Satan is a total pervert. By definition, a pervert is one that corrupts something from its intended purpose. Clean jokes get perverted all the time. Seemingly innocuous statements become sexual innuendo because of the perversion of someone's mind. Satan is one that tries to pervert that which is pure and cause it to be profane. When Job was "on trial", Satan tried to pervert God's justice and cause God to punish Job unjustly but God did not take the bait.
Satan's perversions can be seen everywhere. Pornography is a perversion of sexual purity. God intended sex to be enjoyed between a husband and a wife. It is meant to be mutually beneficial and enjoyed by both parties. The porn industry, on the other hand, objectifies one party in favor of the other, they reduce sex to a quick fix, they promote promiscuity, fornication and all manners of sexual immorality. Pornography has been the downfall of many married men that have lusted after the images displayed on the computer or TV screen or depicted in the pages of dirty magazines. Coming from someone that has dealt with a porn addiction, those images are hard to get rid of. The whole idea of using a woman for your own selfish desires and to treat them as a piece of meat is a perversion of the intimate, selfless relationship that God intended for man and wife.
Satan has even perverted the weather. Perfection reigned until sin entered the world. Now, the chaos that we see in the environment mirrors the chaos that is in the world as a result of sin. The weather and the natural events that occur are even in rebellion. Tornadoes spring up and kill hundreds of people with no warning. Tsunamis wash away entire cities. Hurricanes come ashore and blow down houses, flood streets and destroy electrical infrastructure. Satan takes something that God intended for good and causes it to rebel, thus corrupting it and causing it to act contrary to its purpose.
Satan tried to pervert the plan of God by tempting Jesus to worship him. He waited until an opportune moment and then came when Jesus was at his weakest point. That's when he tried to tempt Jesus and that's when we see how to deal with Satan's lies and his tricks...use the Word of God against his lies. That's why it is important to have God's word written on our hearts!
Satan tried to pervert the priesthood (See Ezekiel 34) by causing the shepherds to feed on the flock versus feeding the flock. Ezekiel indicates that the priests made themselves fat off of the flock rather than being servants of the flock. The priesthood in and of itself was not corrupt, but the people that were a part of the priesthood were corrupted. God understood this and because of this, in eternity He made up His mind to replace the high priest with the true High Priest (Hebrews 4) and the priests with a new, holy priesthood (1 Peter 2) that are made holy through the finished work at Calvary of the High Priest, Jesus Christ.
Our bodies are also in rebellion because of the perversion of Satan. Cells multiply too rapidly and become cancer. Children are born with genetic defects, deformities and health problems that and leave us wondering why a child would have to enter the world with a challenge from the outset of life. Sickness is everywhere. The devil is a master at taking what God created and trying to use it to kill us. Take, for instance, when Jesus and the disciples were in the boat on the Sea of Galilee (See Luke 8) and that storm came out of nowhere. Well, the tempest that showed up can bee seen as an ambush of sorts because Jesus and the disciples would later encounter a man possessed with 2000 demons. He was eventually set free from demonic oppression and went on to become an evangelist in the Decapolis. That storm, from the water that God created, was intended to stop this man's deliverance- but notice, Jesus spoke to the winds and the waves...and they OBEYED!
This we know, regardless of the ferocity or the perverseness of Satan- when Jesus speaks, even the most perverse event is abated and must obey the words of our Lord. When the words "The Lord Rebuke you Satan (Zechariah 3)" are spoken, Satan has no choice but to tuck his tail between his legs and go. Whether it is the weather, cancer or some other illness, whatever it is has to give way to the command of Christ! That is good news for those of us suffering from illness, those of us affected by different issues, those of us that have had recent problems with Hurricane Sandy etc. Jesus is still the Master even though Satan seems to be in control. The devil is nothing more than a glorified landlord and one day, Jesus is going to kick him out of the house and restore everything back to where God the Father intended it to be from the beginning. Jesus has already taken away the keys of death and Hades when He got up from the grave and when He returns, everything will be made perfect. There will be no more tears and there will be no more perversion of what God created in holiness and in perfection! Thank you Jesus for sitting on the throne and thank you that the pervert will soon be put in his place.
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