"But Elymas the magician was opposing the Apostles, seeking to turn the Proconsul away from the faith. But Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, ‘You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?’" Acts 13:8-10

Paul and Barnabas were making headway in witnessing to Sergius Paulus, the Proconsul when a Jewish false prophet began causing problems. As we see in our text, Elymas’ goal was to turn the Proconsul away from the true faith. He was twisting the straight ways of the Lord and making God’s true way appear crooked.

Paul recognized that this man was doing the work of Satan and being filled with the Holy Spirit cried out, -"You son of the devil!" By the power of the Almighty Paul struck the enemy blind! The Proconsul was already amazed at the teaching of the Lord but it was this miracle that caused him to believe and accept the Gospel.

Wherever the truth is proclaimed the devil’s servants are never far away. In the shadows they devise plans to discredit or distort the truth and the straight ways of the Lord."Strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." (Heb.12)

If the man of God is too powerful in the Word for them to successfully distort his message they will attack the messenger and attempt to discredit the man. The enemies of God falsely accuse His true servants relentlessly. Paul wrote of how often he was in danger from false brethren.

 Although these men thought they were right and that Paul’s teachings were wrong, they were deceivers, and were deceived themselves, -"But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Ti.3)

The idea that God has relaxed His firm standard is not only untrue, but is dangerous. God does not change and Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. God is holy and He demands that His children live holy. Jesus said that the way to eternal life was both straight and narrow but that the road to destruction was wide. On the straight way to life there is no room for compromise.

Let us always beware of those who seek to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord.