But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his craftiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11;3
There is an interesting word used in this section of a passage from Paul. The Greek word is “panourgia”. It is a combination of two words “all” or “every” and “deed”. It comes to mean someone who will do anything to accomplish a nefarious scheme or goal. Here it is translated as craftiness. The devil schemes and uses any device that he can to keep us from the simplicity of Christ and the Gospel. The Gospel is pretty simple. God loved the world so much He sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish. We tend to make it hard. We need to be protected from that tendency and the devils wiles too.
“0 Lord, seek us — 0 Lord, find us
In Thy patient care;
Be Thy love before, behind us,
Round us, everywhere.
Lest the god of this world blind us,
Lest he speak us fair,
Lest he forge a chain to bind us,
Lest he bait a snare.
Turn not from us, call to mind us,
Find, embrace us, bear;
Be Thy love before, behind us,
Round us, everywhere.”
Christina Rosetti
