It was one of those odd, awful stories with which the daily news is often filled. A trained killer whale at Sea World in Orlando, Florida attacked one of its handlers during a public performance, resulting in the woman’s death.

As shocking as the event itself was, the history behind it was even more disturbing — this same orca had previously killed two other people, in separate incidents a few years apart. Despite this, the orca was continuing to appear in shows and interact with human beings, both on stage and off.

When I first heard the report, I was reminded of that old fable about the frog and the scorpion. The two creatures found themselves on a rock in the middle of a river as the tide began to rise. As the frog made ready to swim away, the scorpion pleaded with the amphibian to carry it to safety. The frog refused, saying, “You’ll sting me.”

“Nonsense,” the scorpion retorted. “If I stung you, you would die and I would drown. Why would I do that?”

Reluctantly, the frog agreed to the rescue. As the frog swam across the rushing current, the scorpion stabbed it with its poisonous tail. “Now we’ll both die!” cried the frog with its last departing breath. “Why did you do such a terrible thing?”

Came the reply: “I’m a scorpion. It’s what I do.”

Just as frogs and scorpions can’t actually reason or speak, neither can killer whales. But I suppose that if the orca at Sea World Orlando could respond to the question, “Why did you kill those three people?” its answer might be much the same — “I’m a killer whale. It’s what I do.”

No matter how much human training it receives, an aggressive carnivorous animal will always be exactly that. I remember once spending a day with my wife and our then-small daughter at the local theme park then known as Marine World, and going to see the lion and tiger show. The man who owned the big cats clearly loved his animals and treated them with affection. As he told the audience, however, he never forgot that they were still wild animals. They were trained, yet not tamed. Whenever he was in the cage with his ferocious felines, he commanded their respect, he watched carefully for any signal of aggression, and he never — ever — completely turned his back on them.

The Scripture warns us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan may disguise himself in all manner of ways, and use every trick of subtle deception to ensnare us. We must always remember what he is — a demon, bound for eternal condemnation, who desires as much company in hell as he can gather.

It’s no accident that Peter was chosen by God to write the inspired words quoted above. This was the same man who, on the night when Jesus would be betrayed, boasted of his loyalty and willingness to follow his Master, even to the death. Jesus cautioned him, saying, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:31-32). Mere hours later, Peter would deny three times that he even knew Jesus.

No matter how innocuous Satan’s devices may appear, we can never afford to forget for an instant who he is, and what he’s up to. It’s so easy for us to say, “I could give in just this once,” and begin a path that leads us away from God. It happened to such good men as Noah, Lot, Moses, Aaron, and Solomon. Instead, we must “resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:9).

A killer whale will always be a killer whale. A scorpion will always be a scorpion. Satan will always try to destroy us. Why? Because he’s the devil. It’s what he does.