27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
01 Acts 05 01-11 THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH 03 Acts 05 03-04 Victory over the deception of the devil
📖 Acts 05:01-11
03 – 19Mar2023 – *Victory over the deception of the devil* - _Acts 05:01-11_ - THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH - Bible reading: _John 14:26_
“Lord Jesus, please show us and guide us to live victoriously over the deceptions of the devil. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
_Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, "*Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit* and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? (4) While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."_
We see the work of the flesh appearing in the life and fellowship of His church. The church was walking in the fullness of His Spirit but the activity of the flesh appears and we see that a couple succumbed.
The works of the devil and the flesh will appear for the devil is like a roaring lion looking for whom he can devour. _I Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because *your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (9) Resist him, steadfast in the faith*, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world._
We have His Holy Spirit by whom we can resist and overcome the evil one.
We must know that *the devil is not our friend but he is our enemy*. We must know that he does not have anything good for us. He intends to destroy us for eternity in hell. _Matthew 25:41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, *into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels*:_ The devil will cause us to fall in the eyes of God. He intends that God’s judgement will be against us.
The devil will pretend that he has something good for us and he will seek to deceive us. _Genesis 3:4-6 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. (5) For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."_
The deception of the devil sounded so attractive and harmless. This is the strategy that the devil has deployed over time and has been successful. Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation. _(6) So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate._
The terrible reality is that we will know that we have been deceived by the devil. _Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "*The serpent deceived me, and I ate.*"_
What is the result when we yield to the deception of the devil? The result is death. We must know that death is everything that is opposite to life, for which the source is God. *_John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men._* The life of God is light and death results in darkness.
Humanity and creation are in a state of death and darkness. This is the result of the deception of the devil. *_Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—_*
This is man’s predicament because of yielding to the deception of the devil. We must all know why the world is in a state of chaos. The devil makes us blame God for the evil, wickedness and sadness in our world. _Ephesians 2:2-3 in which *you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air*, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, (3) among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, *fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath*, just as the others._
*God created for us a perfect world but it is our yielding to the deception of the devil that has resulted in our state of death.*
Ananias and Sapphira yielded to the temptation of the devil. This is what Peter is pointing out. They could have remained victorious over this temptation by walking in the fullness of His Holy Spirit, the experience which was being enjoyed by everyone in the fellowship of His church.
This is a big lesson for us. The Lord has given to us His Holy Spirit. *_John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you._*
```As we live victoriously over the deceptions of the devil, by the enablement of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, we will be strengthening His church. We will also be strengthened by the victory of others in His church. This is our mutual blessing to one another. This is the growth of His church in fellowship.```