There is a lot packed into the post.  We will do a whole session on this topic, at least.   Keep all of this in context of “Seek Ye First the Kingdom and His righteousness”.  The most important thing, is to seek God.   If you are diligent and seeking Him and submitting to Him, He provides everything else you need.    He does command us to be familiar with the devices of the enemy.   This post is to help establish a measure of discernment.

Genesis 3  (EHV) ” 3 Now the serpent was more clever than any wild animal which the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3 but not from the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it. You shall not touch it, or else you will die.’”  4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die. 5 In fact, God knows that the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was appealing to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She gave some also to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. ”

John 8:44  (KJV) “44 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.”

Revelation 12:10  (KJV) “10 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.”

1 John 2:1-3  (KJV) “2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:  2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.  3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”

2 Corinthians 2:9-11 (MEV) “9 For to this end I also wrote, so that I might know that you are proving yourselves by whether you are being obedient in all things. 10 Whomever you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if I forgave someone anything, for your sakes I forgave it in Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us. For we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Romans 16:19  (AMPC) “19 For while your loyalty and obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I would have you well versed and wise as to what is good and innocent and guileless as to what is evil.”

Hosea 4:6 (KJV) “6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

We are in a war.   There is simply no denying that from the moment Adam and Eve sinned, the hostility between man and the serpent has made itself evident in countless ways.    Part of the challenge for us is that we we born into, and therefore, entering into a very long established battle zone.   Most of us our largely ignorant to the battle, the battlefield, the devices of the enemy and the strengths and weapons of our allies, and the specific role we have been assigned in fray.   Hosea spells out plainly that many are destroyed due to this lack of knowledge.     This post is all about better understanding our enemy and the battle field.  If it is lack of knowledge that is destroying us, than gaining godly knowledge is essential.

I do want to distinguish though that while God calls us to have knowledge of Satan’s devices, He expressily commands us not to have experiential knowledge of things forbidden by His Word.    This is a very important distinction.   I think of it as gate keeper training.    We learn the enemy’s devices so that we can keep him from entering in through our gates, so that we can discern and know his tactics and then slam and lock our gates when we see evidence that he his trying to breach our walls.   It is common to hear things like “Well you can’t live in a bubble”.    It is true, we cannot control what affronts our gates as we live in a fallen world, but we most certainly can avert our eyes, leave the room, change the channel, turn off the device, choose different companions,  toss a book, change the topic…   and yes… sometimes this means not using, discarding things that we have paid money for or invested time in.   It may even cost certain friendships and will likely be inconvenient at times.    In other words, we can close our gates and not let the enemy take up residence within us.

As a homeschooling mama, we are constantly under pressure to include this or that book in our curriculum because it is a classic.    My measuring stick, Proverbs 4:20-25….  “Guard your heart above all things, out of it are the issues of life”.     I am beginning to realize a lot of classics are classics in the world advancing a worldly, human perspective on things.    I am learning that excellent moral values don’t necessarily equal true biblical values.   All that classic means is that it has been popular for a really long time.

Ephesians 5:11 English Standard Version (ESV) “11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

Let’s Consider some of the more common tactics of the enemy that you might bump into.  I stress that this is not an exhaustive list.  Satan has many devices.  Our surest defense is to walk in continual and abiding communion with the Lord.

1.   Convinces us that our wellbeing rests on people treating us right instead resting solely on the love and provision of God.
   • Scripture tells us that we our guaranteed to be treated poorly (persecuted) by people and forbids us from allowing a bitter root to spring up among us.  It commands us to turn the other cheek, to bless those who wrongfully use us, to forgive them.  In other words, in spite of all of these things, we are still called to keep our behaviour, words and actions towards others in line with the commandment to love others as Jesus loved us.   We will never be ok if we need people to treat us right.
   • The need to be treated right often leads us to break God’s Word, and to enter into bitterness, envy, self-centredness, competition, exacting, revenge, and to break the commandment to love others as Jesus loved us.
2. Lying Symptoms.   If we don’t realize that lying symptoms are possible, every time we have a negaitve physical sensation, we will assume it is real and often within moments give it permission to stay by confessing with our mouths that we have it.   A very common example is stiffness in a joint.   I have had that happen to me.  In the natural, one naturally might think of this person they know who has arthritis and think to themselves….”well I am getting older, and it does run in my family, after all, aunt such and such has it as well as grandpa such and such”  Then before you know it you are mentioning to your spouse or friend that you think you are starting to get it too.   Instead of slamming the gate shut and confessing Jesus and His victory
   • Phantom pains are very common in people who have had their nerves damaged and or are paralyzed in certain parts of their bodies.   Even when the nerve that carries the message of pain is severed completely, the brain can create the sensation of a body part being in pain.  This is likely most evident in amputees who can feel pain in limbs etc that have been removed.
   • In North America and other “westernized” countries, we have been socialized to be extremely sceptical of all things related to curses and magic.    Scripturally though, these things are real.    Voodoo, witchcraft, satanism and other forms of magic, dark power, demons etc are commonly acknowledged and in many countries, dominate the landscape and people with a shadow of fear and tyranny.   Some pains are actually related to the assignments and prayers and curses of this group of people.    A very small amount of digging will reveal the truth of this.
3. Lying thoughts and Words:
   • Luke 22:3 (KJV)  “3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.”  see also Matthew 16:23-24 below when Jesus rebuked Peter.
   • This goes right back to the very first temptation.   Satan was basically telling Eve that God lied to her and was holding back on her.
   • Genesis 3 KJV “3 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 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.   4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:   5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.  6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
   • 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 (KJV) “5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
   • Again, Satan is banking on our ignorance and assuming we will not take “all” of our thoughts captive.   He is actually quite right and very few “christians” have taken the time to train their thinking to the place where they take “every” thought captive.    Every means every.  Guarding our thought and keeping our minds from thinking the wrong thoughts is one of the most key defenses we have against the enemies tactics.
   • No condemnation right…   This may be a brand new concept to someone…  and seemingly overwhelming.   This is one of those my parts being too big for me at the beginning.   Simply repent of your ignorance, praise God that He is sanctifying you and He is enabling you to do this, and invite Him to do so quickly and remind you often and convict you quickly when you let wrong thinking in.   For some this comes quickly and for others it is a lifelong process.  It will glorify God as long as you seek Him sincerely and submit to His word.
4. Intentional and Opposing armies:
   • There are covens, satanists, spiritual principalities, and dark forces at work around us all the time.   They have priests, they have prayer warriors etc..   I do not want to touch on these lightly nor stir up fear…. but we must not be ignorant to their existence or devices.  Our best defense is obedience, purity, Holiness which are the byproducts of life lived in His presence and in constant Communion with Him…    Fear often causes us to be silent on this topic, but knowledge of the devices of the enemies is essential so that we can raise up the corresponding defenses and resist them with the appropriate godly armor.    I share this to motivate us and remind us that putting on our armour and walking in close fellowship with God is essential, and not optional.  Ephesians 6 admonishes us to continually wear the full armour of God.  I will do a separate post on that verse.     It is about allowing God to clothes us with the knowledge of Him and His Word so we are not readily deceived and made subject to the enemy.  Biblical knowledge is the key way that God disarms and enemy and moves us into a place of protection.
   • Proverbs 26:2 King James Version (KJV) “2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.”
   • Numbers 22 I encourage you to read the entire passage.   “Numbers 22:11-13 English Standard Version (ESV) 11 ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.’” 12 God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” 13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
5. Identifying with our Flesh Above Our God-
   • 2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight:”
   • Matthew 16:23-24 (NLT) “23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”
   • The enemy is banking on you choosing your fleshes appetites and lusts over God.  Prove Him wrong.
   • Romans 8 (KJV) “8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:   4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.   5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.   6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.    7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”
   • Imagine that God is in the room with you (He is, absolutely He is) but just take a moment to really recognize this fact.   Know that He is the one who spoke every word of scripture.   The author is in the room with you.   When you read a verse, He is the one speaking.   He says something true, something powerful, something absolute…  before you let a single “ya but…” thought pass through your mind, realize that many of those thoughts are from the carnal, walking by sight and not by faith mind etc..   and very often are in a round about way saying that what God says is not true because my experience tells me so.   We are actually elevating our experience and sensual (as in of the 5 senses) knowledge tell us that what God says is not 100% true.  The reality is if our perception is off and not 100% singular (in humility, we would be wise to admit that this is largely the case as even Peter who walked and lived with Jesus for 3 years could be deceived).    Reverential Fear of the Lord is essential.  It is far too easy for us to take on a casual, pride-filled, or irreverent posture, and accidentally raise human experience, rational, intellect above the Word.    It is a far too common practice in the body of Christ.   If can present 20 verses that support a biblical truth  (in context), and all someone has to do to discredit the truth is say, “well I hear what you are saying, but in my experience that just isn’t true”.     Think about the Israelites trapped in the wilderness for 40 years.   Sure it is easy for us to see why they were there.   The thing is, that they missed it.   It was the ya buts that kept them from the promise land.    I would be perfectly content to have every ya but wiped from my thinking and vocabulary.
6. Covetting and Envy
   • Once the flesh and it’s appetites are in the drivers seat, covetting and envy quickly follow.    These often come disguised in the form of competition and comparison, which are so commonly accepted and leveraged by psychology as good and healthful that they rarely raise a blip on our radar.
   • James 3:16 KJV “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
   • Competition and Comparison very often say my value hangs on where I fit in the pecking order of the other human beings in my proximity.   The thing is, the deck is always stacked in someone’s favour.     Each person has a unique set of gifts and strengths and is called of fulfill a unique position or objective(s) in the body of Christ.   A biblical perspective is to value people as precious, made in God’s image, complimentary and adjoining body parts.     God Spirit is one of love and co-operation and unity.
   • It was envy that led Cain to murder Abel.   The reality is the approval that Cain was really seeking was equally available to him as it was to Abel.  His offering was rejected on it not meeting the criteria God had established.   It wasn’t rejected because God was grading on a bell curve.    God’s Word lays out objective criteria.   Our “passing” or “failing” lies in whether or not we meet the criteria, not on how we compare one to another.   His supply is unlimited, He is everywhere and is with everyone so there is no need to compete for His attention or affection.   His supply of every good thing is limitless so there is no need to give to some only.
   • To delight in being better than others is really a form of human pride or lack of understanding of our value to God and/or ability love ourselves as His creation  and goes directly against the Word of God.   Philippians 2:3(KJV) “3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”  
   • Philippians 4:10-12  (NCV) “10 I am very happy in the Lord that you have shown your care for me again. You continued to care about me, but there was no way for you to show it. 11 I am not telling you this because I need anything. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. 12 I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough.”
   • 1 Timothy 6:3-7  (NET Bible) “3 If someone spreads false teachings and does not agree with sound words (that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ) and with the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes. This gives rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, 5 and constant bickering by people corrupted in their minds and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a way of making a profit. 6 Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. 7 For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either.”
7. Accuses us before God and others (I will share another post about our Heavenly Advocate Jesus, and what we can learn from His example of how to deal with being accused by the enemy in greater detail)
   • If we are ignorant to this device, we will quickly respond in kind and be used as tools/puppets who are now accusing others or jump into the defensive posture and try to defend ourselves.   Thank God for Jesus, who sits at the right hand of God as our Advocate.
   • 2 Timothy 2:20-26  (KJV) “20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.  21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.  22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.  24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,  25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;  26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.“
   • 1 Peter 5:8  (KJV) “8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
   • James 4:7 (KJV) “7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”      When we submit to God, live with a clean conscience before Him, take His discipline quickly and wholeheartedly, we will find ourselves resisting the enemy follows submitting to God.    The Devil needs a foothold, either our permission or our disobedience to operate in our lives.   Let’s work on knocking off every foothold the devil has ever had in our lives as empowered by the Lord Jesus Christ.   A simple prayer “Lord, please reveal to me where the enemy has a foothold in my life, in Jesus Christ name” is a great place to start.
8. Bitterness-
   • Unforgiveness is right at the top of how the enemy gets a foothold in our lives.
   • Ephesians 4:26-27 King James Version (KJV)  “26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:  27 Neither give place to the devil.”
   • Godly anger is directed at sin and at the enemy not at people.
   • Hebrews 12:14-16  (KJV) “14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;  16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”
   • Matthew 18:21-35 Authorized (King James) “21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
   • We must be aware that hanging on to our human right to be in bitterness, to exact recompence and resolution from another person is to abdicate the Lord’s forgiveness in our own lives, which in turn leaves us exposed and as prey to the enemy.
9. Everybody else is ok with it so it must be ok.
   • Remember the 12 spies of Canaan.  Each one was the leader of one of the tribe.  The Elite of the Israelites.  Those confirmed by the Lord.   Only 2 of the 12 were able to get passed their senses and believe God’s Word on the matter.  Biblically, the reality is that the fact that everybody else is ok with it at best should mean nothing to us, and at worst could actually be a flag that it is not ok.   The majority, as a general trend, walk after the flesh, not after the Spirit.
10. Keeping Someone Other than Christ in the Window.
    • “Well my pastor, trusted friend, elder etc said it was ok”,  “Look, even the Apostle Paul/Peter struggled with this.”    Jesus alone is our role model.   Yes, absolutely godly men and women have a great role to play in the Kingdom BUT our only role model, the final authority in our lives must be the Lord and His Word.
    • Psalm 138:2 (KJV) “2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”
    • First, often this line of thinking follows a situation in which our own consciences were pricked, so we went seeking counsel to find out what the right thing to do is.   Now there is great wisdom in seeking counsel from godly people.  The challenge that enters in, is that we tend to seek out “godly” counsel until we find someone who is “godly” in our eyes and who will agree with what we really want to do.     It is a very human thing to keeping on seeking until we find a person who agrees with us and therefore justifies what we really wanted to do anyways.   The most important source to go to when our conscience flags us is to the Lord and His Word.   Yes, seek godly counsel if the answer is not evident or time is so pressing that it does not allow for a sincere searching of the scriptures.   But always make the time to seek out the whole counsel of God on the matter (not just a verse or two out of context).   The enemy will leverage this just as he did in the wilderness and keep us from entering the promised land indefinitely.    Scripture says, my sheep know my voice and indicates that whether or not we enter into His Kingdom hangs on us having a personal relationship with Him.  Men can be deceived or ignorant.   Build your house on the rock.
    • Matthew 7:22-24 New Living Translation (NLT) “22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’  24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”