The devil has lots of counterfeit ways to rival God and derail us. If he had 10 commandments, they might resemble this.

1. Have other gods like me, says the devil. In other words, worship anything but God the Almighty Creator! The devil doesn’t want you to know God so he encourages you to find other things more to his liking…like alcohol abuse, arguments; making a career out of chasing power, fame, or glory.

2. Make a carved image, which you can bow before and worship. The devil wants to make a fool of you before God. He might say to God, “Look at that person bowing down before an object he, a human, created as a substitute for a spiritual God. He thinks he can pray to it and it will help him with his dilemma.

3. Take the Lord’s Name in vain. Perhaps the devil wants God to hear you every time you blaspheme? As if to say, “See how much they honor you; they have made your name a cussword. “By the way, the word vain means without value or importance! What an insult to use God’s name in this way.

4. Forget the Sabbath! By forgetting the Sabbath and not keeping it holy, you run the risk of forgetting God and not keeping Him holy … just what Satan wants you to do!

5. Dishonor your father and mother. The Devil is jealous of God and of anyone you pay attention to other than him. Fathers, mothers, and families, where love can thrive, is what he wants to destroy When you dishonor them, you honor evil … and when you add a D to the word, evil, it spells Devil.

6. Murder is okay! 

7. So, is adultery!

8. So, is stealing!

9. And, lying,

10. And, coveting anything of your neighbor’s. 

What??? We don’t need college degrees to understand the above actions (6-10) will get you into real trouble and even bring about disorder, arguments, fights, murder, and suicide. In other words, bring Hell down upon us on Earth. The devil’s perversion of God’s commandments affects more than just ourselves, it touches others, communities, even nations! The devil delights when he separates us from God and others!

It is plain and simple when we do any of the above devilish things, only trouble can follow, and who knows where that may lead? But just as easy to understand is when we strive to abide by God’s Top Ten, and work to live them, life’s highway is smoother and our relationship with others much nicer!

God’s commandments are God-given Guidelines on how to live a better life. In fact, He gave us two promises in the Bible about them. In Exodus 20:6, God assures us that He is “…showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.” In Verse 12, He lets us know He is giving us His Top Ten list so “that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”  

And, God didn’t just give these commands once, but twice! They are that important to our well-being. Think about it, if I lie, cheat, steal, covet my neighbor’s wife, horse, car, and act on it; something not very nice will happen to me! Why even go there? 

Jesus lived out these God-given commands in front of the people He lived with and condensed them down to two, maybe so we imperfect humans could remember them? He even said in Matthew 22:40 “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” So what are they?

When asked by a lawyer, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38)

Then He went on to say… “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

I am no great psychologist but doesn’t this mean if we do evil to our neighbor, we are doing evil to ourselves? And, in the end, aren’t we are hurting ourselves more than them? 

God gave us commandments to keep us AWAY from sin and harm. Shouldn’t we be thanking Him and telling the devil to get behind us when he tries to tempt us with power, fame, and glory? Jesus said no to these very things when the devil confronted Him in the desert. Jesus knew that his human side could take over his spiritual side, just as it can with us. He fought off the devil with God’s own words! We can do the same!

My friend told me about Rev. Adrian Rogers. She said something like this: “If God said, ‘Thou shalt…’ then help yourself to the blessing! If God said, ‘Thou shalt not,’ He is saying that it will hurt you.” The commandments are words of God’s love to keep us from harm!

Open your Bibles and begin reading what God himself and His Son have to say about living life to its fullest. Exodus 20:3-17. Matthew 22:37-40.