Imagine the following comments from the devil to people thinking they should be afraid of him.
      "What? You're surely not afraid of me, are you??!! After all, how could someone as adorable as me scare anybody?  Why, even children love me, once they've had a chance to see how soft and cuddly I am! Can't you look in my eyes and tell I wouldn't hurt you? So what is it? Is it this pitchfork I carry around with me? Aaawww...it's nothing but a toy...really. Maybe it's because of all the terrible things so many say about me. I get blamed for all the bad stuff that goes on. But listen - things just happen, you know? I'm glad we've had this little talk, and I hope we can be friends and share some laughs together. What do you say, huh?"
      Do you think this monologue by the devil is a little far-fetched? If so, I'd like to ask you to give it another thought. From what we're told in Scripture about his nature, this approach is entirely conceivable as a means by which the devil tries to deceive us. After all, we make jokes about the devil. Could this be one reason we hear so much about "harmless," "victim-less" crimes, such as pornography and prostitution? Some say that those lured into pornography, those who use and abuse boys/men and girls/women for ungodly, selfish gratification are only doing what is natural! A number of these people try to make us believe that even the victims of such depravity often enjoy the experience, and no one is harmed! Please! Don't insult our intelligence!!
      This is just one of many ways people can be baited by what some see as the "attractiveness" of the world's thinking. After all, it is so innocent...and, at the same time, so...intelligent and "sophisticated"! But Jesus' apostles had a few things to say about the deceitfulness of our spiritual enemy. Here are just a couple of their warnings:
      "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:11) "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
      In spite of the devil's power and deceitfulness, the child of God can have great confidence in the promise that our enemy will be defeated. The apostle John was given a vision of the final defeat of "the great dragon - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray." (Revelation 12:9) Toward the end of Revelation, John records the culminating victory of God over the devil and everything that is evil. "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur...." (Revelation 20:10)
      We need to beware of the devil, because he does exist and he is powerful. But he isn't as powerful as God.