When The Devil Quotes Scripture

I want to don my controversy hat today for a moment.

I want us to realize that among the verses the enemy loves quoting is that God hates divorce.

The fact that he does quote it does not mean that it is not true. What it means is that he seeks to use that truth to steal, kill and destroy.

As we all know, the devil knows the scriptures than all of us. In fact, he even believes them.

His only problem is that he has chosen to walk in the path of disobedience, rebellion if we may say so.

That is why he thrives on nitpicking.

He does it because he knows that by confusing issues in the scriptures he can gain a following of rebellious partners.

Remember he even used a scripture on the Word Himself?

His purpose for using that verse is therefore negative

You see, God gave that truth instructively and restoratively. God wants marriages to thrive. He therefore points us to the pitfalls of falling from His standard.

The devil uses the verse to breed pain and resentment and condemnation.

I have said elsewhere that the fact that God hates divorce does not mean He loves abuse and unfaithfulness and desertion.

Yet that is what the devil wants to focus on.

He seeks to make vice thrive in marriage by using that verse as bait.

Then he will be able to make marriage the breeding ground for pain and resentment as a result of allowing abuse.

The verse is used to normalize every evil in a marriage by taking the abused on a guilt trip when they feel they can endure no more because they know that the wounds will continue festering and growing in intensity. Then of course he will inspire an explosion.

But even worse is the fact that the wounded has no capacity for responding to God’s love or calling as they have been blinded by all that pain.

Some of the hibernating ministers I have written about are so because of that deception. Marriages have killed enough calls of God and ministry.

Though marriage is important to God, it can be destructive to His agenda if it is elevated above where God has placed it especially because we know that there is no marriage in heaven apart from Christ’s marriage to His church.

It is not a marriage if it blocks you from serving God as He orders you.

And we have enough examples in the Bible; from Solomon to Ahab.

Let me give us verses to consider when marriage becomes an obstacle to God’s purpose for your life.

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: (Mark 9: 43 – 47)

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)

You see, God and His agenda is primary in your life and not marriage.

Marriage fits in that agenda if it is aligned to that purpose. Otherwise it can be a weight to obstruct and distract us from that purpose. On such then the command to cut off is allowed. Otherwise you could enjoy a marriage that disqualifies you from eternal life.

God hates divorce. That is true.

But marriage is not all there is to that instruction.

We need to know what God loves. Because that is how we can understand why He hates divorce.

One such purpose for marriage is a godly offspring. This easily tells us that God is glorified when a marriage is healthy since that is the only time it can produce a godly offspring.

We of course know that a marriage, however good it is, is against God’s purpose when it is centred on the here and now. Simply speaking, a marriage that is focused on the world and all it contains is a marriage that will never please God. A marriage that is geared on acquiring all there is to acquire in this life is a vain marriage.

Why did Esau’s marriages grieve Isaac? There was no violence or infidelity or these other things we complain about. It appears as if it was so satisfactory to Esau and his wives that he did not even notice his father’s grief.

It grieved him because it cut Esau from the vine that was the promise.

A misyoke in marriage is a serious problem because it brings about partners who are pulling in different directions like Nabal and Abigail.

What has you marriage done to your passion for God? What has it done to God’s call on your life? What has it done to your relationships with people who help you connect with God better?

God hates divorce. But it is of no use to remain married and head to hell because the marriage cut you off from the vine that is Christ.

God hates divorce. But do not let the devil give you lessons on the same.

When God says He hates divorce, He is thinking about restoration and health. But when the devil is pushing the narrative, he is after your destruction.

In other words, God seeks to liberate you and give you a lighter yoke. The devil on the other hand seeks to enslave you.

Whose script are you reading from?