The Tools of the Devil6 min read

Our Enemy: The Devil

As one of our three enemies, the Devil seeks to destroy us. We were once under his ownership, under his domain; but since then, we’ve been brought into God’s marvellous light. We’ve been born again – born from above. And so, we are Satan’s main targets because of our relationship with God and our being made in His image. Anything of God’s – the Devil seeks to diminish, defile, deface, or destroy. Therefore, as God’s people, it is essential to learn to resist our great adversary; hopefully, as a help, we will look at his names, his tools, and what we can do to resist him. This is essential to pay attention to.

Some of his names and characteristics include the following: Satan (Adversary: he is one of our main enemies), the god of this world (the world is Satan’s territory), serpent (Subtilty), roaring lion (seeks to devour anything of God’s), deceiver (lies to sinners and saints alike), and tempter (entices with sin). Clearly, we must not go remotely near to the things of Satan. Rock music of any kind has its roots in witchcraft, various symbols actually come from witchcraft, and even some seemingly harmless rituals have great demonic influence in them. It is essential to remain separate!

Tool #1: Questioning God

From the beginning, Satan has always caused others to question God, as with Eve – “Yea, hath God said?” Here are some examples of questioning God’s Word: 1). The belief that only part of the Scriptures are inspired. (If this is the case, fallible man decides what God said.) 2). Compromise with Scripture (“Did God really mean that?”) 3). “What if the Bible isn’t true?” “Did Christ rise from the dead?” “Does Evolution disprove the Bible?” – These questions, when asked in a doubting heart, will almost certainly only bring devastation. While we must know why we believe what we do, we must not question God. The whole of humanity fell because of a doubt in God’s Word. We must evade these doubts, no matter the circumstance or mystery (1 Cor. 4:1-5). May we live to be faithful stewards.

But how? Here are the two main practical points to help us when Satan desires to cause doubt in our minds. Firstly, know God’s Word, and defend it to the uttermost. If Eve had only stood firm on the infallible words of the Most High, she would have been strong; instead, her mind was far too open. Openmindedness can be a good thing, but we must never be open to questioning God’s Word. We must hold firm! Secondly, we must learn to recognize when one questions God’s Word. Satan was subtle; Eve was unaware. This is too often the case of believers and non alike. We must identify error, flee from it, and cleave to God’s Word alone.

Tool #2: Our Humanity

Seen in two passages (Gen. 3 & Matt. 4) is the Devil’s taking advantage of our humanity and its weakness. With Eve, the fruit was appealing to her physical appetite. When Christ was tempted, He was faced with hunger, through which the Devil unsuccessfully tried to cause the Lord to sin. In our lives as believers, we still have the flesh and its desires; the devil will use that to cause sin to look appearing. He will use it to make pleasures and physical exhilaration (though they are not evil in themselves) take precedence over the Most High (sin in the highest degree – idolatry).

And so, as believers we need to do three things. 1). We must examine our lives to see if the flesh is frequently satisfied (“Do I spend much time with my movie, my mobile device, my music, my monitor, etc.?”) How much useless time spent on these things could have been utilized to pray, to read, to study, to witness, etc.? 2). We must learn to make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. For example, are there problems with pornography? Don’t even pass near the computer, the suggestive movie, the “surfing the web” on the phone, etc. if they make way for a fall. We must resolve to make no provision for these things if they desensitize us or take us from godliness. 3). Resolve is no good unless we walk in the Spirit. Do we fulfil spiritual desires? Do we obey the prompting of the Spirit? Do we pay attention to the Spirit’s very Sword?

Tool #3: Confusion

The third tool of the devil is confusion. He sows tares among the wheat, and he even may appear as an angel of light to deceive (2 Cor 11:14). He will attempt to take good, Godly things (marriage, the word “church,” and even some Scriptures) and pervert them, using them to promote sin. How devastating!

Therefore, we must equip ourselves to defend. 1). We must learn discernment (Is right and wrong clear and defined in our minds?), Biblical judgment (Am I adding to or taking away from God’s Word?), and a sensitivity to sin (Have we become desensitized to and somewhat accepting of sin?). Confusion will be less in our lives if we learn to live lives of black and white, right and wrong, godly and sinful (of course, not to the point of legalism). May God preserve us from forgetting what is truly Godly.

Tool #4: Compromise

The fourth tool of Satan is compromise. The churches are “Christianizing” the things of the world (rock/rap, immodest dress, piercings and tattoos, the focus on entertainment). Instead of asking “What’s right with it?” we say “What’s wrong with it?” in an attempt to justify a lean towards worldliness. Some “churches” even accept open sexual immorality – homosexuality. The apostles would be horrified with the state of Christendom today.

How, then, do we keep from compromise? Here are some guidelines: 1). Lean towards conservative teaching of Scripture. 2). Hold Scriptural principles highly (reverence, dress, testimony, etc.). 3). Look to God’s Word for guidance rather than opinions about it. 4). Develop zeal and godly convictions. 5). Pray for Godly convictions. 6). If the majority is doing it, seriously consider their actions.

Here are some final exhortations: 1). Be girded, upheld, by truth. 2). Protect your heart with righteousness. 3). Let the gospel of peace lead your walk, physical or spiritual. 4). Protect your mind with the hope of salvation. 5). Shield the devil’s arrows with faith. Develop a trust in and a faithfulness to God. 6). For the Spirit to work tremendously, read God’s Word. It is the very Sword of the Spirit. 7). James 4:7 “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” Make a resolution through the Spirit of God to resist. God promises that we can overcome… through Him. “Greater is He that is in you that he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4).