The Devil You Know

A woodpecker is a very interesting bird. The loud rat-a-tat-tat noise he makes as he drills into trees in search of bugs to eat always attracts attention. The secret of his success is simple. When a woodpecker finds a suitable tree, he begins to drill a hole. If the wood is too hard or no bugs are found, he simply moves over a bit and starts again. Over and over he continues, until he meets with success.

Satan uses temptation in much the same way. He will try one temptation on us and then if not successful will move over a bit and try another. And so he will continue, over and over again, until he finds a soft spot in us that he can use to his advantage.1368

Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 371.

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Satan and his demonic minions are not simply fictional subjects fit only for Halloween stories, but rather are real beings with a desire to steal, kill, and destroy. We are in spiritual battle involving the forces of light and the forces of darkness.

In our text we find some wise words by a veteran in this fight, the apostle Paul. He tells the church at Corinth that he is not ignorant, or without knowledge, about Satan's devices. The term "devices" here refers to the strategies employed by the forces of darkness that are designed to render a believer ineffective in the battle. This morning we will briefly identify these strategies so that you, too, can know your enemy.

You Know Satan will try to deceive you

A. Satan is a liar

John 8:44 KJV

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

B. Satan is subtle

Genesis 3:1 KJV

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 Corinthians 11:3 KJV

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

C. Satan blinds people to the truth

2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan will try to discourage you

A. Satan is the accuser

Revelation 12:9–10 KJV

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

B. Satan promotes unforgiveness

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 - 5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Satan will try to distract you

A. From a God-given task

Nehemiah 6:1–3 KJV

Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, 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?

B. From a God-given responsibility

John 4:31-35 - 31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Satan will try to discredit you

1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Temptation, Resisting

A little girl once said in response to a question about how to deal with temptation: “When Satan comes knocking at the door of my heart, I send Jesus to answer the door. When Satan sees Jesus, he says, ‘Oops, I am sorry, I must have the wrong house.’