The 16 Deadly "D's Of The Devil

1. DISAPPOINTMENT

Who has not experienced this emotion literally hundreds of times? But to the knowledgeable Christian all disappointments are his (God's) appointments, and must be viewed as such, lest Satan gain the advantage.

To be disappointed is to forget Romans 8:28:

• "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

2. DISCOURAGEMENT

Discouragement is the second stage of disappointment. All discouragement is of the devil. An event from church history is reported concerning the great reformer, Martin Luther. For days he had been in the valley of discouragement. The pope was trying to kill him. Some of his friends had shunned him. Suddenly he noticed his godly wife coming downstairs dressed in black as if in mourning. "Woman, where are you going?" he asked. "To a funeral, husband," she replied. "Oh, but who died?" he said. "God did," she softly answered. With that the great reformer exploded with righteous indignation. It wasn't enough that the pope was trying to kill him, but now he must deal with blasphemy in his own household. "Woman, who told you such a thing?" he demanded. Looking him straight in the eye (as only a wife can do) she said: “You did, Martin! The way you've been acting the past few weeks, I was sure you had somehow found out that God was dead.” At that point Luther knelt and asked both God and his wife to forgive him for his discouragement.

To be discouraged is to forget 1 Samuel 30:6:

• "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God."

3. DESPAIR

Despair is the third and final stage of disappointment and discouragement. Unless checked it can prove fatal to the Christian life.

To despair is to forget 2 Corinthians 4:8:

• "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair."

4. DOUBT

Satan used this deadly D for the first time in the Garden of Eden. He began his attack upon Eve by doubting the Word of God. "And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Gen. 3:1).

To doubt is to forget 1 Timothy 2:8:

• "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."

5. DISBELIEF

Disbelief is but the final form of doubt. This was vividly demonstrated in Eden. As we have already noted, Satan began by doubting God's Word in Genesis 3:1. He then finished (when he realized he had Eve's ear) by denying the command of the Lord. "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:4, 5).

To disbelieve is to forget Hebrews 3:12:

• "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

6. DISTRACTION

This D of the devil can be a very subtle one, for often the distractions are not in themselves bad. In fact, they may be good and wholesome. For example, it is so easy to be distracted from God's perfect will by one's own family or employment. It has been rightly said that often the real enemy of the best is not the worst, but the good.

To be distracted is to forget Matthew 14:30:

• "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me."

7. DOUBLEMINDEDNESS

How many believers have been affected by this D-virus! The Scriptures are replete with examples. Consider but a few:

• "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt. 6:24).

• "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph. 4:14).

• "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (1 Jn. 2:15-17).

The New Testament word which describes a double-minded man in the Greek literally means “a two-souled man.” He is like a cork, floating on a wave, now carried to the shore, now away from it. The ancient writer of myths, Aesop, described a double-minded person when he wrote about a time when the beasts and the fowls were engaged in war. The bat tried to belong to both parties. When the birds were victorious, he would wing around telling everyone that he was a bird; when the beasts won a fight, he would walk around assuring everyone that he was a beast. But soon his hypocrisy was discovered by both the beasts and the birds. He had to hide himself, and now he can appear openly only by night.

A more modern story comes to us from our American Civil War concerning a neutral observer attempting to escape after being accidentally trapped in a furious battle. Hoping to continue neutral, he put on a pair of Confederate pants and a Yankee coat and dashed across no-man's land, only to be immediately shot down by both sides. Both pants and coat were literally riddled with bullets.

To be double-minded is to forget James 1:8 and 4:8:

• "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."

• "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."

8. DISHONESTY

The ways Satan can inflict this deadly D upon Christians are almost without number. The child of God need not simply lie or steal to be dishonest. To hold back certain facts in a given situation may be dishonest. To owe God tithes and offerings is dishonest. To be less than we should be as pastors, parents, or workers is to cheat our people and children and thus become dishonest. It is estimated that over one-half bil lion dollars each year is raised by false "faith healers" (who cannot do what they claim) and smooth-talking liberals (who do not believe what they say).

To be dishonest is to forget 2 Corinthians 4:2:

• "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

9. DECEIT

The word deceit is found many times in the New Testament. As one considers them, it is amazing just how many occur in those passages dealing either with the Word of God or the last days, or both. Note but a few of these:

• "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:8-12).

• "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ" (2 Cor. 2:17).

• "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4:1, 2).

• "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ" (2 Cor. 11:13).

• "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist" (2 In. 1:7).

In other words, the devil's big D in the last days is deceit. On the one hand, the weird cults of our day deceive people by attempting to add to God's Word, while the liberals practice deception by taking away from the Scriptures. Jesus himself apparently warns against both deceiving groups in his last spoken message.

• "I, Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Rev. 22:16-19).

To be deceitful is to forget Jeremiah 17:9:

• "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

10. DULLNESS

There may be some disagreement concerning the author of the book of Hebrews, or even questions concerning the location of the recipients. But there is no doubt about the spiritual condition of the readers. In a word, they suffered from dullness. The author reminded them of the need among their group for sound Bible teachers to stem the tide of iniquity and apostasy prevalent even in that day. But, the author concluded, they simply could not be used. He sadly states why:

• "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Heb. 5:12-'14).

This dullness was also infecting the church at Corinth. Listen to Paul's stern admonition to them:

• "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

To suffer dullness is to forget Heb. 5:11:

• "Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing."

11. DEADNESS

Deadness is simply unchecked dullness. A summary of God's overall plan concerning sin and the sinner is as follows:

Whereas we were once dead in sin, after God's marvelous grace, we now are to be dead to sin.

Note: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)" (Eph. 2:1, 5).

• "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:1, 2, 11).

• Thus, we are to be dead to sin, but alive unto righteousness. But many believers have allowed Satan to twist these two facts, whereby they become dead to righteousness, and alive to sin.

• "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (Jas. 2:17, 26).

To suffer deadness is to forget Revelation 3:1:

• "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."

12. DELAY

At the great white judgment throne it may be revealed that this deadly D of the devil has been used to damn more souls to hell than any other. It has been remarked that many a man is in hell today who meant to get saved at the eleventh hour, but who died at ten-thirty. It should be made clear to all sinners the terrible danger of procrastination, for God has never promised to save anyone tomorrow. Both James and the author of Hebrews warn of this danger.

• "Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day" (Heb. 4:7, 8).

• "Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that" (Jas. 4:13-15).

To delay is to forget Proverbs 27:1:

• "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

13. DISCORD

It has been rightly observed that far more Bible believing churches have been split over disposition than position. This is to say the tragic cause of a split is usually discord rather than doctrine. Some troublemaker begins his or her deadly gossip in a local church, raising questions and doubts in the minds of people, doubts that otherwise would have never been entertained. How effectively Satan uses this tool, and how painful it will be at the bema judgment seat of Christ for the carnal sowers of discord.

To sow discord is to forget Proverbs 6:16-19:

• "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

14. DEFILEMENT

Several hundred young people once stood at the altar of the famed Moody Memorial Church in Chicago to answer the call for full-time Christian service. The speaker, Dr. Vance Havner, looked down at this group and uttered a rather strange statement. He said: "Young people, God is pleased that you have come to this prayer altar. But do not pray, 'Lord, use me.' “Havner then went on to explain his statement. “You need not ask Him to use you. He'll do that all right! In fact, He'll wear you out, for there's not enough of you to go around as it is! What you should pray, therefore, is 'Lord, make me usable.' "

God does not require golden vessels, nor silver containers, but he insists upon clean ones. A believer who defiles himself with the things of this world can never be used by God, regardless of his education, ability, energy, or experience.

To become defiled is to forget 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17:

• "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

15. DEFAME

How often are Christians guilty of criticizing or belittling other believers. In fact, some of the most cutting· remarks a child of God may receive are at the hands of another child of God. We should be very careful in guarding against this satanic D, for all believers will gain or suffer rewards at the bema judgment on account of it.

"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister" (Heb. 6:10).

"He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward" (Mt. 10:41, 42).

To defame someone is to forget Psalm 101:5:

• "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer."

16. DISOBEDIENCE

There are two famous men by the name of Saul in the Bible - one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. A very profitable study can be made by comparing and contrasting these two men. Both were from the tribe of Benjamin (1 Sam. 9:2; Phil. 3:5). One was tall and im pressive, the other short and unimpressive (1 Sam. 9:2; 2 Cor. 10:10; Gal. 4:13, 14). The first began as God's friend but ended up as his enemy, while the second started as his enemy but wound up as God's friend (1 Sam. 9:16; 10:6, 7; 28:6; Acts 9:1; 2 Tim. 4:18). One went to the witch of Endor in the hour of his death, while the other turned to the Word of God (1 Sam. 28:7; 2 Tim. 4:13). What really made the difference between these two men? The answer is tragically simple one was disobedient, the other was obedient.

"And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better .than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stub bornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king" (1 Sam. 15:22, 23). "

Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, 0 king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, 0 king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision" (Acts 26:12-19).

To disobey is to forget Romans 6:14-18:

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness" (Rom. 6:14-18).