WEEK 3
THE TACTICS OF OUR ENEMY
We need to know not only the nature of the enemy of our eternal spirits, Satan, but also his tactics. A knowledge of the devil's methods better equips us both to discern the devil at work and to know better how to resist him and withstand his assaults.
Satan's primary tool is deception. He works through the processes of our minds in an attempt to get us to call good "bad" and bad "good." He is a master of twisting the truth and veiling what is harmful to us so it appears to be beneficial.
The devil is an expert at appearances, disguises, and false illusions. He is the master counterfeiter. The best counterfeits, of course, are objects that are most like the genuine articles. The devil specializes in "good fakes." He comes at us in a way that is appealing and appears to be very spiritual and totally acceptable. Paul referred to the devil as an "angel of light," one who is masquerading as one of God's holy angels. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)
Satans's best efforts are those in which a person under demonic influence appears to be doing something that is good, right, or noble, when, in fact, the person is operating from evil motives and for evil ends. Ultimately, the darkness in an evil person will be revealed and will destroy the person, but often not until many others are deceived and are living according to Satan's purposes.
Who are Satan's best vehicles of deception? Satan's best human agents are not the drunks sitting on a downtown street corner or the gang members who terrorize a neighborhood. Everybody knows that these people are either the victims of or the perpetuators of something that is bad. No, Satan's best agents are the brilliant, well-dressed, "successful" people who claim that they have made their way in life totally on their own intellect and skill, who refuse to acknowledge God or His son, Jesus Christ, and who are fountains of all sorts of false philosophies. They operate in a wide variety of religions and "isms" around the world--including the religions of secularism and humanism, which worship the idols of human achievement.
These expert agents of Satan appear to be well-intentioned people who have the needs and concerns of others at heart (others nearly always being their own followers or the people they can control and manipulate). In reality, they are self-centered, godless people who are motivated by a greed for possessions and a lust for personal power.
Satan is often depicted as a bright red creature with a long pointed tail and horns growing out of his head. Believe me, if that was what Satan really looked like, nobody would be deceived by him. They would see him coming a mile away! Satan's tactics and "appearance"--which includes the way his demons work--are much more subtle. Only those who truly are discerning are able to see him at work.
The more Satan watches our lives and knows about us, the more veiled his tactics become. He rarely attacks a person head-on at their strengths. Rather, he discovers their weaknesses and bores into them over time, chipping away at their lives with persistence and increasing subtlety. It's as if the devil says, "Well, they saw through that and didn't buy my lie, so let me see if I can hide my intent a little and try another tactic that won't be so easily recognized." The more we resist the devil, the more clever and veiled are the devil's deceptions. Over time, this can reach the point where Jesus said that even those who were the strongest, most committed Christians would be in danger of becoming deceived (Matthew 24:24).
*What does the Word of God say to you in the following verses? Matthew 24:24; Ephesians 4:14-15.
1. Can you recall a time when you were deceived into thinking that something bad was good? That something good was bad?
2. Have you ever had an experience in which you were led astray by someone who seemed to be acting for good on your behalf, but who eventually was revealed as a person who was manipulating you in a way that was evil in God's eyes?
3. What new insights do you have about your enemy?
4. Recall a specific instance of being deceived. At what point were you aware that you were deceived? How did it feel to be deceived--both before and after the deception became apparent to you?