Discerning:- Devil's Deceptive Devices
“A little girl was once asked how she defeats Satan. She said, “When Satan comes knocking at the door of my heart, I send Jesus to answer the door. When Satan sees Jesus, he says, “Ooops, I am sorry, I must have the wrong house.”
Every believer faces temptation and satanic encounter? The Devil is real. The Bible warns us not to be ignorant of Satan’s devices. (2 Corinthians 2:11). The word “Satan’s devices" carries the idea of evil plan, schemes, or an evil intention. We must resist the devil by renouncing his schemes. If you are ignorant of something, it means that you are unaware of the truth of its existence. It is important to know the devices of our enemy, the Devil. Otherwise he is likely to take advantage of us. In fact, Satan is the father of all lies (John 8:44) and his deceptive scheme is built on a lie; he is the master liar. He is a deceiver (Rev. 20:10). He lied to Eve by misrepresenting God, and he has been doing it ever since.
Scripture reveals that he leads an army of fallen angels and his attack is a deliberate assault upon an individual, which is designed to cause spiritual, physical, material, or emotional harm. Satan desires to thwart the Lord's purpose in believers' lives, to rob them of joy and peace, and ultimately to devastate. As in any war, knowing the enemy's plan helps us prepare for the attack. First, be aware that the battlefield takes place in our minds. To walk in a godly manner with Christ, we must first be sure that our thoughts are in submission to Holy Spirit. This takes daily surrender and meditation in God's Word. Second Satan tempts us during vulnerable moments. Be cautious when you are hungry, angry, upset, lonely, and discouraged. Third, Satan is deceptive; we won't recognize the trap as an evil scheme. Instead, it will seem good, and we'll likely wrestle with some sort of doubt. Satan desires to lure us into destructive actions that rob us of God's plan for a good, full.
One of Satan’s strongest weapons is pride. Pride is always a danger, especially when things are going well, such as in times of peace and prosperity (Deuteronomy 8:11-17).Perhaps the best example would be Lucifer himself, who became Satan. Since his creation, he had always lived under God’s perfect rule. Yet eventually his heart was lifted up with pride, and he rebelled (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17). He uses that same device on us now. Paul warns that in these perilous “last days … men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:1-2). Satan attacks right after great spiritual victories or mountaintop experiences, when the danger of pride is greatest. He looks for a weak spot in our armor, and shoots straight for it.
Another powerful device of Satan is envy. This goes all the way back to Cain’s envy of Abel, when Abel was blessed for his offering. Cain thought it wasn’t fair. God knew the attitude of both Cain and Abel, so in His eyes it was totally fair. So what does envy produce? “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:16).
Another tool that Satan uses is the lust for forbidden pleasures. We know that, through Satan’s influence, people don’t like to be told what to do. The “forbidden pleasures” grab people’s attention and focus. Satan makes them seem somehow more enticing and pleasurable than the true pleasures God wants us to have.
Satan also corrupts the minds of people (2 Cor. 11:3). He mixes a little truth with error. He knows that lies bound and cause grief. He also knows that truth sets free. So he tells lies and tries to get us to think pessimistically and cynically about God and His word. When you think negatively about God, it is easy to think skeptically about God. Anyone who causes skepticism concerning God’s Word is doing the work of the deceptive spirit. The best defense against the devil is to be so "God-centered" that we give no place to Satan. In today’s society, we have substituted five such lies against the truth. 1. Relativism, (There is no fixed truth), 2.Subjectivism. (Truth is based on feelings and experiences) 3. Pragmatism, (Do not ask if it’s true, but does it work.) 4. Rationalism. (Human reason and logic) 5. Postmodernism, (There is no absolute truth; it is subjective and individualistic.)
Paul warned about another device of Satan: Itching ears. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).Paul was warning Timothy of a natural tendency of human beings to want to hear new things, smooth things, things that appeal to us. Satan creates or exploits a quirk of human nature that allows even the amazing truths of God to seem boring! We must not fall prey to this weapon of Satan.
There are many other devices Satan uses. For example, Satan has been very effective with what have been called the five Ds. The devil’s five Ds are:
1. Disappointment.
No matter who you are, where you live, what you do for a living, or how much money you have, you have experienced disappointment. Disappointments can be quite painful, regardless of their magnitude. Disappointment can compound into depression or despair, which may lead to serious consequences. Disappointment, jealousy, and injustice are common sources of anger. But how should we handle the emotions caused by each of these factors? When life takes an unexpected turn, we don’t have to respond in anger. Ask the Lord for fresh hope and a new vision. That’s a prayer He will be sure to answer. The words of Jesus, and the words about Jesus, should be of great comfort to the believer who is experiencing disappointment. Jesus said “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 ESV).
2. Discouragement.
When we dwell on disappointments, it often leads to discouragement. But God has given us His Spirit, His word, His plan and His promises to encourage us. He sows discouragement. Paul warned the Corinthians that if they did not forgive the repentant backslider, Satan might gain an advantage by plunging the brother into extreme discouragement (2 Cor. 2:7-11).Paul said “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
3. Doubt.
Discouragement left unchecked leads to doubt. He blinds the minds of unbelievers lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ should shine unto them and they should be saved (2 Cor. 4:4). He blinds them by amusements, false religion, procrastination and pride. He occupies them with feelings rather than facts, and with themselves rather than Christ. Just as Satan, speaking through Peter, sought to dissuade Jesus from going to the Cross (Mark 8:31-33), so he encourages Christians to spare themselves from the shame and suffering of cross bearing. Bible says …” the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”(James 1:6-8)
4. Division.
Doubts and worries can lead to division of our loyalties. These can also lead to divisions between people and distancing from God. We must be aware of these and the other weapons in Satan’s arsenal. He is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). The word “devil” (Gr. diabolos) means accuser or slanderer, and as his name is, so is he. All those who slander the brethren are doing the devil’s work. A favorite ploy of the Wicked One is to divide and conquer. He seeks to sow strife and discord among the saints, knowing that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” Sad to say, he has been all too successful in this strategy.
5. Damage.
Satan is a murderous destroyer (John 8:44; 10:10). His goal and the goal of all his demons are to destroy. There is no exception to that statement. As a raging lion, he goes about seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). He persecutes God’s people (Rev. 2:10) and destroys his own slaves through drugs, demon-ism, alcohol, immorality and related vices. Jesus said “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”(John 10:10) The thief mentioned here refers to all the forces of darkness. They have only one purpose that is to harm the human kind, the bearers of God’s image. Jesus can’t set you free from demonic oppression and bondage as long as you don’t submit your life to his love and authority.
The best defense against the Devil is to live in unclouded fellowship with the Lord, covered by the protective gear of a holy character. Jesus came to give us eternal life, offer us forgiveness, set us free from guilt and sin, and give us a fuller, meaningful life here on earth. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you can rejoice in the fact that He will ever be with you. If you do not know Him, then invite Jesus to take control of your life. Only then Jesus will restore your life with joy and peace.
Remember No demon can have control over you, if Jesus is in your life. He will save your soul. He will give you a new and eternal life. Satan has no power to stop us from walking with God. He can never hold us because we have been redeemed by Jesus’ death and resurrection and we are forever in him. Jesus became the door to salvation for us. He gave his life for the great flock of humanity so that anyone who believes in him can become part of God’s kingdom. Jesus came to give us eternal life, offer us forgiveness, set us free from guilt and sin, and give us a fuller, meaningful life here on earth. We can live abundant lives because he can provide forgiveness from sin. In order to seek the gifts he offers us, we have to continually follow him and obey him without reservation.
