The Wiles of the Devil

We could title today's sermon a lot of different things. I'm going to say, Beware the Wiles of the Devil. Beware the Wiles of the Devil. Or, beware the Wiles of Satan.

On newscasts, we see innocent men, women, children gunned down in their homes and public places. We see innocent men and women blown to pieces, blown to smithereens by violent actions of different peoples, different organizations.

So, how the people of the world come to the point that they are so filled with hate, the hate of their fellow man, that they're willing to die and kill a person who is made in the image of God, thinking that they are going to receive 72 virgins in the kingdom of God, or 72 virgins in heaven, as they might call it. One of the main reasons why the Bible teaches us to love each other is because we are made in the image of God. Remember that we are made in the image of God according to the scripture. We're all familiar with Genesis chapter 1, verses 26 and 27.

He made them male and female, and he made them in his own image. And then it's repeated in a different kind of way. In the New Testament, if you look at James chapter 3 and verse 9, James chapter 3 and verse 9, we'll see once again James tells us to beware of what we say or do with regard to other people. James 3 verse 9, therefore bless we God, even the Father, and therewith we curse men.

Talking about the tongue and the use of the tongue, which are made after the similitude. Now the similitude, the Greek word there is homeo-osis. Homeo-osis. It is like a exact replica. We are made in the exact replica of God. In fact, where it says image back in Genesis chapter 1, it is in essence saying the same thing. They were made in the homeo-osis, though that's Hebrew in Genesis, and this is Greek in James. The mean is essentially the same.

We're told and we're admonished to walk in reconciliation with our brothers and sisters.

In Matthew chapter 5 verses 21 through 24, we see Jesus, the Holy Spirit, under the inspiration.

And I don't know exactly how the Holy Spirit receives its messages from God in Christ.

But we see here under the inspiration Matthew writes in Matthew 5, 21 through 24, that if we come to pray and realize that we have that someone has ought against us, we go be reconciled to a brother or it can work the other way. If we think that the brother has something against us, we go be reconciled. Or if he is committed and act against us openly, that we be reconciled. So it was God's intent from the creation of humankind that they walk in a reconciled position, one with the other and brotherly love, and walk with God. You remember that Enoch, he walked with God for 300 years.

And God has given to us through Jesus Christ the ministry of reconciliation. The church has the ministry of reconciliation. But humankind has been deceived. And some religions point to the fact that they believe they can gain eternal life by killing innocent people who are made in the image of God because they don't believe the way that they do. It's difficult to understand how humankind could be so deceived. And we must ask ourselves, could we be deceived by Satan's system? It's their belief system is deceptive. And one of the things that's going to happen toward the end of the age that the deception will be so great that even the elect will be deceived except God intervenes. One of the archangels rebelled against his assigned role and desired to replace God. We see that in Isaiah 14 and verse 12. We'll begin Isaiah 14 and verse 12 as we set in the announcement. The announcement said Isaiah is viewed oftentimes as the fifth gospel. It is a rich, rich prophetic book. So in Isaiah 14 and verse 12, How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? Are you cut down to the ground, which had weakened the nations? And the nations are weak. The nations are in chaos and confusion at the present time. And we'll read that in the book of Psalms in just a moment in chapter two.

So how are you cut down to the ground, Satan, that did weaken the nations? You have said in your heart, I will ascend unto heaven, as Satan is a great self-actualizer. There was a movement some years ago in the Church of God in which people were talking about self-actualization. While the author of self-actualization, I would say, is Satan the devil. You have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the sons of God or the stars of God. I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. And some translations say, I will take the place of the Most High. That is the implication that is contained in this phrase, I will be like the Most High. I will take the place of the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to shield to the grave, to the sides of the pit. And they that see you shall narrowly look upon you and consider, saying, is this the one? Is this a man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms? So we see here a fallen angel. Now we look at Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 12. We see on the other hand the purpose of angels. Satan, in his anger and his jealousy, he deceived the whole world and is deceiving the whole world. But yet, on the other hand, he drew a third part of the angels and deceived them into following him. In the book of Hebrews in chapter 1, we read where God created the angelic realm to help the heirs of salvation that you and I achieve our human potential. That is the kingdom of God. So in Hebrews chapter 1, and we'll begin in verse 12, Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 12.

And as a vesture shall you fold them up and they shall be changed, but you are the same and your years shall not fail. But to which of the angels said he at any time sit you on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. He never said that to any of the angels. He only said that to Jesus Christ. Are they not all ministering, speaking of the angels ministering servants sent to the heirs of salvation? So we have angels at our command. We know that in the blessing of little children, we talk about how that their angels always behold their face. That's what the scriptures say when we bless the little children. And we ask that the angels protect them from harm and they grow up in the fear and the admonition of God. The fruits of jealousy, and apparently Satan did his rebellion because he was jealous that perhaps God explained to him that I'm going to create humankind and I want you to help me bring them into the family of God and into my very family, or their essence will be the same as mine. As we heard in the sermon, the scripture quoted that God is spirit, John 4 24. God is spirit in those who worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. So the angels were created for that special purpose of helping us be heirs of salvation. The fruits of jealousy, once again we go to the to the book of James in James chapter 3.

James chapter 3. And we want to look at here in James chapter 3, the fruits of jealousy. We'll begin in verse 13. James 3 and verse 13.

James 3 13, who is a wise man, endued with knowledge among you, let him show out of a good conduct his works with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lying out against the Holy Spirit. Now if you look at James 4 or 5, we all have a tendency for envy, for jealousy. We're coming right back here so it's easy to look across the page. Hopefully it's across the page. You may have to turn the page to James 4 or 5. Do we think that the scriptures says in vain, the spirit that dwells in us, lusts to envy. So envy, according to the scripture, is something that is inherent within human nature, that we have to fight it all of the time. You have to fight envy. You have to fight jealousy. So verse 14, back in chapter 3. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, jealousy.

Earthly, sensual, and devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. Of course, we can readily look at Cain and Abel. Why did Cain slay Abel? Because he was jealous. His offering was accepted and Abel's offering was accepted and his was not.

So the fruits of jealousy are not good. We have to guard against it. Or else we fall into the category of Satan himself, who was jealous. Satan's strategy, of course, is to destroy all potential sons of God and replace the kingdom of God with the kingdom of demonic spirits. And it appears that the demonic spirits are running rampant in today's world. And more about that a little bit later. And we shall see he has planted his agents in key control points in all aspects of the world's societal and social structures. Do we really understand and believe what is written in 1 Peter 5 verses 8 and verses 9? So we're in James, hopefully, and so you look at 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8, just forward a few pages. 1 Peter 5, 8, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour. That includes you, that the devil would like nothing better than to deceive you and cause you to fail. Whom resists steadfast in the faith.

When Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan the devil in Matthew chapter 4, I think it is, after he was baptized, he was led in the wilderness, and he was tempted by Satan.

He was tempted from the pride of life and the pride of the eyes and the pride of the flesh.

Here we see him, whom resists steadfast in the faith. So what did Jesus Christ do when he was tempted? When Satan tried to get to him, he quoted scripture right back at scripture, For it is written, Man shall worship only the God, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. So everyone is in this spiritual battle that is being waged in high places. Does God really mean what he says? Satan the devil walks about as a soaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Why are the nations of the world in such a state of confusion and disarray at the present time? Tell me why they are. Let's go to Psalm 2. In Psalm 2, we'll see the cause of when the nations are in such a state of chaos and confusion. In Psalm 2 and we'll begin in verse 1. In Psalm 2 and verse 1, Why do the heathen rage? Why do the people imagine a vain thing? Why are they filled with jealousy and envy? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, against Yahweh, and against his anointed. His anointed is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision. And it goes on later on in this chapter to talk about how God will destroy them. And of course, so many scriptures in the Bible talk about God destroying the wicked. Satan is the God of this evil world. I would imagine that every baptized person here can quote 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4 that Satan is the God of this present evil world. Satan is the prince of the power of the air. We used to hear a lot about the prince of the power of the air. We have gotten away from the prince of the power of the air to some degree. But let's look at here at Ephesians 2 and verse 2. Ephesians 2 and verse 2. Satan is called the prince of the power of the air. Some have used the example of, you know, what about your mood? What about your attitude? Your mood, your attitude. You get up one morning and you feel, and some people may phrase it like, I feel lousy this morning, or I feel like I want to hit somebody, or I feel like I want to do this or that or the other. And we wonder, well, where did that come from? When I went to bed last night, I didn't feel this way, but now I feel this way this morning. So we look here and we see the prince of the power of the air. This is Ephesians.

Let's read verse 1 and read into 2. You have he quickened, that means made alive, who were dead and trespasses in sin, where in times past you walked according the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. You see, the angels are spirit. God is spirit. Jesus Christ is now spirit, sitting on the right hand of God. Of course, he doesn't sit there all the time, but that is his position, his state of being. Where in times past you walked according the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. Jesus Christ called Satan the prince of this world. Let's notice this in John 12 and verse 31. John 12 and verse 31, that Jesus Christ says that Satan is the prince of this world. In John 12 and verse 31.

In John chapter 12 verse 31, now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cut off. Yes, Satan is the prince of the power of the air, and Satan is the god of this present evil world. Satan had the power of life and death until Jesus Christ came on the scene and conquered sin and death. Yes, we can talk about some of the prophets of old who had the Holy Spirit in that, but as a general rule, those who are being saved or saved have been saved through the god and Christ and the day of Pentecost, which we observed not that long ago, back in June.

So Satan is tried desperately to kill the forefathers of Jesus Christ. Before he was born, they tried to desperately kill Jesus even after he was born.

Satan especially hates physical Israel, and now the whole world is hating Israel, and Israel is being blamed for the many wars and atrocities that we see in the world today. But God's overall purpose, what is God's overall purpose? It is to bring all sons and daughters, every person who ever lived into the Israel of God. The Israel of God. That's Galatians 6, 16, that we, not many places, talk about the Israel of God, but that's one place for sure, Israel, the Israel of God. So let's note now that how Satan hates the Church of God, and we go to Revelation 12 and verse 9. In Revelation 12 verse 9, we see that Satan is the great deceiver, and he is deceiving the whole world. In Revelation chapter 12 and verse 9.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He's deceiving the whole world, and we need to be careful. And in fact, as I've already mentioned, that at the end of the age, if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. Satan called the devil, the devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels, the demons, were cast out with him. And we see that demon activity is increasing all over the world.

Virtually every democratic candidate—and I'm not saying that they are necessarily possessed by Satan the devil, or even influenced—I'm just stating what a fact is. The fact is that virtually every democratic candidate does not like our foreign policy regarding Israel. None of them are pro-Israel. They contend that the Israelis are actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu, and he is to blame for much of the unrest in the world. Well, Zionism, as a politician's talk about it, is a political movement. But we know that Jerusalem and Zion—we're not turning there to Isaiah chapter 2. The first four verses talk about how the law goes forth from Israel and from Zion.

His word goes forth. So, Israel is being accused of being racist at the present time and against the Palestinian state, and perhaps they are racist to a certain degree. I don't know. God knows. But at the same time, I know that Bible and Bible prophecy centers around Israel and Zion. Satan really also hates the church. He hates the Israel of God. The Israel of God is not made up of just Jews or those descended from the twelve tribes. The Israel of God is made up of all nations, kindreds, racers, ethnic groups of the whole earth.

The Israel of God is the begotten sons and daughters of God who are destined to rule the universe. So it is the church of God that through the words and deeds of the church, exposes Satan for what he really is. He is a deceiver and a murderer. In John 8, verse 44, it says that Satan is a deceiver and a murderer from the beginning.

Satan has developed an organized governmental structure for achieving his goals. Satan does not care how many people are killed in Iraq, Iran, or any other place. A lot of Americans died in Iraq. A lot of Iraqis died in Iraq, and a lot of Iranians are dying in Iran, and a lot have died at the hands of the evil regime that is in control there. The ideology of many Iranians who believe in the hidden Mahdi apparently is in control of the military there. The Mahdi is often called the Twelfth Imam or the Twelvers.

There is a religion, and apparently a lot of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran adhere to that religion. It is the religion of the I can't say what his name is at the present time, but the chief ruler of Iran. The United States knows this. They know that one of the goals is to create chaos and confusion in the world in order to hasten the Mahdi's return.

So the Twelvers in Iran speak the same way that we do in the sense of we're looking for Jesus Christ to return and restore peace and prosperity to the earth, and that through him all nations of the earth will be blessed. The sins of the sea, the knowledge of God will cover the earth as sins of the seashore in the millennial reign of God and Christ over in the saints over this earth.

So the United States knows about the Twelfth Imam. They know about the Twelfth Mahdi. They know about Iran's religion, but if you don't hear the word religion mentioned, you hear quite the opposite. There are reports out of Iran that through dreams and visions, there's a great dream, a great revival taking place, and people are turning to Christianity. Some ask, well, how can that be since there are no evangelists or ministers of any sort in Iran? They say, well, we have an example in the Bible of whoever.

Turn to Acts 9, please. Acts chapter 9, the conversion of the apostle Paul, formally called Saul. In Acts chapter 9 verse 1, and Saul at that time later called Paul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went unto the high priests and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of those that were seeking the way of God, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven, and he fell down to the earth and heard a voice saying, Saul, Saul, why persecute is thou me? And he goes on in the following scriptures to explain the conversion of Paul, and pretty soon Paul was not only converted, he was preaching the gospel to other people.

So perhaps the reason you don't hear more about this on the news is because our leaders are afraid of being a challenge or presenting a challenge to the freedom of religion.

Satan himself is always planning, scheming, conniving, and controlling as much as he possibly can. He is the archdeceiver and conspirator. And why is Jerusalem so hated among the nations and among the peoples, and especially by Satan? I want us now to turn to Zachariah chapter 12. And of course, Satan is very familiar with scripture. Zachariah is almost the last book in. It's not the last book, but it's toward the end of the minor prophets. In Zachariah chapter 12, we want to note here how all the nations in the Middle East, especially, are against Jerusalem and against the Jewish people. In chapter 12 of Zachariah verse 1, the burden of the word of the Lord of Israel, say, Thus saith the Lord, which stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth, formed the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all people round about, when they shall be in the siege against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone of all people.

And we see that beginning to happen, and they're surrounded by Gaza to the west. They're designed surrounded by Hezbollah and to the north and to the northwest. They're surrounded by Jordan, and a lot of Jordan is an Islamic state, though they're friendly to and toward the U.S. They're surrounded by to the south. You have Egypt. Egypt is not in support of Iran at the present time.

In that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the people. All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, says the Lord, I will smite every horse and astonishment and his rider with madness, and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. So God is going to intervene and deliver them. But we see Satan's organizational structure in Daniel chapter 10. If you turn back to Daniel chapter 10, Daniel is before the minor prophets, just before a hosseum. In Daniel chapter 10, and we're going to read here first of all, in Daniel chapter 10, and verse 3. Daniel 10, I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. So Daniel had prepared himself spiritually. And the fourth and 20th day, I'm sorry, and in the four and 20th day of the first month, and I was at the side of the great river which is Healdeco and lifted up mine eyes. We pick it up again in verse 12. In verse 12 of Daniel chapter 10, then said He unto me, fear not Daniel. So he was delayed, one to come to help him gain strength and to understand the vision. He was delayed for some time, and he had to be helped by the super angel, Michael. Then said he unto me, fear not Daniel, or from the first day that you did set your heart to understand and to chasten yourself.

That said, 21 day fast, and before the God your words were heard, and I am come for your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia, a super demon over Persian, Persia withstood me 20 days, but lo, Michael, the messenger angel was coming to him, that's Gabriel, and lo, Michael, one of the chief priests came to me, and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Later on, you see that verse 20, and he said, Know you of where I have come, unto you, and now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia with a demon, and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grisha shall come. So there was a prince over Alexander's kingdom, and there's a prince over the nations of the world, a super demon that reports to Satan the devil, and the demons are rampant in the world today. Israel has, however, if you turn to Daniel chapter 12, Israel has a super angel appointed to it as its protector, and at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince which stands for the children of your people, and there shall be a time of trouble, the great tribulation, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time, and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone shall be found, everyone that is found written in the book of life. And the whole world is going to worship Satan the devil according to Revelation 13 and verse 8, except those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. You know, Iran is not going to surrender. The Twelvers are not going to surrender, no matter how much negotiation they have or how many treaties, and they're in a lull right now. Of course, President Trump is trying to salvage the midterm elections so that he would be, so that the House of Representatives would remain under the control of the Republicans, and he's trying to tread water at the present time and having a difficult time doing it because here at home the natives are getting very nervous, and the price of gasoline is not falling. It's increasing. So at some point, Satan is going to believe that he's accomplished his mission when the whole world worships him. Strangely and paradoxically, humans have had a fascination with the devil and his and the occult because they want to know the future. Scripture clearly outlines the future. Israel worshiped devils from the days from their days in Egypt to their coming out. We read that very clearly in Leviticus chapter 9. We go back to Leviticus chapter 17 verse 9. Leviticus chapter 17 and verse 9. Leviticus 17 verse 9. In 17 9 and bring it not into the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and offer it unto the Lord even that man shall be cut off. And what are they cut off for? They're cut off for sacrificing to demons. Verse 8. And you shall say unto them, who is whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel or of the strangers which sojourn you that offers a burnt offering that he better bring it to the house of God and not offer it to any demon of any kind. Let's go now to Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 15. Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 15. Deuteronomy 32 verse 15. Let's read the following. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 15.

But Jezaron, that's another name for Jerusalem. Or Jerusalem, they're Jezaron. But Jezaron waxed fat and kicked. You are wanting wax and fat. You have grown thick. You're covered with fatness. You forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the rock of salvation. They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods with abomination and provoked him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils not to God, to the gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up whom their fathers feared not. So Israel sacrificed to devils and have the whole all of mankind has really had a fascination with the occult and fortune tellers and that kind of thing because they want some kind of glimpse into the future and that's why that a sermon on prophecy or something like that draws a lot of attention.

Whereas what we've been given very solidly is Christian living of what we need to be doing preparing for the kingdom of God. We all want to know what's going to happen in the future.

Unseen battles are being waged in heavenly places in the unseen world and the apostle Paul makes this very clear in writing to the Ephesians and we want to go now to Ephesians 6 and verse 10. Ephesians 6 and verse 10 and Ephesians 6 verse 10 and Ephesians 6 the last chapter of Ephesians then verse 10.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, strong where in the Lord, not in the demonic world, not in the wiles of the devil.

Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. That's what we title standing against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We saw what the fruits of the devil were. We saw that in being in strife and chaos follows him wherever he goes. He's a murderer and a deceiver from the beginning. God has set, he set us to some degree, a hedgerow again around this nation and nations that were seeking to try to please God. And apparently that hedgerow has been removed. Let's look at Isaiah chapter 5. Isaiah chapter 5 and verse 1. Isaiah chapter 5, where Israel is likened to a vineyard. Isaiah chapter 5 verse 1. Now will I sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. Well beloved, well my well beloved hath a vineyard and a very fruitful hill. You know now that of course you know the Bible is written in poetry.

So much of the Bible is poetry, symbolism, figures of speech, metaphors, and that kind of thing.

And you have to read it to some degree between the lines. And so the vineyard is, of course, Israel. And he fenced it and gathered out the sown syrup and planted it with choice vine and built a tower in the midst of it, also made a winepress therein. And he looked at it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes. We're seeing wild grapes being sown all over the place at the present time. As I talked about in the first few sentences, we see how men are killing men, men and women are killing each other. And now inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah judge, I pray you between me and my vineyard, make a choice. What could have I done more to my vineyard that I have done in it, wherefore, when I looked at it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes.

And now go to, I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away the hedge thereof. And so the demons, I know the Catholic Church has advertised for more of those who can cast out demons, advertised for that.

And it shall eat, I'm sorry, I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down. And I will lay at waste, it shall not be pruned or digged, but there shall come up briars and thorns, and I will also command the clouds that they rain, no rain upon it. Of course, you had a good rain in Big Sandy yesterday, but we had not a drop of rain, and we haven't had a drop of rain in quite a while.

What is that? It's raining. I bet it's not raining in Tyler. Okay, during President Trump's first term, Patrick Conroy, he was the official chaplain of the House of Representatives. He was also a Jesuit priest, beware the Jesuits, and he prayed in that prayer to cast out all spirits of darkness on the house floor.

Thursday morning, his opening prayer was that. It seems that the hedge has now fallen and Satan is having his way. And of course, with the advent of the hippie movement in the 60s and the Vietnam War, from the 60s forward, there has been free passage of evil spirits into the country. Drugs and Eastern mysticism began to pour in from the far east. The drugs called psychedelic drugs. A psychedelic drug, the literal meaning of psychedelic is mind-bending. It twists the mind. Some were made from natural sources, some were chemical concoctions. LSD is a notable example of a psychedelic drug. In the early 1970s, I made a trip to SMU, to Southern Methodist University there in the Highlands Park of Dallas. I made a trip to visit the Academic Dean of the college to see if they would accept courses from Ambassador. I also visited East Texas State, Stephen F. University, and as a result of that visit, they all agreed to accept credits. And a lot of people went to graduate school, especially to East Texas State and to Southern Methodist, and then, of course, we got accredited, and there was no question about accepting credits. While waiting to see the Academic Dean, I witnessed the Harry Christian occult, which were waging a sit-in at SMU. The Harry Christian was well established in New York during the 60s. His official name in the International Society for Christian is Conscience, the Krishna Conscience. Even though his belief is based on traditional Hinduism, it began a purely Western phenomenon here. The Harry Christian occult movement has gained a foothold among mainstream religious groups across the globe. The goal of Harry Christian members is to reach salvation, which is known as the Krishna Consciousness. This consciousness is achieved through ethical living and chanting the Harry Krishna mantra, which led to their official name. So they were chanting and playing some kind of weird music. Students were going and coming as if they were not there. They were all dressed in white. So I've seen alive and in person that, and that was in the early 70s, when that was going on. And so that has been 40-plus years, almost 50. So I eventually met with the vice president of academic affairs. And as I said, SMU, East Texas State, and Stephen Foster agreed to accept our credits. Americans now pride themselves in cultural diversity. All of these cultures have their goals and forms of worship. Behind every one of these, there is a demon. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 12. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 12. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 12. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 20. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, this is 10 and 20, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. So we have to be on guard and careful.

No matter how multicultural the culture is, the DEI, of course, has been, to a large degree, put down in recent times, thankfully, but it's still alive and well in many parts of the U.S. Needless to say that all of these cults are not of God.

And as we've already mentioned, Satan seeks out all of the control points of society, and especially politics and education and religion. The politicians, the so-called intellectuals, along with their think tanks, almost everybody you see on television is from an NGO or think tank or something like that. NGO means non-governmental organizations. There are a tremendous number of non-governmental organizations, and there are a tremendous number of foundations.

And a lot of them are, there are few of them, devoted to a heritage foundation, is devoted to conservatism, but most of them are devoted to the liberal side of things.

The prevailing attitudes of our societal structure and values have relegated God and family to the junk heap of human history. So you have to be careful. Satan has gotten to the leaders some of the leaders are determined to blend our nation with the rest of the world, and with the minority government. At the present time, we have Telrico, a Democratic ticket, and I forget the other person's name. He was former. What is the other person's name? Patrick.

He was running for Ken Patrick, running for governor of the state. Telrico says that God is non-binary.

And of course Patrick, his spouse, is the traditional conservative you and supporter of Trump. But the last poll that I saw showed Telrico leading Ken Patrick by five points.

That shows you how far we have gone. That's Texas. That's not some other state. That's Texas. So Satan seeks out all points of the society and tries to control it. He is in control of government, false religion. Jesus tells us that even in the Church of God there are terrors.

Beware of the terrors in the Church of God. Satan is in control of the economic system based on credit and debt, a system geared to enslave and oppress nations and its people.

Speaking of terrors, we have had tremendous terrors. Some have accused me in saying that I was a terror. I tried to preserve the worldwide Church of God. I wrote against and sent it to the Dukats and others as advisors with regard to the Greek scholar and the nature of God. The whole thing I wrote of treatise, I can send you an electronic copy of it if you wish, and many other articles that I write. No one else that I know of wrote anything, nor stood in any meeting against it. The heresy that was going on in the very Church of God and the terrors that were there. Brother, we must be on guard. Satan is in control of the economic system based on credit and debt, a system geared to enslave and oppress nations and its peoples.

The national debt has reached gigantic proportions, and the personal debt of Americans is into the trillions of dollars as well.

So to a large degree, Satan and his angels, his agents, his demons really shaped the people's attitude toward religion more, and more and more of them advocate world government. Satan to some degree is already worshipped by some, and there churches call the Church of Satan. Our children are basically brainwashed before they even go to school. TV is the second-grade socializing force in America. Perhaps the iPad has replaced television. Our grandkids spent the day at the house this week. The youngest one, six years old, spent the day on the iPad all day long, twisting, turning, and watching the iPad. Soon we have the ever-present video games. Satan hates the family because the family provides a cocoon and protection from the sea of demonism that floods this earth. This family stands the way of world government. We call a nation because a nation is nothing more than a family grown large. Satan has his agents planted in all control points. Government, religion, economics, media, education.

His agents continually war against the family.

And you know, plenty of these movements by name yourself. We've already read and commented. Well, we commented. We didn't read on the parable of the terrors.

So Satan's agents pose in intellectuals, swab, sophisticated, well-versed in Satan's arguments.

But, as we have already read from Zachariah 12, that the day is coming in which God is going to cut them in pieces. Yes, Satan is a great actualizer, and his strategy tries to unseat the conservative culture that we have grown to love and grow up in.

But Satan's day is going to come. As we've already noted and mentioned, that Satan is a great actualizer. He tried to self-actualize her. He tried to unseat God from the throne, but he failed. Satan's self-actualization is antithetical to Christianity.

We are to become a new creation in Christ Jesus, guided by a new mind.

It's not the old man made over. It is a new creation. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus. That's Philippians 2.5. And the rest of the chapter explains what that man was. Now, in the next sermon, what I plan to do is to present a sermon on how Satan can get to you and how you can overcome him.

In this sermon today, we have looked at the wiles of the devil, what he is doing to the culture. About two years ago, I gave a sermon on the two ideologies, the clash of the two ideologies. Well, you can't give over to the wiles of the devil, and at the same time worship God. You have to make a choice whether you're going to worship God or you're going to worship the wiles of the devil. So, read and study the Word of God. Pray and study the Word of God, and we will see you next time.