us that it’s possible to resist temptation and that the Devil will seek to destroy us at opportune times. The Devil is not our friend and never will be. He’s opposed to God. He hates us!

We are in war. It’s a spiritual war that we can win. But we must recognize this reality. In 1 Peter 2:11, it reads “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” We should view everyday as a spiritual battle. Saying this is not to discourage us, but simply to remind us. Every day we have to choose to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Saying each morning, “I will pick up my cross and follow Jesus” is a good reminder along with prayer and scripture reading. We can face each day with confidence, not in our own strength, but rather in God’s, 1 John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”

Yet, there are times where we fail and sin against God. We are called to be holy as God is holy according to 1 Peter 1:13-15. Remembering who we are called to be is a great way to resist temptation. Something else to do is to seriously consider and study sin. When we do, we will much easily resist temptation as well. The Devil hates us and wants to destroy us by sinning against God! Let’s consider a few passages to help us to see this.

Sin is fighting against us, 1 Peter 2:11 “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” I mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth our attention again. Paul spoke about the same thing in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:10-13. Understanding what we’re up against and how horrific sin is will help us to resist temptation.

Sin is trying to kill us. Since the beginning when Adam and Eve sinned, death was the result, Genesis 2:17. The wages of sin is death, Romans 6:23. The lie Satan continues to tell is the same one he told Eve in the Garden, “You surely will NOT die!”  We see where sin leads to in James 1:14-15. This is a reminder that to sin is not a game and should be avoided at all costs.

Sin is insulting to God, Hebrews 10:29-31. The Devil truly hates us and is seeking us to sin against God. Satan wants us to grieve the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 4:30. There is never a good reason to sin.

Let us resist the temptations that come our way, 1 Corinthians 10:13. It is possible through the strength of God.

- Benjamin Lee