Angel of Light

 "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light...his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness."  2 Corinthians 11:14,15 NIV

Before this passage, the apostle Paul warns his church about the danger of fallen for the message of false prophets. He reminds them that Eve was deceived by the cunning of Satan who appealed to her pride and rebelliousness. How vulnerable we still are! Satan entices us with his sugary messages of self-fulfillment and happiness and does all he can to undermine the gospel of Jesus our Saviour. Does a teacher or preacher tell us that we don't need the saving grace of Christ? Does a teacher or preacher proclaim that all religions lead to God? We like to hear that we are not accountable to God; we like to hear that our sins are all right. We like to believe that basically we are good, and that any sins we commit really aren't a reflection of who we are. We don't want to think of Jesus hanging on the cross because of our rebellion, and we most certainly don't like the idea of judgment. The gospel is a message of love but it is also one that is not palatable to our natural selves. We are so easily dazzled by Satan masquerading as an angel of light because he appeals to our innate pride and selfishness.

I pray that I will remember the central message of the gospel: God's love demonstrated to us by the sacrifice of his son. I pray for those who are under the influence of Satan, as he masquerades as an agent of good, that they will see the error of their beliefs.