Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
Our lives are lived on a battlefield and we must be always prepared for battle. Being prepared for battle requires us to put on the whole armor of God. It also requires us to have a battle plan.
The best way to be prepared for battle is to know the tactics of the enemy.
He amuses.
The devil will use anything he can to get our attention away from God. Satan uses this world as his amusement park to keep the lost blinded from the truth and to distract believers from effectively living out their faith. His goal is to keep us amused with the things of this world, and to distract us from the things of God. The devil is extremely familiar with our human desire and he knows exactly how to distract us.
There are three effective ways the enemy will distract or amuse us is through:
- Fear
Fear causes us to doubt God and will cause us to falter in our faith. - Festivity
Sadly, some churches have fallen victim to this tactic. Religious activity has become a form of entertainment. If Satan can’t entice you with religious entertainment he will offer you worldly entertainment. Sometimes, that entertainment is wicked. Sometimes, entertainment isn’t wicked. There’s nothing wrong with a family picnic in the park, beach and parties, shopping, unless you neglect God to do them. However, the Devil’s greatest distraction is done through: - Finances
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being financially successful, but if you are sacrificing your family, or neglecting God there is a problem.
He excuses.
The first thing the enemy tries to excuse is God’s Word, see Genesis 3:1. Questioning God’s Word will always lead to questionable behavior. The enemy tries to excuse God’s Word. He also attempts to get us to excuse our behavior. He tries to get us to excuse our sin.
Believers excuse themselves from
- Witnessing
- Worshipping
- Working
He confuses.
Confusion leads to chaos. A confused Christian is dangerous. Our enemy wants us to be confused, because when we are confused, we become ineffective or even damaging to the furtherance of the Gospel.
He accuses.
Satan is that tattletale who entices you to do something and then runs to tell on you. When he is trying to tempt you, he whispers, “it’s not that bad” and after you fall, he exclaims, “look what you’ve done!”
Don’t allow Satan to wreak havoc in your life. Become familiar with the enemy’s tactics so you can defend yourself during his attacks.