Satan hates you. He hates me too. He hates anyone who loves God. Satan and his demons are crafty, devious enemies of God, and therefore, enemies of ours. Satan first showed his shrewdness in the Bible in Genesis in the Garden of Eden, while speaking with Eve:
Genesis 3:1-7: He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” [2] And the woman said to the serpent, “we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, [3] but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” [4] But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. [5] For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will become opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan used one of his common plays in this passage to trick Eve into eating the Forbidden Fruit.
[6] So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
And so, the first sin.
Throughout the Bible, we can see tell-tale indications of the crafty ploys that Satan uses to turn us away from God. In this episode, I share with you the five common plays that Satan uses, and how you can avoid his evil ploys.
Satan’s Play #1 – Doubt
- Hebrews 12:1-2 – “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” The opposite of doubt is faith.
Satan’s Play #2 – Discourage
- John 14:16-17 – “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another counselor/helper/comforter/encourager to be with you forever.”
Satan’s Play #3 – Divert
- Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Our thoughts breed our feelings which drive our actions.
Satan’s Play #4 – Defeat
- The antidote to defeat is the truth of God.
Satan’s Play #5 – Delay
- James 4:17 – “He who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it sins.” Delaying is a delight to Satan.
3 Steps to Avoid Satan’s Plays
- Remember his tactics.
- Remember these five common tactics that Satan uses to throw our faith off course, and ask the Holy Spirit to give us the power to fight them.
- Eliminate Satan’s repeated attacks.
- Ask for help to get accountability and discipline to guard yourself against Satan’s attacks.
- Remember the fight is not against flesh and blood.
- Defense against Satan’s attacks is more than changing your behavior.
More Resources Available:
- Listen to my sermons on GraceChapel.org
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Have a fantastic week! Go, fight the Devil and pray to God for strength.
