When The Devil Hides In Piety?
Text: Matthew 4:1-11 In the name of Jesus. Amen. The Devil often hides in piety. Yes, you heard that correctly: the devil often hides in religious piety. Take our reading from the Gospel of Matthew as an example. The Devil does not come before Jesus in a red coat and a pitchfork. He does not arrive with fire and blood. Instead, the Devil comes before Jesus in a holy way. Get this: the Devil quotes Psalm 91 to Jesus. Furthermore, the Devil speaks of angels while sounding devout and pious. Indeed, in Matthew chapter 4, the Devil sounds religious, reverent, and pious. Now, if this makes you a bit uncomfortable this morning — good. You see, hearing that the Devil covers his temptations and deceit with religious devotion and scriptural language should rattle your cage a bit. Tragically, we Christians often imagine the Devil’s tactics as overt and obvious. We imagine that the Devil’s tactics openly rebel and openly promote evil. And while such rebellion and evil...
