Studying out the Devil, that Old Serpent
This is the main verse:
II Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The simplicity in Christ has been made complicated and confusing by the devil. We see that today in the teachings of the Catholic church and their catechism with the many traditions added to scripture (infant baptism, Eucharist, fathers, nuns, indulgences, ect.) . We see it in the ordinances of baptism, speaking in tongues, church memberships, head coverings, etc. We also see it in the teachings of the Trinity (so confusing!), new Bible versions, and more!
This is the first of a new series that is basically studying out the devil and bringing it back to the simplicity that is in Christ. Our main verse (II Corinthians 11:3) gives us the direction to goes when looking for subtilty and wiles (guiles) of the devil.
The video study at the end of this post is one that is going to look at the difference between BEGUILE and DECEPTION. What is the difference if there is any? It is important to understand what beguile means because it is deeper then what you might think. As this study shows, to beguile someone is to deceive them while still trying to make them your "friend" or on your side.
Take a look at some of the references in the chart below to understand the differences and similarities of DECEIT and GUILE.
Please pray for these studies because the Devil does not like to be found out. I hope to touch on many topics that Satan has worked on to deceive people away from the simplicity in Christ. These are gospel messages so please pray that I do not get distracted from that main point! Thank you!
