Foiling the Ancient Foe
Today is April Fool’s Day… so don’t be a fool!
Sheep among wolves
In Matthew 10:16, Jesus says, “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” It’s utterly foolish to walk out into an active battleground with no armor and no protection. We are in a battleground, and the stakes are high (see Ephesians 6:10-20). Within Jesus’ John 17 prayer for unity, Jesus prays twice for our protection against the enemy. He apparently thought doing so would be important, and I daresay it would be foolish to disagree with the King of kings and Lord of lords.
So instead of being foolish today, let’s be wise and expose some of the enemy’s primary strategies.
1. Divide and conquer - This of course is one of the primary reasons Jesus includes praying for protection against the enemy in His prayer for unity. Divide and conquer has been a primary strategy of the enemy forever. “United we stand, divided we fall.” Satan is an equal opportunity divider - he doesn’t care whether he’s dividing us over theology, ethnicity, generation, gender, geography, or the color of the carpet.
2. Live either above or below the Image - We are created in the image of God. If the enemy can get us to live above and beyond that truth, being in control instead of in relationship to the Creator, he wins and we all lose. And if the enemy can get us to live below the Image, smaller and less significant that God says we are, he wins and we all lose. He’s equally satisfied with both ditches, just so long as we stay off the “Image-bearer” road.
3. Did God really say…? - Fast forward two chapters from Genesis 1 to Genesis 3, and we find one of the oldest tricks in the Book. If the enemy can get us to doubt the Word of God, then it’s a short walk to the judge’s chamber where we stage a coup and appoint ourselves as the final arbiter of the truth.
4. Encourage self-reliance - This is really a subset of the last two, but worth calling out all by itself. When we’re in total control and charge of our lives, we lose. But short of that, if the enemy can convince us to limit our Jesus-following to a few areas — for instance theology but not character, big decisions but not hour-by-hour living, how we behave in public but not behind closed doors — then we and everyone around us loses again.
5. Exploit blindspots - Here’s a scary truth: Satan might know our areas of greatest vulnerability and weakness better than we do. Whether it’s lust or pride or greed or gossip — all common ingredients in New Testament lists of vices — he doesn’t really care that much, and he personalizes the tempting to the areas he’s most likely to succeed. This is why it’s so vitally critical that we live in community, and not only allow but invite others to speak into our lives.
6. Criticizing and complaining - I’m sure this isn’t the last one, but six feels like the perfect number for such a list! If you find yourself criticizing others, or complaining about circumstances, be very careful and cautious. Remember that according to Revelation 12:10, this is Satan’s job description 24/7/365 in every generation. Speaking the truth in love is commanded; criticizing, complaining, and gossiping is forbidden. Both may start with the same raw data - something amiss - but after that, the paths couldn’t be more divergent.
What have you noticed as enemy tactics that I didn’t mention? If there are enough, maybe I’ll publish a part two.
