What’s Satan After?

How Does Satan Have Power Over You?

Remember our definition for “devilish psyops”? - A strategy that seeks to influence the outlook, readiness, and effectiveness of a people by using words and images to subvert their thoughts and convictions.

This week let’s examine how Satan can have so much influence in your life. Since the beginning he has used these three lust patterns common to all people; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

The Lust of the Flesh

1 John 2:16a “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” Religious Babylon

The 'lust of the flesh' is the craving for sinful physical satisfaction. Spirituality without God. Romans 8:6 tells us, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Satan aims to subvert us by appealing to the base desires of the carnal man. Addiction, perversion, and debauchery belong to this category, but even more insidious is the appeal to the desire of the flesh to do it alone.

1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

For Satan, people trying to please God in the energy of the flesh is a coup d'état. A religious person who is not saved by simple faith in the promise that believing in Jesus means eternal life, is very lost.

Satan appeals to the ‘lust of the flesh’ to lead some to the pit of horrible depravity, but in contrast leads others to a religion that lacks the assurance of salvation just an endless ‘works program’.

Satan appeals to people’s lust of the flesh, while Christ appeals to the spirit, wherein is life and peace.

The Lust of the Eyes

1 John 2:16b “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” - Commercial Babylon

It has been said, “the eyes are windows to the soul”. It is one way Satan subverts the soul.

The 'lust of the eyes' is the temptation to covet what we see. Commercialism is one result, pornography is another, idolatry is another. Insatiable desire for merchandise. “have it your way”

Psalm 73:7 “Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish.” Satan tempts many people with abundance, with shiny new widget, somethings that are “needed”. It’s interesting that once the new widget is seen it must be procured, and once the new widget is in our possession it is now an old widget and we search until we find a newer one to get.

This is the pattern of the ‘lust of the eyes’. Psalm 119:37 is the answer to this, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.”

Psalm 101:3 “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.” The prayer of the righteous is that he keep his eyes pure.

Satanic ‘psyops’ use words or images to subvert the thoughts and convictions of the believer. The lust of the eyes got David in trouble when he looked upon Bathsheba. It is the eye-gate that so much harmful information enters our mind, but it is also through which the Scripture of truth enters. It is a critical we guard our eyes.

Matthew 6:22–23 ““The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

The Pride of Life

1 John 2:16c “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” - Political Babylon

The 'pride of life' is the desire for status and self-glory, all I want to be. The lust of being noticed. The corrupting lust of being in power.

Ambition can be a powerful motivator, Who doesn’t want to hear, “good and faithful servant” so se strive to do the will of God. Our service is not out of works lest any should boast, but out of love because He first loved us.

The pride of life is a different matter. Satan targets it because it is recognition and approbation that is the stumbling block of so many. It is the very sin of pride that caused Satan himself to desire the throne of God. Isaiah 14:14 “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’”

Many become forgetful of the humble baby born in the manger, the Suffering Servant who voluntarily went to the cross on our behalf. Satan entices the pride of life to overtake the humble and energizes it to consume the person with the energy of the flesh.

Ephesians 2:3 “among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Unsaved and believers alike are victims of Satan’s “psyops” to influence to pride of life.

Galatians 5:16 is God’s answer to this, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” A conscience decision to seek His will through a humble submission to the Spirit.

Humility and service, exemplified by Christ's washing of the disciples' feet, are antidotes to pride and self-aggrandizement.

Follow Jesus’ Triumphant Example

After considering the three lust patterns of 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” let’s see how they are used by Satan and defeated by Jesus Christ. It was not long into the ministry of Jesus, just after His baptism, that He was led into the wilderness and tempted.

The three temptations of Jesus closely parallel these three lust patterns. The first is found in Matthew 4:3 “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.””. Jesus was hungry having just fasted forty days. His natural body needed food and Satan appealed to those bodily needs. Here we see the lust of the eyes enticing Jesus to break His fast and become independent from His reliance on His Father. By saying, “If you are the Son of God”, Satan wasn’t doubting it but rather saying use it. Be independent and feed yourself. Use your gifts for yourself.

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 when He says, “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ””( Matthew 4:4). Contrasting the obedience of Israel in the wilderness, the Son of God in the wilderness will be obedient and that shut down Satan.

The second temptation found in Matthew 4:5–6 “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ””(Psalm 91:11-12) Here Satan is quoting Scripture to Jesus, imagine that. This an attempt to have Jesus make a spectacular entrance into the temple as Messiah. In this display, Satan tempts Jesus with the lust of the flesh, to gain spiritual greatness by an act of the flesh. An appeal to religious ambition and desire to become Messiah outside the will of the Father. Again Jesus overrides Satan with the words, Matthew 4:7 “Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ””

The third temptation is found in Matthew 4:8–9, “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.””

Satan was in possession of these kingdoms (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) as ruler of the world. He offered Jesus a “short-cut” to being King of all the world. The only thing was Satan wanted to be over the King of the World.

Again Jesus’ answer applied to the Hebrews in the wilderness as given in Deuteronomy 6:13 “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.” They ran off in idolatry and served other gods, Jesus was adamant, Matthew 4:10 “Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”” The pride of life was appealed to here, self-glory and power lust. An easy trip to the throne.

Three temptations and three rebukes. Jesus answered all with the awesome statement, “it is written”. The prudent disciple would keep this in mind.

Genesis 11:4 “And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.””

City - Political Babylon, one government - pride of life - ambition

Tower - Religious Babylon, one religion - lust of the flesh - I Will without God

Name - Commercial Babylon, one language - lust of the eyes - A opportunity to have a captive marketplace without risk