The Strategy of Satan

against Believers

As a believer in Jesus Christ, YOU are the prime target of Satan’s strategy. He is “the accuser of the brethren...which accused them before God day and night” (Revelation 12:9-10). Satan’ strategy is centered around discrediting you before God. He directs God’s attention to our sin, weakness, and failures. Sooner or later each of us is accused by him before God.

The aim of his strategy is to carry out Isaiah 14:13-14. He was to show himself as being more powerful and important than God. He wants to be God. Therefore he is trying to make God’s people conform to his strategy will so that he might accuse them.

Paul warns us against being ignorant of Satan’s strategy and devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). The word “device” is the Greek word noema which denotes a plan, purpose or strategy. We believers need to know the strategy of Satan so he will not gain an advantage over us. In the Word we can identify at a least threefold strategy:

Strategy 1—TO MAKE US IGNORANT OF GOD’S WILL

One Element of the strategy centers around the Word of God and our minds. It is clearly seen in the case of Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:1-7). His aim is to get her to disobey the Word of God, and to do so he works on her mind. His tactics are threefold: (1) He questions God’s Word... “Yea, hath God said.” (2) He denies the Word... “Ye shall not surely die.” (3) He adds to the Word of God... “Ye shall be as gods.”

We should not be surprised to learn that Satan wants to control our minds. He knows as a man thinks, so he is (Proverbs 23:7). It is the mind that controls the life. If he can control what we think and how we think, he can control us.

Note well the weapon Satan uses—it’s the Word of God. Satan uses the Word as a tactic, because he “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). As an angel of light his aim is to use God’s own words against him, as he did in the case of Eve.

His strategy in Eve’s case is successful. He gets her to misuse the Word of God. We see that she (1) omitted some of the Word. She omits the word “freely” when she replies, “We make eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden” (cf. Genesis 3:2 with 2:16). (2) She added to the Word of God. The words, “neither shall ye touch it,” are not the original command of God to Adam. (3) She changes the Word by saying “lest ye die” instead of “thou shalt surely die.” In other words, Eve read into the Word what she wanted, rather than letting the Word speak to her. Because of Satan’s strategy of attacking her mind and Eve misusing the Word, she disobeys the will of God.

What then is our defense against this strategy? It is 2 Timothy 2:15. It is the Word of God in our minds and the ability to use the Word correctly. Our strength as believers comes from the Word of God being “rightly divided.” Or handled right, truthfully treated without falsification. Our aim in doing so is “making every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). It is when the Word speaks to us that it transforms us by the renewing of our mind and will of God is known (Romans 12:1-2). It is by the Word we put on the whole armor of God so we can stand against the wiles of Satan (cf. Ephesians 6:10-18).

Strategy 2—TO MAKE US IMPATIENT WITH THE WILL OF GOD.

When Satan cannot make us ignorant of the will of God, he will try to make us impatient with it. This is illustrated in the case of Job. In Job’s case Satan tries to make him impatient through circumstances, sickness and pressure. Job lost his wealth, his health, and gained the anger and the chastisement of his friends and family. Satan wanted him to come to the point that he didn’t care because God did not care. He tried Job’s patience.

In spite of all this, Job remained patient and did not sin or blame God (Job 1:22). The reason is, he knew his redeemer lived (Job 19:25). In other words, his defense against this strategy was his faith and assurance that God was working in spite of all that was going on. Faith is also our defense against this strategy of Satan. The key to obeying God’s will or Satan’s depends on how we as believers react in times of stress; whether or not we fully trust God. Job trusted God fully and completely. If we are to be faithful in spite of circumstances65386+ we need to heed 1 Peter 5:7-9. We need to cast our cares upon Him, and “resist steadfast in the faith.” Isaiah 26:3 declares that, He will keep us “in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed of thee; because [we] trusted in Thee.” Again Isaiah reminds us, “Fear thou not,” and will “uphold thee with the right hand of...righteousness” (41:10). Our faith in Christ is a substantiating one; an anchor; upholding and securing us.

It is vital that we understand that such a faith is produced by the Word of God. For “faith comes from hearing, and hearing is by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The Word produces faith, not only for salvation, but for upholding us along life’s pathway. Psalm 119:11 reminds us that if we hide the Word in our heart it will help us not to sin against God.

Job endured this strategy of Satan by his faith in God. Faith produces peace which guards our hearts (Philippians 4:7). If we have the peace “of” God in our lives, no matter what the circumstances or the stress, we will not become impatient with God and His will.

Strategy 3—TO MAKE US OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE WILL OF GOD.

When Satan cannot deceive our mind, nor make us impatient with God’s will, he seeks to make us act independently of the will of God. A prime example of going against the will of God is 1 Chronicles 21:1-12. Here Satan tempts David into taking a census of Israel. Now there is nothing wrong with taking a census, except it was not what God wanted. Every indication is that David had his own name and glory in mind when he ordered this done. Here we read the “never-the-less” of pride, which leads to an act of disobedience. God was displeased. This act of David constitutes presumptuous sin and rebellion, stemming from pride. Satan was successful in making David act independently of the will of God. It resulted in 70,000 killed (21:24). When man begins to act independently and ignores the will of God, in reality he is saying that his wisdom is greater than God’s, and that his will is better than God’s will. David was exercising his own will and Satan won.

Isn’t it strange that many of us fear the will of God. We have the idea that God’s will is something dangerous, and Satan encourages this way of thinking. It is his strategy to get us to think selfishly. Only if we realized that it is more dangerous to be out of the will of God than to be in the will of God.

The key to prevent this is submission. James 4:7 says, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” The word “submit” is primarily a military term meaning “to rank under” and denotes obedience to one that is higher in rank. David did not do this, rather he forgot his commander. His pride caused him to go over the head of the next in rank. Submission means to give up ourselves to be governed by God and His will. We are to present our members as instruments of His hand (Romans 6:13). Submitting means not rebelling against the will of God (which is what acting independently is), but letting God guide and we follow His will.

Note well the strategy of Satan so he will not gain advantage over us. Fix your mind upon His word, patiently waiting in His Word, and submitting to the Word of God.