not to look. They need help and in struction. They are being led astray by the desires of the flesh follow ing only that which appeals to the eye. In the pride or vain glory of life we must be careful what type of wisdom we pursue. The wisdom of this present world system is a far cry from the wisdom which is from God (James 1:5). We are liv ing in an intellectual age when many of our young people are keen and bright. Such minds should be dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise you could be come increasingly proud which will ultimately lead to downfall (I Corin thians 1:18-31). Martin Luther said that it is probably Satan's worst seduction to make man desire to know more than what God wants him to know. This devilish wisdom is deadly. It is certainly opposed to the wisdom of God which is re vealed in the Bible. This conceit of knowledge and intellectual superi ority is a conspicuous and ever growing evil in our day. We are living in a day when people want to be entertained with the Gospel. We are not called to show off our selves but rather to bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. We should learn well the lesson that the wis dom of this world is foolishness with God (I Corinthians 3:19). Such wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devil ish (James 3:15). If we hope to escape being de ceived by the devil we must stand firm on the Bible. Eve did not fall until after Satan had undermined her confidence in God's Word. The enemy of our souls has nothing to offer apart from what is in the world which can never truly satis
fy. We can only conclude that the natural man is weak. He is easy prey to all that is in the world. This should serve as a warning to all of us who belong to Christ. Do not cast a longing eye in the direction of this world. Beware of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. What is our hope of overcom ing? Spend time in the Scriptures. Instead of being glued to your TV set, wasting those precious hours, spend more time in reading and studying your Bible. The Gospel will act as a cleansing force in your life. Jesus said, "Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." The Bible is ab solutely essential to our growth in grace. The Psalmist testified, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." This is God's divine truth given to us for our edification and practical sanctification. Let us pray that God will make us what He wants us to be for His praise and glory! In reading the epistle of I John we notice that Satan is mentioned a number of times. He is called the "devil" four times, another four times referred to as "that wicked one," and once "he that is in the world." These nine references echo what is taught throughout the en tire Bible. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit John writes, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the be ginning" (I John 3:8). Satan was not originally created by God as an evil being. Sin was exclusive of God's original plan. Sin began with the rebellion of an angel by the name of Lucifer. The record is found in Isaiah 14:12- 15. Some time in the dateless pe- Page 33
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