The works of the Devil

We promised to renounce, not only the Devil, but all his works, all the deceit and corruption of evil.  The chief works of the Devil are three: tempting, lying and hating.

Tempting

It was the Devil who tempted human beings to commit the first sin.  You will remember how he is pictured in the Book of Genesis as a snake who slides up to Eve in the Garden of Eden and persuades her to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.  In order to understand the story of Adam and Eve we need to look below the surface for its inner meaning.  And then we learn some important truths about how the Devil works.  For the Devil tempts us, as he did Adam and Eve, by putting bad thoughts into our minds.

We can see how evil he really is when we remember that it was he who tempted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus to his enemies and to have him crucified.  We are twice told how Satan entered into Judas that Holy Week.  The first time was when he went to the Jewish rulers to tell them that he would help them (Luke 22:3); the other time was on Maundy Thursday evening just before he left the Upper Room to arrange for Jesus’ arrest. (John 13:27).  Have you noticed how the state of Judas’ soul at that moment is painted by St John in one chilling phrase?  “…he immediately went out.  And it was night” (NRSV, John 13:30).

Thus the Devil does his work by tempting people to do it for him.  That is why anyone who tempts another to do wrong is working on the Devil’s side.  One can imagine the cruel pleasure he takes in getting Christians to fight in this way against God and God’s Army.