The Devil Reads the Bible!

​The idea that the devil reads the Bible might sound provocative, but the Scriptures themselves confirm this chilling truth. The adversary is not merely aware of God’s Word; he is an expert manipulator of it. 

It is said that a good lie (that is a believable one) is always based on an aspect of the truth. And the devil does exactly that !

His knowledge of the Bible is not for worship or obedience, but for warfare and deceit.

​The most profound example of this is found in the wilderness temptation of Jesus Christ.

​The Master of Misquotation

​After forty days of fasting, Jesus was famished. The devil saw his opportunity and launched his attack, moving from tempting Jesus to doubt His identity to tempting Him to misuse His authority. The third temptation is a stunning display of the devil's biblical knowledge:

​"Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”— Matthew 4:5-6 (ESV), quoting Psalm 91:11-12

​The devil did not quote random poetry or philosophy; he quoted Scripture! He took the promise of divine protection, found in Psalm 91, and twisted it, urging Jesus to test God's faithfulness by placing Himself in needless danger.

​The devil’s knowledge of the Bible is:

• ​Selective: He extracts promises and phrases out of context to support his hypothesis and theory. Do we do that too?

• ​Destructive: He uses the Word of God to undermine the will of God. If we act as in point 1, we too, automatically undermine God's will.

• ​Intellectual, not Spiritual: He knows the letter of the law but rejects its life-giving Spirit and Author.

We need to think, meditate and make sure that our belief in the Word of God is not intellectual alone, but it's a belief that stems from the spirit so that we may partake of the life it offers.

​Our Defense: Knowing the Whole Truth

​Jesus’ response to the devil’s manipulation is our blueprint for spiritual defense. He didn't argue the accuracy of the quote; He countered the context and the intent by quoting other Scripture:

​Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”— Matthew 4:7 (ESV), quoting Deuteronomy 6:16

​Jesus revealed the full counsel of God by bringing together a passage on God’s protection (Psalm 91) with a passage on reverent obedience (Deuteronomy 6). He showed that genuine faith does not manipulate God's promises; it walks in humble obedience within God’s will.

​This truth provides us with a critical warning and a powerful encouragement:

​The Warning:

​The devil won't only attack you with tempting thoughts; he will try to defeat you by twisting God's promises, creating doubt, or leading you into presumption. If we only have a surface-level, intellectual familiarity with the Bible, we are vulnerable to his lies.

​“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

​— 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

​The Encouragement:

​The Bible is called the Sword of the Spirit for a reason. When wielded correctly, it is the only weapon that can expose the lies of the enemy and drive him away. The devil flees not when he hears a verse, but when he is confronted by the authoritative, rightly applied Word of God.

​“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”— Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

​Reflection

​The devil knows enough of the Bible to use it against you. Do you know enough of the Bible to use it against him? Our protection lies not just in reading the Bible, but in studying it deeply, meditating on it faithfully, and living it out obediently, allowing the Holy Spirit to connect the wisdom of every passage.

Response Ability: Pastor Rajiv's Message

Response Ability

The central theme of today's message, is the crucial concept that human free will, or the "ability to respond," is synonymous with responsibility and the power to avoid sin by choosing the right course of action.

What is our response to sin? And what is our response to God? And finally, what is our Response Ability or responsibility as Christians? Today Pastor Rajiv answers these fundamental questions and more, drawing heavily from the Bible passage 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

Prophet for Hire

Numbers 22:7, 12, and 2 Peter 2:15

​"So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. (Numbers 22:7, NKJV)

​And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” (Numbers 22:12, NKJV)

​"They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness..." (2 Peter 2:15, NKJV)

​The story of Balaam, found primarily in Numbers chapters 22-24, is a striking caution against spiritual compromise. Balaam was a genuine prophet who could hear the voice of God, yet he earned the infamous title of "prophet for hire."

​King Balak of Moab, terrified of the powerful Israelites, hired Balaam to curse them. The elders arrived with a "diviner’s fee" in hand—a temptation Balaam could not easily dismiss (Numbers 22:7). God's command to Balaam was crystal clear: "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed" (Numbers 22:12).

​Here is the crux of the story: Balaam obeyed God's words, but not His heart.

• ​The Allure of the Price Tag: Though Balaam initially refused Balak's bribe, he couldn't completely shut the door on the possibility of a reward. When Balak sent richer and more prominent messengers, Balaam went back to God, essentially saying, "Is there any way I can still go?" His heart was set on the "wages of unrighteousness," as later scripture puts it (2 Peter 2:15). He wanted the profit more than he feared God's displeasure.

• ​The Peril of Half-Obedience: Balaam only spoke the words God put in his mouth, delivering blessings instead of curses. Outwardly, he was obedient. However, his divided loyalty led to an ultimate, tragic betrayal. When he couldn't curse Israel directly, he counseled Balak on how to tempt the Israelites into sin through immorality and idolatry, thereby bringing God’s judgment upon themselves (Numbers 31:16, Revelation 2:14). His greed corrupted his genuine gift.

​Reflection: Christians for Convenience 

​Balaam’s story forces us to look inward. We may not be prophets for hire, but are we Christians for convenience? Do we have a divided heart?

• ​Do we seek God's will only when it aligns with our own desires for comfort, prestige, or wealth?

• ​Do we want the blessings of God while still entertaining the temptations of the world?

• ​When we pray, are we truly seeking to hear God's clear command, or are we hoping He will change His mind and validate our greedy ambition?

​Our gifts and calling are sacred, entrusted to us by God for His purposes, not for our financial or personal gain. The error of Balaam is the danger of a heart compromised by love for the world, leading to a spiritual life of half-obedience that ultimately falls into the path of destruction.

​Prayer:

​Heavenly Father, thank You for the warning in the story of Balaam. Forgive us for the times our hearts have been divided, seeking Your blessing while coveting the rewards of this world. Help us to be fully obedient, not just with our words, but with our deepest desires. Set our hearts firmly on You, that we may love Your truth more than any earthly wage. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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