The Devil's Math

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." 2 Cor. 11:3

The redeemed sinner walks in the light of the gospel, unburdened by sin and rejoicing in the grace freely given by his Savior. He knows that the gospel, pure and untainted, is his treasure. Yet he must beware of the devil’s dark arithmetic, hoping to rob the child of God of his joy.

Addition

Satan would have the Christian believe that the gospel, in its simplicity, is insufficient—too easy, too free. He whispers of adding rules, marks, duties, and rituals, slyly urging him to take on the yoke of legalism. “If thou art truly saved,” Satan says, “then thou must also do thus and so, and behave thusly.” He seeks to turn the free man into a slave once more, laying burdens upon the soul that Christ never intended. But the redeemed sinner knows that nothing can be added to the finished work of Christ. It is a complete work, spoken with the finality of “It is finished.”

Subtraction

Yet Satan is not content with addition alone; he will also use subtraction. The devil knows that a diminished gospel is a powerless gospel. He entices the heart to set aside the hard truths of Scripture, to soften the call to repentance, to omit the free offer, to remove the fearsome reality of sin and judgment. He whispers that a comfortable, palatable gospel will be more welcome, more loved. But the redeemed sinner knows that such a gospel is but a hollow shell. He must take all that God has spoken, bitter and sweet, for to lose even a part of the truth is to lose the gospel itself. The full counsel of God, in all its majesty and severity, is his only hope and his only joy.

Substitution

If addition and subtraction won’t work, Satan would also substitute. He offers the Christian heart countless counterfeits, urging him to trade the glory of Christ for the pleasures of this world. “Set your heart on wealth, reputation, comfort,” he whispers. “Put aside thy cross and take up pleasure.” But the believer is awake. He knows that Christ alone can satisfy the longing of his soul. He will not trade eternal riches for the empty promises of earth. To do so would be to barter gold for dust, to leave the fountain of life for salt water.

Multiplication

The devil, never satisfied, also multiplies. He delights in confusion, in clouding the mind with endless distractions and doubts. He plants question upon question until the soul is ensnared in a web of anxiety. “Is this truly God’s Word?” he asks. “Does He really care for you?” “Aren't you deceiving yourself?” “Look at your sin.” Soon, the mind is overwhelmed, the peace of the gospel swallowed up in a sea of speculation. But the redeemed sinner keeps his gaze fixed upon Christ, holding fast to the simplicity of faith, unmoved by the devil’s multiplying doubts. He rests in the Word, trusting that the truth shall make him free, knowing that the light of Christ dispels all darkness.

Division

Finally, Satan delights in division. He sends the little foxes of discord among brethren, stirring up pride, bitterness, jealousy, and suspicion. He divides the body of Christ, setting believer against believer, so that the church, fractured and weak, loses her power. But the believing soul cherishes unity, for he sees in it a similitude of the Godhead. He loves the fellowship of saints, laboring to keep the peace, knowing that where love and truth abide, there is the kingdom of God.

Thus, the redeemed sinner, also a saint, knows the devil’s math. He will neither add nor subtract, neither substitute nor multiply, nor divide the truth of the gospel. Instead, he rests in its glorious simplicity: Christ crucified, Christ risen, Christ reigning. In this arithmetic, there is no shadow of turning. The gospel math is simple. Here, and here alone, the redeemed sinner finds his everlasting joy.