"Stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11).
We will be better equipped to stand against the wiles of the Devil, if we come to a better understanding of the Devil’s ultimate goals.
He was originally cast out of Heaven because He coveted God’s throne. It seems he still hasn’t learned his lesson. Many Christians tend to forget that Satan continues to seek the center of attention in the congregation of the Lord. He continues to be jealous of God and wants to be worshipped like Him.
He still wants to be God in the temple of God. He doesn’t want to fight us to gain that position; in fact, he doesn’t have to fight us. All he has to do is deceive us. He’s not out to fight God either. He has already tried that and it didn’t work. So, he would rather use trickery. His ultimate goal is not to appear as our enemy, but to take God’s place.
Some people may wonder, "Why is the Devil trying to infiltrate the Church? Why doesn’t he just settle for the false religions of the world? Why does he want to be worshipped by Christians? I thought we were his adversaries."
The false religions of the world are not the Devil’s ultimate quest. He wants the Church. He has always wanted the Church — right from the beginning! The Bible reveals some very interesting things about Lucifer and his quest.
"You (Lucifer) were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones" (Ezekiel 28:14).
The holy mountain of God is a picture of Zion and the Church. This is where God is worshipped. Lucifer was on the mountain with God until he desired God’s throne. He was cast out of Heaven, but that did not deter him. He still thinks he can acquire God’s place.
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer… For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High’" (Isaiah 14:12-14).
He wants Zion, because it is the dwelling place of God both in Heaven and in the earth. This is why he brings deception into the Church. The Devil knows that he will be pushed aside as a small nuisance or a mere inconvenience when Christians worship the true image of God as revealed through Jesus Christ.
A False Concept of Christ
The only way that the Devil can infiltrate the Church is by presenting it a false concept of Christ. If he can succeed in placing a false image of God within the Church via false signs and wonders, then he will receive the worship of the congregation and assume God’s place.
"(The Devil) who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
The Devil wants to live in the dwelling place of God known as the Church because it is the only genuine place of worship. The cults cannot offer him this claim.
The Devil’s temptation of Jesus revealed the Devil’s true colors, "Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’" (Luke 4:7).
The Devil just can’t seem to give up. The only way to stop him is to remain grounded in the revelation of Christ. The Devil cannot receive any worship from those who are committed to the Lord as their God nor from those who have made a commitment to honor Jesus Christ as their Messiah and King!