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Satan
Satan's Tactics - Part 3

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! . . . Isaiah 14:12

The Tactics of Satan

Since Satan is opposed to any work of grace from God, it follows that his defiance was very evidently focused on preventing the coming of the Lord into the world; seeking to bring Him under his dominion in His earthly sojourn; and have Him come down from the cross. Having failed, his focus is now against two groups of people, those who are saved and those who are not saved. Obviously, different tactics will be used, but considering the individual weaknesses and strengths, whither imagined or real, he will use them for his nefarious ends.

Satan And The Unbeliever
	a)	Satan is always interested in those who are held captive by him at his will (2 Tim. 2:26), but that interest in never more intense than when an individual begins to think about getting saved, death or meeting God. It is when a sinner is thinking on such things he will have them raise questions they never thought of before:
			i)	“What about the heathen?”
			ii)	“Is it fair of God to punish an individual for all eternity when they only lived 50-100 years?”
			iii)	“A God of love would never do that.”

	b)	To further assist him in this evil work, he has several tools by which he keeps the unsaved under his and sin’s domination, some of which are:
			i)	Hide the true gospel from them (2 Cor. 4:4)
			ii)	Confuse them by another gospel (2 Cor. 11:3-4; Gal. 1:6-9)
			iii)	Intellectualism and instruction by his demons (2 Cor. 11:14; 1 Tim. 4:1)
			iv)	Superstition (2 Cor. 10:3-5; 2 Thess. 2:9)
			v)	Religion and a false righteousness (2 Tim. 3:5; Rev. 3:9). It must be remembered that Satan is transfigured into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and uses his messengers as such.

	c)	He seeks to:
			i)	Have man worship him (Rev. 13:4) and this is done by having man turn from God.
			ii)	Have man make a god of his own devising (Rom. 1:21-23)
			iii)	Have men seek insight from the dead (1 Sam. 28:8; 2 Chron. 33:6; Acts 16:17)

	d)	Those who are under his domination can be:
			i)	In dwelt by a demon or multiples (Mk. 5:9); by an “unclean spirit” (Mk. 1:23); A foul. . .deaf and dumb spirit: (Mk. 9:25); “spirit of infirmity” (Lk. 13:11). Those in his kingdom, the kingdom of darkness (Col. 1:13) are under his power (Acts 26:18).
			ii)	Satan can affect the weather (Lk. 8:23). We know this storm was from Satan for the Lord would never have rebuked that which came from the Father.

	e)	The demonic world is also under his dominion. In the King James Version we often read of “devils” (Matt. 4:24; 7:22). This is not an accurate translation. There is only one devil but there are many demons, and when we read of “devils” it is a better translation for them to be called demons (daimonizomai). It was this they accused John Baptist and the Lord of being (Matt. 11:18; Jn. 10:20). The word “Diabolos” (Rev. 12:12), translated “devil”, is used 36 times and is translated “false accusers” (2 Tim. 3:3; Titus 2:3) and “slanderers” (1 Tim. 3:11).

Satan And The Believer
	a)	It is irrelevant in what social, matrimonial, cultural or educational level a believer may be in, Satan will seek to get advantage over them (2 Cor. 2:1). He will seek to hinder the work of the gospel (1 Thess. 2:18) and will tempt the believer (1 Cor. 7:5). In many circles it is thought that because a person is saved they are fully free from satanic deception and blindness. Such is not the case, else Paul would never have prayed for “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Eph. 1:18). It is my opinion that there is not a believer who is not to some degree deceived and blind. There must be no mistaking that the believer, and indeed a whole congregation, can be affected by the demonic world as was Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10) and five of the churches of Revelation (chs. 2-3), but a believer can never be indwelt by a demon, demons or Satan.

	b)	The following list of Satan’s tactics will make that clear, for foolish and greatly deceived is the individual who would, after considering them, dare to say such has never been the case with them. The following list are examples of his satanic majesty’s tactics. They are divided into two groups. The first group has the tactic with biblical examples. The second is tactics which I have found through the years, which will be found in “Part 4” of this series.
			i)	Tactics of Satan with Biblical examples:
					1.	Let the individual think they are safe, and so lose alertness.
							(a)	In Gen. 49:17 it is stated: “the serpent . . . biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.” What a graphic illustration this is. As the ancient traveller rode his horse ever watching for dangers ahead, from behind a rock or such came a serpent, and just when the rider thought he was safe, he was in the most danger.
							(b)	This was the experience of Peter. He had been on the holy mount and made the declaration, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matt. 16:16), and in a matter of verses the Lord has to say to him: “Get thee behind me, Satan” (Matt. 16:23).

					2.	Discouragement and depression. This is a well used tool of Satan and no matter how much one has been used or is being used by God, they can be subject to it.
							(a)	What a mighty prophet Elijah was. The work that man did for God and his boldness in his witness for God, yet he “sat down under a juniper tree: and requested for himself that he might die” (1 Kgs. 19:4).
							(b)	The mighty King David knew all about depression for we read of him saying: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” (Psa. 42:5, 11; 43:5).
							(c)	Jonah who was led by God and to have possibly the greatest and most effective evangelistic outreach the world has ever known, yet he was so depressed he wanted to die (Jon. 4:3).

					3.	Catch the individual off guard.
							(a)	This was the lot of Peter. It was a cold night and in the middle of the courtyard was a fire brightly burning. We are automatically, in chilly air, drawn to the heat. Peter was no different. Then a young lady comes and accuses him of being a disciple. Big bold boasting Peter was caught off guard, he denied it. Then another came, and then another, and he began to curse and swear (Matt. 26:74). He had not expected this development, and being caught off guard, he fell.

					4.	When things get hard, discouragement, then frustration and anger against God.
							(a)	I can understand Job’s wife, for in a single day she went from being the wife of a wealthy sheik to a pauper. Added to that, her husband was filled with dreadful sores. This was just not fair, he was a good man, even God said that. Then she lost her control and said: “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). She did not know that, behind the scenes, God was allowing Satan to place limited afflictions on Job for his and our benefit (Jam. 5:11).

					5.	Get them meddling in the affairs of others.
							(a)	The Lord had given Josiah peace, but when Pharaoh-nechoh came against the King of Assyria (2 Kgs. 23:29), Josiah did not have to be involved as Pharaoh-nechoh said (2 Chron 35:21), but Josiah continued (2 Chron. 35:22) and having been wounded, ultimately died (2 Chron. 35:24).

					6.	Blame the messenger when things do not go as expected.
							(a)	Israel had just seen a stupendous act of God in their deliverance from Egypt and ended the planned recapture of them by the Egyptians. How wonderfully they sang, but that was three days ago, and now in the wilderness they discovered they had no water. This was serious. It was not expected, and turning to Moses they said: “You brought us up out of Egypt to die” (Num. 21:5). This was blatant unbelief, for God had told them he would bring them to Canaan, but they did not believe (Heb. 4:1).

					7.	Get them to have the mindset that God is not sufficient for their situation, therefore they must take the initiative and help him out.
							(a)	Abraham fell into this trap. God had promised him that Sarah would, despite being elderly, have a child. The years passed and at the suggestion of his wife, Abraham took things upon himself to fulfil the promises of God by taking Hagar (Gen. 16:4). He fathered a child by Hagar (Gen. 16:15), but it was not the child God had promised, and despite Abraham’s pleadings, due to unbelief, God would have none of it (Gen. 17:18-22).

					8.	Cause them to fail to see the gloriousness of that which God has entrusted to them.
							(a)	This is what happened to Adam. What a privileged place was his. God’s gentleman farmer looking after, developing and enjoying God’s beautiful creation. What value did Adam put on his honored place? There came a day when a choice had to be made, fellowship with his wife and lose everything, or leave his wife and have fellowship with God, and continue in the work God had given to him. Failing to see the glory bestowed upon him, he turned his back on God and every blessing to be enjoyed. He partook of the fruit. Life would never be the same. Adam and Eve were cast out of the beautiful garden, and a cherubim with a flaming sword prevented them from ever entering again. Prior to this they had known fellowship with God, harmony with creation, peace among themselves, and tranquility within their own breasts. Now this was all gone. They were afraid of meeting God and the days of being a gentleman gardener were over. Friction came between them and they had no peace in themselves.

					9.	Agitate them to discontentment with the place God has given to them.
							(a)	Covetousness and jealousy have been a scourge among the people of God. Korah was guilty of this (Num. 16:1-3). Likewise, some of the saints in Corinth, for they said: “I am not of the body because I am not (paraphrase) as important and much seen as so in so” (1 Cor. 12:15-16). What a loss this is when there is discontentment with the work and place God has given. When this happens, the individuals fail to do the work God intended for them. Sadly, there is the distinct possibility that at the Judgment Seat they will lose out because they failed to do the work God fitted them for and in doing a work God never gave them to do.

					10.	When ministry is given take away the good seed.
							(a)	It was our Lord Himself who gave this tactic in the sermon concerning the mysteries of the kingdom (Matt. 13:3-50). It is a brilliant move. When a person gets interested in the gospel or something they should do for the Lord, get the subject changed immediately, get the individual to think of what others will say, whither it is true or not is irrelevant, even have them watch a fly, anything at all. Then when they go to think of it again, the previous affect will be gone.

					11.	Take advantage of human sympathies, and cause them not to see God's purposes.
							(a)	For three years at least, the disciples had been with the Lord. He had healed Peter’s wife’s mother (Mk. 1:30-31), given an abundance of fish (Lk. 5:4-7), and stilled a storm (Mk. 4:39). He was always there for them, and without a doubt, Peter loved Him. Now without warning the Lord speaks of his approaching death. NO! This was not what Peter wanted to hear, he must put a stop to such talk. He began to rebuke the Lord and verbally opposed such a happening (Matt. 16:21-22). Later Peter would see the death of the Lord was all in the purposes of God, but in this case, human sympathies overruled the will of God.

					12.	Get them to be more concerned and interested in the affairs of the present rather than God's.
							(a)	The Lord told the parable of the sower and the four types of ground:
									(i)	“Some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.” (Mk. 4:4; 15)
									(ii)	Some fell on stoney ground where it was scorched. (Mk. 4:5-6; 15-17)
									(iii)	Some fell among thorns . . . which choked it. (Mk. 4:7; 18-19)
									(iv)	Some fell on good ground and brought forth fruit. (Mk. 4:8; 20)

						John never forgot the parable and years later wrote: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 Jn. 2:15-17). He had seen the ruin that comes to an individual who falls by Satan's tactics when they become more concerned about how they appeared before others, as with Ananais (Acts 4:34-5:2); this present world as with Demas (2 Tim. 4:10); and the love of money as with Judas (Matt. 26:15).

This will be continued in the next document of “ Satan’s Tactics - Part 4”

May God grant us good understanding as He, by His Holy Spirit, deigns to guide us into all truth.
John 16:13