It is the Cross that delivers us from the power of Satan and slavery to the corruption of this world.
Realising this, Satan rages against those who turn to the Cross. The Cross brings judgement upon the evil of the world but delivers those who embrace it from the world. Satan is not threatened if we embrace the doctrines or the institution of Christianity; in fact he may well encourage it. He knows that the good that comes from the Tree of Knowledge is just as deadly as the evil and far more deceptive. Human goodness is an affront to the Cross and is used as a compensation for it. It deludes us into thinking that if we do more 'good' we will be accepted by the Father, thereby placing us above the need for the sacrifice of His Son.
As long as we embrace anything religious, other than the Cross, Satan welcome it. Why? when we turn to the Cross, Satan's power over us is completely broken; at that point we march out of his dominion into the glorious liberty of the Spirit - a relationship with God.
The greatest opposition to the embracing of the Cross and the true liberty of the Spirit will be religious man and not the demon; for the demon were not the ones who persecuted Jesus; infact they bowed down to Him and submitted themselves. It is the religious man who crucified Jesus; religious man who were moral and conservative.
The greatest persecution against true faith will always come from those who have been converted in their minds and not in their hearts! These are those who live by the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil instead of the Tree of Life. Their true devotion will be to intellectual comprehension of doctrines in place of a living relationship with God and compliance with His will!
Remember in Matthew 7:21: Jesus warned that not every one who said to Him "Lord, Lord." will enter the Kindom of Heaven; but he who does the will of His Father who is in heaven.
We will only know true doctrine if we esteem doing His will above just knowing the doctrine, as Jesus explained, "If any man is willing to do His will, He shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself." - John 7:17
A person can desire truth for many different reasons, some of which are evil such as pride, self-justification or even fear. It is only those who have a love for the Truth who will not be deceived in the evil day. Those who love the Truth do want their doctrines to be accuratge and pure. We will only have accuratge and pure doctrines if we love the God of Truth more than the truths of God.
It is not knowing the Book of the Lord that gives life, but knowing the Lord of the Book. we must love the Truth Himself more than we know the individual truths. If we do this, we will love those truths more than we would if we esteemed them more than we do Him.
It is not a matter of having one or the other but knowing which comes first, in proper order.
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