“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I will cast you to the ground, I will lay you before kings, that they may behold you.” Ezekiel 28:17

The king of Tyrus (who was symbolic of satan) was lifted up because of his beauty and wisdom.  His kingdom was prosperous and they rejoiced at the fall of Jerusalem.  King Nebuchadnezzar would be God’s instrument of destruction for Tyrus in all it’s splendor.

“The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Satan’s wisdom, who transforms into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), was not taken away, it was corrupted.  He was lifted up by reason of his brightness.

It is the devil’s purpose to corrupt our wisdom; the wisdom that is from above which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and hypocrisy (James 3:17) and begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).  This wisdom comes from first believing God is God…not you are a little god.

“⁵ By your great wisdom and by your traffic have you increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches: ⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord God; Because you have set your heart as the heart of God; ⁷ Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon you, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they shall defile your brightness.” Ezekiel 28:5-7

Success, even in things of the Lord, can lift up the heart of man and cause our hearts to turn from Him.  Instead of setting our hearts toward God, we set our hearts AS God. This is the devil’s purpose….to kill, steal and destroy and he uses religion to corrupt our wisdom.

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.” John 16:13

The Holy Spirit will guide us into all Truths…

“¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

…and the Word of God is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness.

God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to guide us into all Truth according to Scripture.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the story of our redemption.  From Genesis Chapter 1 to Revelation 22, we see our instruction for our Redemption…by Grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).  Our Redemption is not of ourselves but a gift of God in the person of Jesus Christ as the Sacrificial Lamb of God, Who came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay sin’s debt for whosoever will believe and break the penalty of sin for those who have believed.  Knowing Who Jesus Christ is and what He did, there is no doubt as to His Resurrection.  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof that the sin debt is paid in full.  He is alive!!

This is the wisdom from above, given us in God’s Word and witnessed to us by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:16).  This is the wisdom satan attempts to corrupt through the deceit of vain philosophies using his minister’s who are transformed into ministers of light.

Just because something seems good, doesn’t mean it is good.  We can easily recognize evil when it appears as evil.  It is the “good” that takes the Spirit of God in us to quicken our hearts to the Truth.

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

-Donna Clark Warren