There is subtlety in demonic wisdom promoted by cleverness!
Cleverness is self-promoting and is very subtle. The business world promotes the idea of self-promoting to get ahead.
James wrote by The Holy Spirit in James chapter 3:
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of Wisdom.
In other Words, if you consider yourself to be wise and one who understands the Ways of God, advertise it with a beautiful, fruitful life guided by Wisdom’s gentleness. Never brag or boast about what you’ve done and you’ll prove that you’re truly wise.
I have had to repent countless times about bragging or boasting of my past achievements. How sad! Thankfully, FATHER has more grace and mercy than my failures.
14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking (competition) in your hearts, do not compensate by boasting and lying against the Truth.
15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the Wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield in Love, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James notes the fact that there is a wisdom from the father of lies. It is bitter envy, self-seeking, and it is demonic. It comes from the one who was the most sensible, reasonable, reasoning without Christ, as the defining thought or value. It will take you into a resistance to the things of GOD.
Reasonings without Christ at the center will always take you to unbelief! Why do you think there has been a notable lack of supernatural healings and miracles in most churches today?
Let us return to what Jesus said to His disciples in Mark chapter 8:
13 And Jesus left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.
15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
The disciples were missing the point about having the wrong mindset. Their reasoning was based on the physical senses… insufficient bread.
17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20 “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.”
These men are His close disciples and saw a multitude of miracles. They remembered the physical details but had no clue about how those miracles occurred. They had head knowledge but no understanding.
21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
In other Words, “Then how is it that you still don’t get it?”
James finally “got it” and he wrote by The Holy Spirit in James chapter 1:
22 Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to It, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life!
23 If you listen to the Word and don’t live out the message you hear, you become like the person who looks in the mirror of the Word to discover the reflection of his face in the beginning.
24 You perceive how God sees you in the mirror of the Word, but then you go out and forget your Divine origin.
25 But those who set their gaze deeply into the perfecting Law of liberty are fascinated by and respond to the Truth they hear and are strengthened by it—they experience God’s blessing in all that they do!
Cleverness and worldly wisdom cannot replace walking with a transformed mind renewed by The Word of GOD. Don’t be deceived!