A Life in Exile

If you’ve ever watched a baseball game, you may have been intrigued by a system of signals between pitchers and catchers or coaches and base players. They tug on their ears, hit different points of their arms, or show a specific number of fingers all to communicate the next play or throw. The average person can’t understand, and that’s the point—this is a private line—members only.

People go to university to study communications. It’s a huge field and has applications for every area of work and society. As Christians, we understand the importance of communication, as God has revealed Himself and His plan from earliest of time through His Spirit and the written Word. Jesus is that communication made flesh, as He lived out what it looks like to know and serve God in perfection and holiness. He also communicated God’s love for us through His sacrificial death on the cross.

Yet, God is not the only one communicating. Satan is actively at work, communicating through his demons and those given over to his ways in hopes of tripping us up and steering us off the path of righteous living. Much like the communication on the baseball field, the wicked have their own methods. Solomon recognized this and wanted to make sure his son and generations to come are watchful.

A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. (Proverbs 6:12-15 ESV)

There are several signs of this demonic communication.

Crooked speech

Sometimes I wonder if it’s my age, but I clearly remember the first time I went into the office of a cellphone company after we returned to the United States from twenty years overseas. I was listening carefully to the salesperson talk about phones and plans, but I was not following. When the receipt printed out, it must have been three feet long. I thought, “What have I gotten us into?”

This is a common trait among salespeople since the earliest of times. Keep talking, whether the customer is following or not.

Now, I’m not saying all salespeople are crooked, but just using the techniques of some as an example of what we see in the worthless or wicked man who is looking to deceive by crooked speech. Instead of straight talk that reveals his true intentions, the wicked uses words to entice and trick us into accepting the lie or accepting bad as good. If you are not sure of a person’s intentions by what they are saying, don’t blindly give in or agree. Ask questions, search backgrounds, seek God’s guidance. Putting space between a person’s pitch and your decision to follow allows for discernment to shed light on the situation.

Winks and signals

As one who has lived in the Middle East, winking is a big red flag for me. It is always considered a trait of a shifty person, so I’m cautious already in this area. Reading Solomon’s words affirms this practice, as he tells us to beware of a person who winks with his eyes. It’s not only the winks that should cause us to question a person’s intentions, but the use of signals with other body parts as well.

The use of signaling with eyes, feet, and fingers reminds me of movie scenes of gamblers, where games are won and lost by signals, leaving the poor unsuspecting victim with empty pockets and doused hopes. Why would a person need to signal anything while speaking? Because he either has an accomplice helping him trick you or he’s using the distraction of these actions to move your focus off his words.

If a person is speaking to you with too much animation, take time to step back and ask them to repeat what they’ve said. Focus on the words and not the actions to gain an understanding of their purpose. You will save yourself a lot of pain and loss if you avoid such tricksters.

The heart and purpose behind crooked speech

The wicked do not speak truth; instead, they twist words and use signals to convey trickery. Their purpose, because it’s from Satan, is to sow discord and disunity. When, just before His death, the Lord Jesus prayed for His disciples and all who would believe, His prayer was for unity. His greatest desire is that we would be united with God and each other, as the Father and Son are united.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:20-23, emphasis added)

The person who devises evil and works to sow discord is doing the work of the evil one, who is the father of all lies (John 8:44). As angels of light, they deceive with offers of greatness that lead only to death and despair. When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is crooked speech in disguise. Beware.

Their end is sure

Thankfully, we know the end of the story. Evil has an expiration date, and it is sure to come. God will have the final say for the one who goes the way of the wicked and brings harm to His children. Solomon, in his wisdom, knew the truth: “Calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.”

While we can rest in God’s justice, we are called to be alert. Stand firm in the truth of God’s Word and ask the Spirit to keep your hearing sharp and discerning. The enemy is out to get you.

 Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Friday Focus post, click HERE, or start this Walking in Wisdom series from the beginning.