13 September 2026

THE DEVIL’S DEVICES (3)

(Spiritual Warfare: SW 21)

The third device the devil uses against believers is LUST, which is also a spirit. In the Garden of Eden, Eve was tempted with this spirit of lust, which appeals very much to the flesh. The desire creates an intense “hunger” or obsession. So much so it becomes uncontrollable and we will yield to it. It can be lust for power, sex, wealth, luxury or things. Eve yielded to the desire for power – to be “like God” and fell into sin by disobeying God in eating of the “forbidden fruit”.

Because lust is a spirit, it is empowered by the devil. Christians and non-Christians alike succumb to this and sin against God. It may often lead men to evil and evil ways. But surely it will lead to the worship of Satan, knowingly or unknowingly.

In the Temptation of Jesus, the devil tried to lure Him to sin by seeking to rouse His lust. In Luke 4:5-8, we read: “The devil led Him up a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if You worship me, it will be yours”. Jesus answered, “It is written, “Worship the LORD your God and serve Him only”.

The devil is called “the god of this world” (2 Cor.4:4) and “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph.2:2-KJV), so he has the power to grant any desire/wish to anyone who would bow the knee to him. He offered Jesus power and authority and wealth if He would bow to the devil. Today, many people in the world, and even Christians, bow to Mammon (the god of wealth) - another name for Satan - because of the spirit of lust that controls their hearts and minds. Beware!

Many a Christian has fallen into sin or drawn away from loving God wholeheartedly because of this “lust of the flesh”. The Apostle John warned Christians not to love the world for the things in the world are meant to lure them into lust. The things in the world are described as “the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Eve “saw that the fruit was good to eat” and the lust of the flesh took over and she ate the forbidden fruit. The devil has trapped many people through the eye-gate, which in turn creates lust in the flesh and cause men to sin. This is an age-old trick of the devil uses frequently, so beware. Hence Jesus warned: “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mtt.5:28).

Because lust is a spirit, we cannot use our own strength to fight it. We can only overcome it by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence the Bible instructs us: “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Gal.5:16). We also need to “crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live in the Spirt, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal.5:24-25). The Holy Spirit is the presence and power of God and is therefore superior to the power of the devil. We need to be baptized with and yielded to the Holy Spirit so that we will not succumb to the desires of the flesh. Let Him be Lord in your life and see the difference He makes!

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