“Satan's Final Effort To Deceive” — another look at the
enemy's last, most diabolical attempt to mislead us into joining his side in the great
controversy over the character and government of God.
The book of Revelation describes not only God's last pleading with His children
(chapter 14) but also Satan's final effort to deceive (chapter 13). Though Jesus said that
He "saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18), the defeated enemy
of God and man still "prowls around like a roaring lion" (1 Peter 5:8), knowing
that his time is short (Revelation 12:12). The one whose insane desire to be God led to
the war up in heaven will at last seem to enjoy complete success. "All who dwell on
earth will worship him" — except those who prefer to believe Jesus' testimony
about His Father (Revelation 12:17) and so remain loyal to God (Revelation 14:12).
Naturally these loyal ones are the object of Satan's special efforts to deceive.
If even angels could be taken in, how can mere humans hope to resist Satan's most
cunning persuasion? History warns of over-confidence. Even God's chosen people in the
promised land were misled into crucifying their Redeemer and then hurrying home to keep
the Sabbath holy. They read their Bibles, paid their tithe, watch their diet—and
hated Jesus' picture of the Father! Is it possible we could be similarly deceived?
Just as through the centuries God has demonstrated His trustworthiness, so Satan has
displayed his ability and willingness to deceive. His counterfeit of the first coming of
Christ in the "mystery religions" should alert us to expect brilliant
counterfeits of the second coming in the end. Since truth and evidence are not on Satan's
side, he has countered with the widely held belief that religious faith requires no
evidence, that religious claims need not be investigated. Such subjects as sin, the
atonement, the cross, the law, the judgment, Christ's intercession, the destruction of the
wicked, have all been bent to support his misrepresentations of our God. How can we
prepare to resist his final efforts to deceive?
Bible passages included:
Revelation 4:8, 11; 15:3, 4. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God
Almighty... You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power...
Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King
of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone
are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been
revealed." (NIV)
Luke 10:18. "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." (RSV)
Revelation 12:12. "Be glad, you heavens, and all you that live
there! But how terrible for the earth and sea! For the Devil has come down to you, and he
is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left." (GNB)
1 Peter 5:8, 9. "Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil,
roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be firm in your faith and
resist him." (GNB)
Revelation 13:5, 7, 8, 10. "The beast was allowed to make proud
claims which were insulting to God... It was allowed to fight against God's people and to
defeat them... All people living on earth will worship it, except those whose names were
written before the creation of the world in the book of the living... This calls for
endurance and faith on the part of God's people." (GNB)
Revelation 12:17. "All those who obey God's commandments and are
faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus." (GNB)
John 8:48. "The Jews answered him, 'Aren't we right in saying
that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?'" (NIV)
Matthew 23:15, 23, 24. "How terrible for you, teachers of the Law
and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You sail the seas and cross whole countries to win one
convert, and when you succeed, you make him twice as deserving of going to hell as you
yourselves are!... You give to God one tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint,
dill and cummin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such
as justice, mercy and honesty. ... Blind guides! You strain a fly out of your drink but
swallow a camel!" (GNB)
John 18:28. "Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace
of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness
the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover." (GNB)
John 19:31. "Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day
was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses
during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken
down." (NIV)
Matthew 7:23. "When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me,
'Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God's message, by your name we drove out many demons
and performed many miracles!' Then I will say to them,'I never knew you.'" (GNB)
Revelation 3:15-17. "I know what you have done; I know that you
are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other! But because you are
lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth! You say, 'I am
rich and well off; I have all I need.' But you do not know how miserable and pitiful you
are! You are poor, naked, and blind." (GNB)
1 John 4:1, 2. "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but
test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone
out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." (NIV)
©1984 Graham Maxwell
Conversations About God Index
Back to Top | Pine Knoll
Home Page
