The Prince of Darkness is a Gentleman
February 6, 2012
As Shakespeare reminds us- ‘The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman.”
Meaning Satan…
-knows how to work the crowd.
-knows when proper edict is needed.
-knows how to make everything look better.
-knows how to whoo us.
If he were a person, you would probably be intrigued by him. Eve was. He might have come in the form a snake, or a serpent, but I bet he was attractive. He probably was dressed in the most unique colors, and that voice… I bet his voice was unfamiliar, much different from the God that Eve knew and the only man she knew-Adam. But somehow it was captivating in a haunting sense.
A man isn’t a true gentlemen if he doesn’t have the right words at the right time. He knows what to say and knows the effect his words will have on someone. Call him a smooth talker. Call him a people pleaser. Or call him a natural poet. He is described as ‘subtle’ (AMP), ‘cunning,’ (NKJV), the ‘shrewdest’ (NLT), the ‘most clever’ (ICB), and the ‘sliest’ (TAB) (Genesis 3:1). Not only does he come in an attractive package, but he comes as a friend, as a piece of (so-called) wisdom, disguised as a word from God. He came to Eve as an animal. She probably assumed that he was one of the animals that God had given them as friends. How could such a gift lead them astray?
The prince of darkness shows up like a gentleman to show us what life with him could look like. He may whisper sweet nothings in your ears, he may take you to the most fantastic places, and help you meet the most amazing people, but don’t be fooled. It may seem like it’s all meant to be, like everything is working out perfectly, but the prince of darkness rarely does his best work on large groups. He prefers the one-on-one time like a perfect gentleman.
That perfect gentleman is going to whoo you and seduce you into the mindset that he is the perfect gentleman. Satan will make God’s ways look questionable and twist God’s words to make you believe it too.
But it all starts when we allow the gentleman to have one foot in the door. That’s where Eve made her biggest mistake. She might have meant well by talking to the serpent at first. She even tried to correct him when he concluded that she couldn’t eat any fruit in the garden. But just speaking to the devil is the biggest mistake we can make, because he takes any opportunity you give him.
Don’t be deceived when the prince of darkness comes across as a gentleman. It seems to be his best disguise.
