Not Ignorant Of His Devices

(2 Cor. 2:1-11) "We are not ignorant of his devices..."

Paul said, the devil would not take advantage of us, because we are not ignorant of his devices.

But, I think many Christians don’t have a clue as to what is going on in the spiritual world.

There is a spiritual war going on in the life of every person, especially God’s people.

The devil will attack lost members of your family to keep them from Christ, and hurt you as a Christian.

He will do anything and everything to ruin people’s lives.

AND MOST ARE IGNORANT OF HIS DEVICES.

Five things the Bible makes clear about the devil...

1. He is a leader. [John 8:44] "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do..."

> He leads his followers to perform his lusts!

> He leads people as a father leads his children.

> Those whom he leads, follow!

2. He is a murderer. [John 8:44] "...He was a murderer from the beginning..."

> The Bible says Cain, the first murderer on earth, was of that wicked one.

> Behind every murder is a demon, sent from the devil.

3. He is a liar. [John 8:44] "When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it..."

> All lying begins in the heart of the devil, and ends in the heart of the speaker.

4. He desires to destroy God’s people. Jesus told Simon Peter, "Simon, satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat..."

[1 Pet.] "satan walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour..."

> He would destroy you if God let him.

5. He will do whatever necessary to keep lost people from getting saved (2 Cor 4:3-4).

> He will hide the gospel from their minds.

> He will blind the minds of them that believe not.

Still Paul said we could avoid allowing the devil to take advantage of us, if we were not ignorant of his devices.

The Devil’s Devices

I. He is Subtle (Eph. 6:11).

A. The "wiles" of the devil.

1. Greek "methodeia" - where we get our word METHOD.

> The methods of the devil.

2. You may go through your life without much planning or direction...

> But I guarantee you, the devil has a methodical plan to ruin you.

3. You may be ignorant of the devil’s devices...

> But, if you are a Christian, or the family member of a Christian, then devil has his plans for you!

B. Subtlety (2 Cor. 11:3).

1. "But I fear..."

> As I look upon the absolute chaos in our world...

> As I consider the direction of our young people...

> As I see the next generation headed toward destruction and ruin...

> I FEAR!

> I’m afraid it’s going to take more than just casual involvement to get a hold of this...

> Weve got to wake up & LOOK AROUND

2. "Lest by any means..."

> He will use any means to destroy you.

> He will use Money; Career; Fame...

> He will use your FAMILY to ruin you...

3. "As the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety..."

> By his cleverness.

> By his sly approach.

> He is not going to confront you head on, but is going to TRICK YOU.

> 35% of all internet teen-age chat room guests are ADULT PERVERTS.

> They pretend to be teen-age girls or boys, and lure unsuspecting young people.

> THAT IS EXACTLY HOW THE DEVIL WORKS.

> He pretends to be something he’s not so that he can lure you.

4. "So your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."

> He wants to corrupt your mind!

> Talk to a young person, and you will find that they have no clue as to why they do certain things...

> "Why are you doing that?"

> "I Don’t Know!"

> How can they not know why they are doing something?

> Because the devil has corrupted their minds!

II. He Changes the Way You Think.

A. The Apostle Paul feared that our "MINDS would be corrupted..."

1. Evidently the devil has the ability to put thoughts INTO our minds.

> He can plant ideas and desires into our minds.

2. A person who is ignorant of his devices thinks its her own thought.

> When a thought comes into your mind, do you stop to consider if perhaps the devil put it there?

> No! We don’t think that way.

> We just assume it was our own thought, and process it as if it was!

B. Three things the devil always puts into the head of those he oppresses: