In June of 1975, a film called Jaws was released, featuring a shark attack on a young woman during a late-night swim after a beach party on a fictional island called Amity Island.  When the local coroner determined the cause of her death, the new police chief closed the beaches, but the mayor pressured the coroner to change the cause of death to a boating accident in order to keep the beaches open.  When another swimmer was killed, the beaches were closed and a bounty set on the shark.

        “Words from Above” in the Bible tell us about a deadly enemy called Satan, and the apostle Peter says in I Peter 5:8 that followers of God should “be sober, be vigilant, because their adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”.  His main objective is to kill and destroy the human soul, which is what Jesus said in John 10, as opposed to Jesus, who came to give people life.  Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, who seeks to give us life, and to give it to us more abundantly.

        In John 8, Jesus had a conversation with the religious leaders of His day, and accused them of being like their father the devil, and being guilty of pursuing the lusts which he promotes.  Jesus calls the devil a murderer from the very beginning of time, who has never promoted the truth, because he never had any truth in him.  Jesus called him a liar and the father of lies, and accused the religious leaders of believing the devil instead of believing Him, even though He was the one telling them the truth.

        One of the ways that the devil attacks people is by his deception and lies, just like he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden.  When he approached Eve, the devil took on the form of a serpent and questioned her about what God had told her and Adam about eating fruit from the trees of the garden.  So she told him they could not eat of the tree in the middle of the garden, and eating from it would cause their death.  The devil disagreed with what she said, and convinced her that the fruit from the tree would make her and Adam wise, and give them knowledge concerning good and evil.  He also said that eating the fruit of the tree in question would not bring them death. 

        Jesus also said that people should be more fearful of the ability of the devil to kill their soul, more fearful than his ability to kill their body.  He is more dangerous than any shark.

Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For information, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.