You've seen the television shows that "make-over" people so they are hardly recognizable even to those who know them. Experts are brought in to choose just the right clothes, hairstyle, and makeup for them. They look and even act like different people. Paul says that sometimes Satan does the same thing - he "...transforms himself into an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14). It's a clear warning to those of us who think we know him. But we need to take this a little farther to see it in our current culture.
What do you suppose an "angel of light" is like? In Scripture, light is a consistent metaphor for the pure nature of God and the way of righteousness (1 Tim. 6:16; James 1:17; 1 John 1:5). Darkness is the way of sin from which we have been called "...into His marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9). So, an "angel of light" would be a "messenger" or someone who presents himself as being consistent with the nature of God and the way of righteousness and one who claims and appears to be in "His marvelous light." It is someone who is an advocate for the things of "light" (righteousness and truth) over the things of "darkness" (sin and error).
So, the obvious point of 2 Corinthians 11:14 is that things aren't always as they appear. False apostles and deceitful workers don't always wear black hats. It's an old trick: "...as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is Christ" (2 Cor. 11:3). Now this may state the obvious, but Satan only needs to masquerade himself and his ways when people are truly interested in the light and in avoiding darkness. Just how hard does he have to try to disguise himself today?
Do we think nothing of letting Satan enter our houses through our TV's and portray fornication in front of us? Where is the masquerade? Do we laugh over Satan's silly drunken behavior? Do we accept his greed and covetousness and selfish ambitions as success and happiness? Where is the deception? When lewdness is style, lies are the "loving" thing, and heresies are just being politically correct, Satan doesn't even need to wear a mask. Why would Satan pretend to bear the fruit of the Spirit when the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-23) are the accepted norm?
It should come as a shock to us that Satan generally need not mask himself among us, but it gets worse. If Satan were to disguise himself as an angel of light, it would likely seriously harm his influence today. Angels of light are not popular on TV or in the movies. Angels of light are not generally elected to government office. Angels of light are not tolerated long in pulpits. Angels of light seem boring on dates or backward, weird, judgmental, or hateful.
Look at Satan. The mask is off and he is not hiding. Pure evil is before us. We must not harden our hearts (Heb. 3:8, 13) or allow our consciences to be seared (1 Tim. 4:2). Actively "Set your mind on things above, not on the things on earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:2-4). Satan is not afraid to show himself in our world today. Look at him and his filthy, evil, death-filled world. Look at Jesus and His pure, righteous, eternal life-filled kingdom. Take a good, long look. The masquerade is over. The choice is clear.
- thinkonthesethings.com