The Strategy of the Enemy

Intro

We have had some unwanted guests at our house. If you’re thinking its you, its not...

It’s cold outside, so these guests are coming in for a little warmth without our permission.

On the outside the look kinda cute… but these are not the kind of guests you want. Mice.

We could hear something at night, saw evidence, now we had to do something.

Now that I could see where they were going, We have a plan.

We buy traps, set them along the path we know they are on, and destroy them!!

I think we are winning the battle.

I told my wife, I want them to go back and let there communities know of the destruction.

Generations will tell the stories and a great fear will keep them from invading our house again.

Imagine life is a journey. There is a destination set for us all by our creator and God.

there is a path we are on from here to there.

Along this path of life we are on, imagine someone has gone in front of us and put out traps, pitfalls and landmines. All with the intent of our destruction.

We being the journey, happy and excited and then we hit a couple.

Now we no longer enjoy the journey, we are just afraid of what will happen next. Afraid to go forward.

We began this series last week by uncovering the idea that there is an unseen realm.

There is a God, there is good, there is light.

There is also a Devil, and evil and darkness.

This is a good representation of life and Satan’s strategy.

He’s setting traps in your life to detour and derail you from the path that God has for you.

The devil is the enemy of anything good, anything Godly.

Anything God creates and plans Satan wants to destroy.

Most of all us.

We are susceptible to attack and defeat when we are oblivious of the tactic.

When we don’t see it coming.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

He is waiting.

You need to know that if you are living for God, and especially if you are set on making a difference for Gods kingdom, that satan is out for you.

No one is immune.

You don’t have to be surprised when there is an attack. There is a target on your back.

The traps are set.

But is gets a lot less intimidating, scary and overwhelming when we know what he is up to.

A road with landmines is really scary, unless you know exactly where they are and what to watch out for.

The bible gives us a pretty clear picture of the tactics that the enemy uses against us so we don’t live blind.

SATAN LOSES HIS POWER WHEN I CAN SEE HIS PLAN

5 Strategies that Satan has used from the very beginning that we have to live very aware of.

If I can see it, know it then I can be prepared for it.

1. DECEIT

John 8:44 (ESV)

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Revelation 12:9 (ESV)

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Satan is a liar and deceiver by nature.

Genesis 3:1–4 (ESV)

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

With Deceit he attacks your mind.

If he can get you believe a lot of things that aren’t true, he can get you to walk away from what is right.

So he creeps lies about God, and life and others into your mind.

God isn’t good. God isn’t real. He isn’t loving. God can’t provide for you. He can’t save you.

That person is the worst, they are talking about you.

Far too many of us have believed things that simply aren’t true.

This leads to a life of fear, anxiety, worry, paranoia, controlling.

I believe that this is one of the greatest battles we will face in life, that of our mind.

But if we know it’s coming, we can prepare for it.

If we know that lies are coming in, we better know what is true and right.

The protection for lies is truth.

Satan speaks lies, God speaks truth.

Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

(True that is a filter)

Don’t assume just because you think it, its true.

where are you getting your source of truth?

lives will head in the direction of my thought life.

Subject your thoughts to God’s word and Godly counsel. is it right?

2. DISCOURAGEMENT

Satan will use discouragement to defeat you.

Discouragement is simply a deficit of courage.

With Discouragement he attacks our hearts.

We just lose the will and desire to go forward. I just don’t think I can anymore.

Discouragement leads to doubt, disengagement and depression.

Revelation 12:10 (NIV)

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,

and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night,

has been hurled down.

The Accuser.

Satan is constantly accusing you, hurling self defeating thoughts at you.

Satan always lies about God, but sometimes he tells the truth about us.

And that’s what is so hard.

Oh come on you know what you did, how could you do anything for God.

Who do you think you are.

You could never do that.

How to be prepared for this trap.

Satan always leads you to shame and regret.

God always leads to repentance and restoration.

Practice gratitude and confession.

Gratitude -

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Gratitude remembers the victories of the past and reframes the future.

Confession -

1 John 1:9 (NIV)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

confession keeps our hearts pur before God.

No matter my past, I am redeemed, set free, set apart and called by God.

If he can make us feel less than, like a failure, hopeless, Discouraged then he can defeat us.

We have all felt it through this season.

but know we know the tactic.

3. DISTRACTION

Satan will use anything to get our focus and attention onto anything but God.

he knows that God wants a God first God focused life, because only that way do we live life passionately, see life clearly, and walk out God’s plan.

So he wants to get yoru priorities out of whack.

With Distraction he attacks our focus.

James 1:13–14 (ESV)

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

Matthew 4:1 (ESV)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

He is the great tempter.

It could be sin, or anything to take your eyes off of God.

God offers the authentic and genuine.

Satan can only offer knock off .

God creates and satan counterfeits.

Hope is only in God, but he will convince you to put it somewhere else.

Purpose is found only in God, but somethings else takes his place.

Provision is only in God, but something else gets the real attention.

Joy and pleasure is in God, but he shows it can be in other things too..

We make a whole lot of excuses for this one.

But this is one of satan’s greatest strategies, just looking to and at other things but God.

Focus is so easily broken, but it has to be intentional.

What we focus on determines the direction we go.

Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Know the tactic, where if your focus.

Have we become distracted to things that really matter.

4. DESTRUCTION

Revelation 9:11 (NIV)

They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss , whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon (Destruction) and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

He want’s to bring real destruction in our lives.

Pain, sickness, suffering.

With Destruction he attacks our bodies.

We don’t always have great answers for tragedy, and pain and suffering.

But we have to keep our faith in God’s promises and hope.

Pain and suffering is not God’s will for yoru life, but it is a reality in life.

Jesus went to the cross and suffered to identity with our suffering.

Hebrews 2:18 (NLT)

Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

Satan wants pain and suffering to destroy us.

Philippians 3:8 (NIV)

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

Trust God in your suffering.

Everything that is hard is an opportunity to turn from God or invitation to turn to him!

We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond.

And know this is a tactic.

One day all suffering will cease.

5. DIVISION

Devil means to divide.

Galatians 5:19–21 (NLT)

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

8 out of the 15 listed are about causing division.

Division is his tactic to attack your relationships.

Satan does his best work in isolation.

If he can get you against others and others against you, you are an easier target.

God loves unity, so satan loves division.

We can see this played out in our world like never before.

Division is not of God.

It is a trap of the enemy.

I can disagree with out without being disconnected from you and destroying a relationship.

Division in the world, in the church, in our schools and homes.

We have to be people of unity.

Unity is only possible when Jesus is invited in.

CONCLUSION

Satan has a strategy, but we have the playbook.

Don’t live unaware of his traps in your life.

Be on the lookout!

Deceit, Discouragement, Distraction, Destruction and Division.

We we know the tactics we don’t retreat!

James 4:7 (NIV)

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We don’t retreat, we resist and he flees!

There are traps in the path, but I’m on the lookout because I know what to look for and I am heading toward all that God has for me.

Have you need stopped in your pursuit of God.

Or maybe you have been distracted and didn’t even realize there was one.