Isaiah 14:16
“They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;”
The Devil is the biggest fraud who has ever existed. He promises things he cannot deliver. He threatens with things that he cannot do. He presents himself as someone who he is not. Sadly, most Christians, if not all, have at some time or another yielded to his offers or threats.
The verse above reminds us who the Devil really is. God says that one day the Christian will ask, “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;” One day we will look at the Devil and realize that we were afraid of someone whom we really had no reason to be afraid of. When that day comes, we will realize that we yielded to someone's threats or accepted offers that he could not deliver.
Christian, the Devil will promise many things that he cannot and will not deliver. He will promise position when he cannot deliver position. He said in verse 13, “I will ascend into heaven…” Though the Devil thought he could deliver position, he instead was cast into Hell. The Devil will promise you all kinds of position if you will just live his lifestyle or compromise truth, but you must always remember that God is the One Who gives position. Any position the Devil promises he cannot give.
Moreover, the Devil will promise power, but he has no power to give. He said in verse 13, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…”Yet, the power that he sought he couldn’t get himself. The Devil may promise you the power to do what you want to do, but he fails to tell you that he didn't have the power himself to keep God from casting him out of Heaven. All the power that is promised to you by the Devil and his servants in the world will never happen. Stop yielding to the temptations of the Devil, for all his promises are empty.
Furthermore, the Devil promises pleasure but can only deliver death. The pleasure that the Devil promises will only weaken and destroy you. You may think that the pleasures the world promises will fulfill your desires, but those pleasures that you partake of will leave you empty and desiring more. The pleasures the Devil promises are destructive and lead to death.
Friend, you have no reason to be afraid of the Devil. Notice that the verse above calls him a “man.” He can do nothing to the Christian. 1 John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” I’m afraid Christians are running scared of the Devil when the Scriptures make it very clear that the power which lies within them is greater than the power of the world. Yes, the Devil’s threats seem real, but always remember that the Devil’s threats are just that, they are threats.
It is time, Christian, to believe in the power of God. Believe the promises of God. Understand that the Devil can’t fulfill any promise he offers. On the other hand, God can, will and does fulfill every promise. He is the One to Whom you should listen. He is the One Whom you should follow. The next time the Devil offers you something or threatens you, just remind him of his destiny, that he has no power over you, and just continue following what the LORD has commanded you to do.