The Devil's Plan to Destroy the Souls of Men
by Robert Waters
Introduction
A. There is much about the devil that we do not know.
1. We do not know when he came into being or how he got
position.
2. We also do not know whether or not he planed his strategy to
destroy the souls of man. But if he did plan it, with foresight,
then those plans would have been similar to what you are
about to read.
B. Just suppose that shortly after the New Testament was revealed
the devil was able to plan his whole strategy and you are allowed
to go back in time and listen in on his thoughts as he plans to
destroy the souls of men.
1. And now those plans have been found and you're about to
hear what he planned some 1900 years ago.
2. Of course that is impossible, but we're just going to
pretend we are doing it in an effort to teach some
important truths found in the word of God.
C. There are several things that we can teach and hope to teach
in this study.
1. The cunningness and tactics of the devil;
2. History of the church from the negative viewpoint - some
things that the devil has accomplished since its beginning;
3. The truth on some important doctrinal matters;
4. And how that because of what God has done, and what He will
do for us, you and I can win over Satan.
D. We are going to go back in time to the first century.
1. The scene is the devil who is contemplating the situation -
how that he is behind in his work and that he is losing
souls by the hundreds and even thousands every day.
2. He knows that he has lost those that hear the gospel of
Christ, believe, repent, make the good confession, and
are baptized.
a. So he decides it is time to do something to get them back
and to keep others from being saved.
b. He knows that if he is going to accomplish much he has
got to make plans.
1) So he sits down and begins to think of ways that he
can keep people from obeying God's plan of salvation,
and ways to steal the faith of those who have been saved.
2) The devil sits down to think and to write.
Body
I. I'm going to convince as many as I can that there is no God.
A. One of God's requirements is that men believe in Him and
that he is a "rewarder of them that diligently seek him"
(Heb. 6:17).
B. If I can keep them from believing in God, and Jesus in
particular, they will surely perish (John 8:24).
II. I'll not be able to trick everyone with this so I'll try to
convince as many as I can to accept substitutes.
A. First I'll convince some that He is an impersonal God and that
he gave no Revelation, and I'll have them worshipping things
made of wood and stone - even things carved by their own
hands.
B. I'll try to convince others that God has other
revelations, but really, they will be inspired by me!
1. These revelations of mine will deceive a lot of people
and it will confuse others to the point that they won't
investigate God's revelation.
2. Some of my revelations will teach a savior other than
Jesus, while others will just be additions to God's
word; either way, they'll be mine if they are deceived.
C. Those that I can't get through those other means, I'll
try to get them to be agnostics.
1. Those who I deceive in this way won't deny that there
is a God, but neither will they confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord and Savior, therefore, they will be mine.
2. Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me",
so those that I convince to be agnostics will be with me.
III. I must not be foolish and think that some are not going
to confess Christ as Lord and Savior.
A. I must have a plan to keep these from obeying God's
plan of salvation.
B. I haven't lost one just because he cries "Lord, Lord", so
what I've got to do is to keep them from doing the will
of the Father (Matt. 7:21).
C. It will be hundreds of years before I can corrupt God's plan
of salvation, so I must be diligent with other devices for now.
IV. I must begin right away working to corrupt the churches
of Christ.
A. I can do it through the teachings of false doctrine (2 Jn. 9; Jn. 4:24).
1. If I can get churches to look to the Old Testament and
to believe and teach things peculiar to it I will have
them, for an apostle by the name of Paul said,
"Whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are
fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4)
a. To accomplish this I'll use those Christians who
were previously Jews and I'll send some in who will
be on MY side all along, just posing as Christians,
to accomplish my will.
b. This "confusing of the law" trick should prove to be
successful for centuries to come.
2. With the help of my workers and those Christians that
I can deceive, I should be able to work in all sorts of
false doctrine.
B. Those churches that I cannot corrupt by introducing false
doctrine, I'll try to get by tempting the members to be worldly.
1. If there are not some in each church with enough
backbone to initiate discipline toward those that
succumb to my temptation, I'll have the souls of the
whole church before long: As the apostle stated it, "A
little leaven leaveneth the whole lump".
2. Through worldliness on the part of those who will not
resist me, I'll divide churches.
a. I'll have Christians fussing and fighting, and
hating one another, and jealous of one another and
they will divide just because they can't get along
with one another.
1) One faction will feel like it has done its duty
by pulling out and the other will be puffed up
with pride because they were not the ones to leave.
2) Once they separate, I'll zap them all with pride
and they will never get back together.
b. Division will be one of my most useful devices to
destroy a church, and if that doesn't destroy it,
its influence will be greatly damaged.
C. Those churches that I cannot corrupt in these ways, I will try
to cause the members to lose their love for Christ.
1. I'll really have them deceived!
a. They will fight my doctrines and they will know that
their worship is right, and they'll be real workers
in Christ's kingdom, but they will be mine in the
end because their motive will be no longer love (Rev. 2:1-7).
b. I'll have them doing their works to be seen of men -
preachers working to make a name for themselves, and
congregations working to have the biggest church.
1) Making "broad their phylacteries" is the way God describes it.
2) I don't care what their motive is so long as it isn't love
for Christ.
2. Those who are faithful in everything, the only way I
can get them is to cause them to lose their "first
love", so that's what I'll try to do.
D. Those churches that I can't get in one of these ways I'll
try to get them to be afraid to do anything and they will just die.
1. I know that Christ expects those of His body to bear
fruit, so if I can convince the members to be afraid to
mention Christ to others it will not be long until they will just die.
a. I'll zap them with indifference.
b. And if I can't get them to have a non-caring
attitude, I'll try procrastination.
i. Either way God's work will not be done any my cause
will prosper.
V. I just thought of a great idea to corrupt churches of
Christ; I think it will be one of my greatest works.
A. I'll call it "centralized control".
1. It is a brilliant idea!
2. I should be able to have the world in darkness in only a
few hundred years.
B. Here is how I'll do it:
1. There are supposed to be a plurality of elders to lead
each church, so I'll work to have just one elder or pastor.
2. These bishops, according to God, are to rule over the
flock where they worship (Acts 20:28), so I'll work to
get them to rule over other congregations, and
eventually I'll have one man as head over almost all of them.
a. I'll have one of my preachers leading the churches
(2 Thes. 2:9).
b. He will be in the temple of God, showing himself that
he is God (2 Thes. 2:4).
c. That of itself will be enough to destroy souls, but I
want them to go as far from the truth as possible.
d. My man in the church will make laws that are inspired
of me, and the people will think that God inspired him.
i. I'll even get them to believe that his words will
overrule God's revelation.
C. Eventually, thinking people are going to realize the truth about my
man in Rome, so I've got to come up with a plan to keep people
from seeing the whole truth.
1. Some, following the dark times, are going to learn that
they can be just Christians with no manmade creeds and
no party names.
a. I don't want that!
b. I've got to persuade people to be something more.
c. God's word so clearly teaches against party names
that it will be difficult (1 Cor. 1:10-13), but some
how I'll swing it.
2. What I'll do is try to motivate men to preach who do not
love God and who are in it for the glory, or the things
I can offer, or who just do not know how to dig for the
truth in the Bible, or who will succumb to my temptation
to preach what the people want to hear (2 Tim. 4:3).
a. I'll try to convince preachers that God called them
to preach in a special way, thus showing His approval
of them as a spokesman (they'll think), and the
people to whom they preach will also believe he is
"called" and will feel no need to question any of my
teachings (1 John 4:1).
b. I'll be able to accomplish great things through
"wolves in sheep's clothing" (Matt. 7:15).
3. If I can get my preachers to establish churches, the
church of Christ will be looked upon as just another
religious organization with no more importance than any
of the churches built by men.
4. I'll also try to get people to think that it is repugnant to be
narrow minded and legalistic and then I'll persuade them
that members of the church of Christ are of that character.
a. This should hinder their efforts to teach, thus it
will slow their growth.
b. However, they are going to grow, for a time at least,
so I must think up some great doctrines that those
who protest against my man in Rome will accept, and
which will take them farther and farther from the truth so
that it willl be even more difficult for them to learn the truth.
VI. I've got another brilliant idea! I'll call it "premillennialism".
A. There ought to be a number of perversions that I can make
in the Lord's teachings with this doctrine of mine:
1. The New Testament teaches that Christ's kingdom exists
now and that it is the church (Mk. 9:1; Acts 1-3), so
what I'll do is I'll try to convince everyone that it
hasn't yet come;
2. The New Testament teaches that Christ's kingdom is
spiritual or "not of this world" (Jn. 18:36, so I'll
try to convince everyone that it is to be a material kingdom;
3. The New Testament teaches that Christ is King now (Acts
2:29-35), so I'll try to convince people that He isn't King yet;
4. The New Testament teaches that Christ's kingdom will be
delivered up at His second coming (1 Cor. 15:24), so
I'll work to convince people that his kingdom will at
that time be set up here on earth;
5. The New Testament teaches that man's hope is in heaven
(Col. 1:5) so I'll work to convince the people that
their hope is on earth.
a. It should not be too hard to get people to believe
in premillennialism.
b. I'll get them to loving things of this world so much
that they will gladly hear and accept what my
preachers tell them about it.
6. Another thing that will help me to persuade people to
believe that they are living before a 1000 year reign
in which Christ will rule on earth, is the idea of a second chance.
a. Of course there will not really be a second chance
(Matt. 25: 1-13), but I'll have people believing that there will be.
b. Those people who are not diligent in serving the
Lord and who do not like the idea of ONE chance,
I'll tickle their ears with this doctrine.
7. Premillennialism should prove to be one of my most
successful doctrines to pervert important fundamental
teachings in the Bible.
VII. I've got yet another brilliant idea! I'll call it "Calvinism".
A. It will really be a system which has several doctrines,
all of which will be mine and which will serve me well.
B. I'll have people believing that:
1. Sin is inherited - even that babies are born in sin -
even though Christ said, concerning little children,
"of such are the kingdom of heaven".
2. God has predetermined whether or not each individual
will be saved or lost, and that man has no choice in
the matter - that there is nothing that anyone can do
to be saved except wait on God to do it, if indeed He will.
3. If or when God decides to save them, they'll
experience a great indescribable feeling as evidence
of their having been saved, and I will seldom lose one
of those who think they have "experienced salvation",
because one can't argue with feelings.
4. Once they are saved they cannot fall from grace no
matter what they think, do, or how they live.
a. This should prove to be one of my greatest doctrines.
b. It will have far reaching effects!
1) People will believe that they are saved, when
they really are not, and they will not think it
necessary to be diligent in searching for truth.
2) They'll have nothing to deter them from all
kinds of sin, and many will enjoy sins that
they would otherwise have missed out on, because
they won't believe that there are any consequences.
i. The more there are who profess to be Christians, but
who still practice sin, the better I'll like it.
3) Even those who have obeyed the gospel plan of
salvation will be affected by this great doctrine of mine.
a) Some will live like they partly believe it
and they will indeed fall from grace.
b) Others in fighting against it will go to the
other extreme, teaching that a Christian is lost unless
he is able to keep himself sinlessly.
c) This idea will create serious doubts in some
which will keep them miserable and will
hinder their growth.
d) Others, who accept this extreme view, but
overcome doubts, will have their confidence
based upon their own ability to live above
sin, and will therefore likely develop
arrogant and self righteous attitudes, and
know-it-all and impenitent dispositions.
e) Men with such an attitude will wreak havoc in
Christ's church.
f) Since I'll have them thinking that God
requires sinless perfection to be saved, the
things over which they will divide the church will
be almost endless.
VIII. My dark ages can't last forever. The church of Christ
will eventually spring up and grow rapidly despite my
diligent efforts to stop it.
A. But if "centralized control" will work once (and I know
it will) I'll try it again.
1. Only this time it won't be quite as radical - the
same principle nevertheless.
2. I'll try to convince them that the church is not
sufficient to accomplish the mission that was given
to it, and that they must all combine their efforts
through another organization.
a. When they ask for authority the answer will be,
"God told us to preach the gospel but didn't tell
us how to do it."
1) Really, it will not be a question of HOW but
WHO, and the WHO will be something other than
the local church, which is God's organization
for spreading the truth (1 Tim. 3:15).
2) It will not be according to God's pattern and
God will certainly be displeased.
b. If I get them with this device all they will be
doing is subsidizing the funds.
1) They will not be exercising themselves in
doing the work of the Lord themselves and the
church will not get the glory for the work
that they pay my organization to do.
B. I must not limit the idea of centralized control to
human organizations.
1. I will use a church with leaders who have great
aspirations and who see visions of doing "great
things" (as I project these visions to them, of course).
a. These men will be in control over everything -
much like my man in Rome.
b. Many churches will send money to these men to
take care of their responsibilities of seeing
that worthy men receive it (as support for their
labor) and that it is used in a scriptural way.
1) There will not be any way of knowing how much
these men get or what all they do with their money.
2) But if they send out a report that sounds
impressive, other churches will continue to
contribute and God's method of individual
churches sending directly to preachers in the
field will go unheeded (Phi. 1:3-5; 2:25; 4:15; 2 Cor. 11:8-9).
2. I'll throw in an emotional issue about the same time
and those preaching the truth won't even get a fair hearing.
a. I'll have those who are deceived, by my plan,
believing that those who oppose their teaching
are binding where God has not bound, that they
are responsible for dividing the church, and that
they should avoid them.
b. As long as I can keep them from reasoning
together they will never be united in their
efforts to serve God, and the majority will be
following my new pattern for preaching and
helping the needy.
i. I'd rather they would not preach to the lost
and help the needy and orphans at all, but so
long as they don't do it God's way I'll be happy
(James 1:23).
C. Centralized control should work well for me.
1. In its earlier stages I'll have them all tied
together, and with the main organization corrupted
I'll corrupt all those that are tied to it.
a. Any new doctrine that I come up with will spread throughout.
b. In its latter stages they won't necessarily be
tied together, but individual churches will give
up their autonomy by their contributions.
2. Before I can pull this one over, I must cause them
to lose respect for God's authority and to want to
do their own thing regardless of God's pattern.
3. Once I get them to lose their respect for the
authority of the scriptures there will be no stopping place.
IX. Marriage – What Can I do in this area that will serve
my purposes?
A. God commands to let people who have no marriage have
a marriage so they can avoid fornication. "Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have his own wife,
and let every woman have her own husband." (1 Cor. 7:2)
1. What I must do is get the people to thinking that some
people are to be punished for not making their marriage
work and that they sin if they marry another after being
divorced.
2. I can be successful here if I can simply get people to
think that “put away” (as used in Jesus’ discourse in
responding to a problem unique to the Jews) means divorce.
a. In answer to their question Jesus told them that if one
merely puts away his wife (and does not give her a
certificate of divorce, releasing her from the marriage)
both commit adultery if they marry another.
b. That is simple enough, but I will confuse them on the
exception clause that Jesus gave – “except it be for
fornication.”
1) I’ll have them believing that a divorce does not end a
marriage and free the parties except in the case of the one
who actually initiates the divorce.
2) I will have the people believing that these second
marriages are not really marriages at all, and when people
want to become a Christian my preachers will tell those
who have divorced their spouse, or have been divorced,
that they must remain celibate the rest of their life.
3) I will blind their eyes making them unable to see that the
exception clause is to only be applied to the question of
merely putting away with no need for divorce, such as
where a couple find they are not legally married and
cannot be legally married.
B. This plan will hinder preachers of the gospel (in their effort to
evangelize), as it will greatly discourage them, and when they
do teach the gospel many of those they teach will be driven
away before they get to Christ.
C. God put something in His revelation to expose me,
but many will ignore it or not understand it.
"Now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the later time some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their
conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, [and
commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to
be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know
the truth." (I Tim. 4:1-3)
Indeed, Christians will be telling people who have no
marriage that they have no right to marry and they
will be teaching my doctrine.
IX. Oh yes, I must not forget to work out a device to pervert God's plan of salvation.
A. One gets into Christ when he is baptized (Gal. 3:27) and
salvation is in Christ (Eph. 1:3), so I must work to keep
people form being scripturally baptized.
B. What I'll do is try to get all professed Bible believers
to believe that the New Testament teaches that one is
saved at the point that he believes in the Lord and
decides to receive him as Lord and Savior, and that
baptism is for the purpose of showing that one has been
saved - that it is really is not necessary.
1. I realize that this will be difficult to accomplish
since the New Testament says; "But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become children of God,
even to those who believe in His name" (1 Jn. 1:12);
that one is justified by "works and not by faith only"
(James 2:24); and that baptism is "For the remission
of sins" (Acts 2:38) and that Jesus said, "Except a
man be born of the water and of the spirit he cannot
enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).
2. It will be difficult, but I will have many devices - even my own
preachers to help them misunderstand it (2 Cor. 11:13-15).
a. When those who preach the truth show them God's
word, I'll tempt them to evade the issue.
b. I'll tempt them to say things like:
1) "We all have our own interpretations";
2) "You believe the way you want to and I'll
believe the way I want to"; and
3) "It doesn't matter what you believe, we are all
going to the same place - just taking different
roads"; anything to keep them from seriously
considering what those who preach the truth say.
3. Yes sir, I got me a real little plan!
a. Of course there are a lot of details that I'll have
to work out along the way.
b. But that's no problem - I'm the God of this world
(2 Cor. 4:4) and I have power over all - except
those who are protected by the blood of Christ (1 Jn. 1:7)
and who are able to resist me (James 4:7).
i. But that number will be few because, "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matt. 7:13)
CONCLUSION
A. We are through with our pretending that we are back in time
listening in on the devil's thoughts.
B. Now we want you to listen for a moment to what God wants you
to hear and do.
1. And you better believe that that which is revealed in his
word is no make believe, it is for real!
2. But don't forget that the devil is real also, and that he
is the master of deception.
a. He is also the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33).
b. He has made it difficult for one to learn the truth and he also
tries to make it difficult for a Christian to remain in the faith.
C. It may look hopeless to you.
1. You may be thinking, "One way or another, he is going to get me".
a. But that doesn't have to be true. God is more powerful
than the devil.
b. Jesus demonstrated His power over the devil by casting
out demons and resisting every form of temptation:
"Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life".
2. Through Jesus, you can win over the devil.
a. How? John the apostle said, "For if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanseth us of all sin" (1 Jn. 1:7)
b. Paul said, "There hath no temptation taken you but such
as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not
suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but
will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that
ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13)
c. God will also supply you with armor that will enable
you to defeat Satan.
i. Paul said, "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye
may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:ll)
D. God has provided the way whereby we can win over the
adversary, the devil.
1. His part involves MERCY and GRACE.
2. Man's part involves FAITH and OBEDIENCE (Heb. 11:6).
a. Faith comes by hearing the word (Rom. 10:17).
b. The reward is given to those who seek God diligently (Heb. 11:6).
c. The word teaches that we must:
1) Hear the gospel (Rom. 10:17);
2) Believe (Jn. 8:24);
3) Repent (Lk. 13:3);
4) Confess that Christ Lord (Rom. 10:9); and
5) be baptized "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38).
i. After being buried with Christ in baptism, we then
are to "walk in the light" (1 Jn. 1:6-8) that we
might continue to be cleansed of "all sin" by the
blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
E. What device of the devil is keeping you from obeying God and
receiving God's grace (if you haven't)?
1. If you haven't done so, why not obey the gospel today.
2. Put on the whole armor of God and be a soldier of Christ
until death and receive the crown of righteousness that was
promised to you by one who cannot lie (Rev. 2:10).
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