The Nature and Tactics of Satan

 

"...the whole world is under the sway of the evil one." 1 John 5:19

 

Christians are engaged in a spiritual war, and Satan's armies will attack us. We can count on it, and we had better be prepared! 

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"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against  the rulers of the darkness of this age and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."   Ephesians 6:11-13

The Nature of Satan

1. Created by God, not equal to God   2. Defies God and despises truth   3. Was given limited power   4. Was defeated at Calvary   5. Rules the masses outside God’s protection   6. Commands an army of demons   7. Tries to keep unbelievers from knowing God   8.  Tries to keep believers from....  following God & fulfilling His purpose recognizing their enemy & his schemes   9. Works through a hierarchy of evil spirits 10. Returns at "opportune times" (Luke 4:13)

 

Therefore... 

 “Be sober, be vigilant;

because your adversary, the devil, 

walks about like a roaring lion, 

seeking whom he may devour.”   

1 Peter 5:8

Enemy Tactics

Strategies	How to resist
Temptation	Know your vulnerable areas
Lies & half-truths	Know Truth well enough to discern error
Deception	Understand his schemes
Intimidation	Stand firm in Christ
Fear	Count on God’s promises
Theft	Protect your inheritance
Murder	Hide in Jesus

Satan's army of demons study you to discover your personal weaknesses,  
so its warriors can custom design your temptations -- those that fits your wants.

Three kinds of temptation

How they are enhanced by the consensus process

	Body	Soul	Spirit
Lures:	food, sex...	clothes, car...	praise, power, fame
Approach:	books, movies, ads...	pressure to conform	false praise & promises, re-imagining God, His Word and His ways
1 John 2:15-17	"lust of the flesh"	"lust of the eyes"	"pride of life"
Genesis 3:6	"good for food"	"delight to the eyes"	"make one wise"
Ephesians 2:3	"desires of the flesh"	"desires... of the mind"	"according to... the spirit ... of disobedience"
Eph 6:17  Wield the “Sword of the Spirit" - the Word of God	Rom. 12:1  "...present your bodies” to God	Rom. 12:2  "do not be conformed to this world…."	Rom. 12:3  "Don’t "think of [your] self more highly than [you] ought…”

 

Today's sophisticated high tech version of the dialectic process has raised the pressure to compromise and yield to temptations. Refined for our times, it was first demonstrated in the Garden of Eden. Look at the dialogue in Genesis 3:1-5 and ponder the familiar process:

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?" [1]

And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ [2]

 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." [3]

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"

So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." [4]

And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"

Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." [5]

And the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"

The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." [5]

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Notes:

1. This question illustrates the "critical thinking" strategy used to change the "fixed beliefs" and values of children everywhere. It begins by challenging or questioning current beliefs, raising doubts about the validity of truth.

2  Eve is slightly confused (cognitive dissonance) and changes God's command slightly. Already, her position or convictions based on truth is becoming shaky.

3. Satan presents a counterfeit promise -- a half-truth that sounds believable -- to Eve if only she would rebel against God and eat the forbidden fruit. The reward for choosing to actually experience evil (in contrast to accepting God's command to avoid it) is to see both good and evil from Satan's twisted perspective rather than from God's holy perspective. 

4. Adam feels shame, but not genuine guilt. He cannot see sin from God's perspective.

5. No longer able to see good and evil from God's perspective, neither Adam nor Eve repent. Instead, they rationalize their sin and blame others.

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