“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.” Genesis 3:1
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.
From the beginning we have had an enemy, and there has been a war for our souls.
The Devil’s schemes
In order to defeat any enemy, you have to know their strategy. There are examples throughout the Bible of Satan and his schemes. From the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, his strategy was to cause Eve to doubt. As Christians, we want to believe, but it is easy to let fear rob us of the peace that God can provide. We can wrestle for control in situations that we can’t fix, and let our minds wreck havoc with what ifs and worry. If Satan can cause us to doubt God’s faithfulness, he can lead us to take matters in our own hands.
In Job Satan tried everything. First, his family was killed, then his material objects were destroyed. Job not only lost his health, but even his wife and friends weren’t supportive. Like with Job, Satan will try anything to steal our faith and cause hope to be lost.
Satan even tempted Jesus. If Jesus isn’t above reproach, we certainly aren’t! Satan knew after forty days in the wilderness, the best ways to tempt Jesus were through his hunger, scripture, and to offer him control.
Jesus shows us how to overcome
In Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus overcame Satan by his knowledge of the word. Make no mistake, Satan knows scripture. If we don’t, we can be mislead by a variation of the truth.
Jesus’ response to Satan was “Away from me”. James 4:7 states “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Know your Enemy
If we are not aware of Satan’s tactics, it will be harder to withstand the attack. Satan knows the best way to seduce, trick, and deceive.
Ephesians 6:10-11 warn us to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.“
If we do not prepare for an attack we risk falling. 1 Corinthians 10:12
Some of his tactics are subtle. They sneak in almost unannounced, until the foothold and small opportunity Satan saw leads to a stronghold and complete destruction. For example:
- Discouragement
- Defeat
- Insecurity
- Addiction
- Resentment
- Debt
- Distractions
Satan can’t have our salvation ( Ephesians 2:8-9), it was bought at the cost of Jesus’ blood. However; he can cripple us from making an impact. He will study and use our weakness to hurt our effectiveness. “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise.” Ephesians 5:15
“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.” Deuteronomy 4:9
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
Jesus has abundant life for us. Let’s not sell ourselves short by not paying attention to the Devil’s tactics. His evil design is to separate you from your God, and to steal any good and perfect gift, as they all come from the Lord. James 1:17