The Voice of the Evil One, Part 2

But, we may ask, how do we distinguish the voice of the evil one from the voice of God?

The key to distinguishing the voice relates to the character or spirit of the voice.

Have you ever been approached by a salesperson at your home or at a store who is asking you to consider their product. Many times it becomes quickly apparent that, even though they claim with their words that the product will benefit you in some way, they are really seeking their own benefit: a sale. Aside from the rare exception, salespeople are not concerned about you – the benefits you will receive from this outstanding product – but with themselves – the benefit they will receive in terms of commission and income from a sale. The spirit or character of their voice usually reveals this to be true.

It is the same with our enemy, the devil. Even though he may “masquerade as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14), we can begin to discern a different spirit or character of his voice. It is a spirit that reeks of destruction and self-interest.

It is quite unlike the spirit or character of the voice of God. The Apostle James writes these important words of about the character of God’s voice:

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17).

Along with recognizing the reality of our enemy, we need to understand the character of his voice. His voice is contrasts with the purity of God’s voice. It reverberates with deception and destruction.