SATAN'S DEVICES


A. "WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF HIS DEVICES" - 2 COR. 2:11
  1. This is testimony by Paul is most timely:
    1. It places us on a constant alert; lest we fall prey to Satan's devices
    2. The thought is that bitter experience has taught us to be on guard against Satan's sinister schemes to trip us by some means
  2. Peter states in unmistakable words what some of Satan's devices are:
    1. "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour"
    2. "Whom resist steadfast in the faith" - I Pet. 5:8-9 B. SATAN'S DEVICES
  3. He labels evil things with pleasant names:
    1. Satan uses euphemisms very successfully; Examples: Said he to Eve, "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" - Gen. 3:5. Achan was enticed by the Babylonish garment, and the wedge of gold overlooking the fact that these would be the destruction of himself and his family - Josh. 7:20-21. Gehazi had the same trouble - 2 Kings 5:22-27
    2. How human it is to attempt to hide the true nature of sin by making excuses for it. Let us call vile things vile and be not ignorant of Satan's devices
  4. Satan attacks us where we are weakest:
    1. Abraham, the father of saving faith, was trapped by Satan in a moment of unbelief, other-wise he would not have married Hagar to obtain the seed he had been promised - Gen. 16:16
    2. Satan trapped the most patient man in the world, at the moment he had an outburst of impatience - Num. 20:7-12
    3. Peter fell through cowardliness - Mar 14:66-72
    4. What must alarm one is the fact that the choicest gifts from God can become the snare set by Satan to destroy us; think of Solomon - Neh. 13:26; think of the fall of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 4:30 C. SATAN'S DEVICES AND OUR DEFENSE:
  5. Note these devices used successfully by Satan:
    1. He makes use of instruments - it is one mark of practical genius to choose the right instruments to do its work. A born administrator is a man who not only works hard himself, but has the skill of choosing the right men to be his servants
    2. He used the wilderness environment to tempt the Son of God in the person of Peter - Matt. 16:23. He used a prophet to trip a man of God - I Kings 13:1-24
  6. There are times when Satan shames defeat, only to see us become overconfident and careless:
    1. Think of the experience of the army of Israel in the face of a small hamlet called "Ai" - Josh. 7:1-5
    2. who can forget the tragic experience of Samson - Judges 16:17
  7. Satan places strong emphasis upon "tomorrow"
    1. "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season I will call for thee" - Acts 24:25
    2. "Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain" - James 4:13
  8. Our Defense against Satan's devices:
    1. Abiding in Jesus Christ with our thoughts, words and actions is a must John 15:1-11
    2. Take refuge in the word of God, our only defense - Matt. 4:1-9; Luke 4:1-11
    3. Keep occupied in doing the work of the Lord; this will spoil Satan's snare; the attitude of Nehemiah must ever be our motto - "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down; why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you" Neh. 6:3
    4. Idleness is one of the Devil's agencies to put us off guard - 2 Sam. 11:1-20
    5. Watch in prayer is must for all of God's children - Matt. 26;41. Had the disciples prayed during the dark hours of Gethsemane the story of their experience might have been different
  9. Some facts we should keep in mind at all times:
    1. Satan is a defeated foe - Christ defeated him in heaven and on earth
    2. The weakest of God's children can put him to flight


Design © John Bryant 2011