S162P3 – Wicked tactics: counterfeit goods
Acts 13:6-10
Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?”
There is a reason why tarot cards and crystal balls are so popular. Although people may have their own unique reasons for seeking spiritual advice like this, and some may have addictive or other behaviors which contribute to this, there is a common reason we can attribute to these seekers. They have the same innate desire we all have to find our place and know the direction of our lives. I do not believe that anyone wants to feel lost, so they look for someone to show them the way. I think it is less about the power of knowing the future and more about simply feeling like one is not blowing in the wind. The issue is that, while there is One who can show us the right way, there are so many others who show us a dangerous counterfeit version of that.
The devil might be evil, and he might be a fool for trying to go up against God, but he is not unintelligent. He knows very well the cravings inside us which only God can satisfy, and he will try to trick us with fake remedies. Where God is about love, he is about lust twisted in some way to appear loving and accepting. Where God is about honesty, he is about stretching and contorting the truth under the guise of some good end. God can lead us and direct us in goodness and holiness. The devil will try to trick us with counterfeit prophecy and knowledge that tickles the ears but will burn the soul. Here, Elymas was following in the footsteps of his father the devil in mimicing the gifts of prophecy or knowledge to lead people away from God.
We have a saying the devil is in the details. This is an interesting saying because the details are what expose a counterfeit. For example, when it comes to goods, you can look at the quality of materials or construction to tell the difference. A trademark pattern, a logo, or even something as minor as stitching might distinguish the original from the imitation. That is why it is important to test these things against the word of God. There is value in the authentic version. The counterfeit has no value at all. Where the former brings godliness and life, the latter brings wickedness and death. Father, give us eyes to see, ears to hear and the wisdom to know when we are faced with the devil’s counterfeits.