No Deals with the Devil

A bear hunter was walking through the forest one day when he finally found what he was looking for. He got his gun ready, lowered his sights, exhaled, and began to squeeze the trigger when the bear suddenly turned around and said, “Excuse me, but isn’t it better to talk than to shoot?”

The hunter, trying to recover from the shock of an animal talking to him, didn’t know what to say.

“Can’t we negotiate the matter?” the bear continued. “What is it that you’re looking for?”

“I’m looking for a fur coat,” the hunter replied.

“Ah!” said the bear. “Well, I’m looking for a full stomach. Let’s have a discussion about it, and perhaps we can reach a compromise.”

“All right then,” said the hunter, and the two disappeared into the forest.

A while later, the bear came out of the forest alone. Apparently, the negotiations were successful, and everyone got what they wanted. The bear got a full stomach, and the hunter got a fur coat.

It’s the same way when you try to strike a deal with the Devil. You’ll always be the loser. That’s why the Bible tells us, “Nor give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27 NKJV). The New International Version puts it this way: “Do not give the devil a foothold.”

The Devil is evil, the Devil is wicked, and the Devil is cunning. He’s been honing his craft for a long time now. He knows that he cannot bring a believer down in one fell swoop, so he tries to dismantle him or her a little at a time. He does this through his strategic and very effective tool of compromise.

Show me a Christian who’s starting to compromise, and I’ll show you a Christian who’s headed toward ruin.

So be forewarned: don’t get into deals with the Devil, because you’ll lose every time.