The very fact that Peter took the time to write and admonish believers everywhere that we should remain ‘vigilant…sober-minded and alert’…solely for the reason that we have a spiritual ‘enemy’ whom he identifies as the ‘devil’, and that this adversary remains on the prowl ‘roaming about seeking to devour’…should give us all pause and have us thinking of the implications here. (1 Peter 5:8). And he doesn’t advise us to ‘ignore him’; rather to ‘resist him’ (9). James offers up similar counsel as well, adding that when we do ‘resist the devil…he will flee’ (4:7).

Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter, warning the believers there to forgive a certain individual who had repented of his sin…’lest Satan take advantage of them’…given we are ‘not ignorant of his schemes, or devices. (2 Cor. 2:10-11)

You mean Satan has schemes or strategies which he employs against us? Well, Paul was pretty adamant in his convictions regarding this subject matter and expands in more detail on this very thing in his letter to the Ephesians, which you might want to make sure is marked in your Bible (6:11-12). He even implies that if we are not careful…we can actually ‘give him place’ (or a foothold) in that same letter (4:27).

Why should any of this matter to us ‘Christians’ today? I would think the simple statement Jesus warned us of would be a good enough reason to take heed to these words of wisdom, given the fact He tells us what the nature and purpose is of this ‘thief…who comes to steal, kill, and destroy’ (John 10:10)

It should be noted that Jesus does not suggest that He, nor His Father have ‘taken this enemy out’, in a figurative sense. In other words, he, the devil…along with his minions and demon spirits…are still around…taking people captive to do this bidding (2 Tim. 2:24-26). Hence the strong words of warning to remain vigilant and to not be ignorant of his schemes, and to 'resist him'.

No where in scripture are we told to be fearful of this enemy; on the contrary, Jesus points out that there is only One…who is to be feared, and that is God Himself. (Matt. 10:28; Luke 12:4-5). One reason we have no need to worry is because Jesus promises His followers power/authority over all the power of the enemy, in Luke 10:19…and that ‘nothing by any means shall hurt you’.

John would later write these words, reminding us that “we know whoever is born of God does not sin…and the wicked one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18). You might jot down John 5:14 which is where Jesus told that man whom He had healed to ‘go and sin no more lest something worse happen to him’. Interesting ‘clause’ there, is it not?

So if one is willing to actually believe that we live and move about in a world where a spiritual foe truly exist…and is capable of inflicting legitimate harm and destruction on people, then it might be wise if we made sure we heed such words, lest we too succumb to his ‘wiles’. And we can start with reviewing just a few simple methods in which this enemy usually is known to employ.

First and foremost, the greatest tool Satan has in his arsenal is the power of deceit, given the title he has as the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44). When he was kicked out of heaven and cast down to the earth with a slew of fallen angels, we are told this ancient ‘serpent, called the Devil and Satan…deceives the whole world’ (Rev. 12:9).

Do you know what a ‘lie’ is? It is the opposite of the ‘truth’; and what did Jesus make known regarding what ‘truth’ was…or is, in His prayer found in John 17:17? God’s word is truth. So if Satan can get you to ‘back off God’s word’, which leads to ‘sin’ (1 John 3:4)…then he has legal ground, or right... to move in and begin to devour and destroy. Yes, you might want to read this last paragraph one more time.

Another one of his favorite strategies is to set up situations where we can be easily offended, get our feelings hurt, and then begin to nurse resentment and bitterness and hold on to unforgiveness. He loves this method because those who fall to that scheme actually get ‘handed over to him’ where he can begin to ‘torment’ them. Care to guess who does the ‘handing over’? Take a look at what Jesus said in Matt. 18:31-35. Yeah…those are in ‘red letters’ too.

But let’s circle back to this idea of Satan getting us to ‘back off’ God’s word. It’s the oldest weapon in his arsenal, and the one he used on Eve way back in the garden. Do you recall what the word of warning was to that first couple, found in Gen. 2:17? God told them: “Don’t eat of this one tree or you will surely die!” And the next thing we read…up pops the ‘serpent’ questioning that very statement, casting doubt on what God said (Has God really said? Gen. 3:1)…before twisting it around to say just the opposite - 'you surely shall not die' (3:4).

Now it should be noted that in that setting, he came as a ‘serpent’, but Paul would later write that Satan himself can also appear as an ‘angel of light’ (2 Cor. 11:14-15)…and his servants as ‘ministers of righteousness’. I could be wrong, but I have a hunch Jesus refers to them as ‘wolves dressed as sheep’, which are ‘false teachers’ who leads God’s people astray, in Matt. 7:15.

But let’s wrap up here today with a very subtle manner in which this enemy works that I believe is his easiest and most effective method and is a proven tactic of his; and Jesus was the one who reveals it to us in the parable of the sower. When God’s word is ‘sown’…we are told that Satan ‘comes immediately’…to steal that word that was sown into our hearts…lest we believe it and are saved’. (Mark 4:15; Luke 8:11-12). How does he do that?

Ever been standing in a long check-out line at the store, and found yourself scrolling on your phone …when you came across a simple post that might have included a scripture or two from the Bible? And it just caught your attention in a good way, that gave you pause, perhaps even a moment of clarity, maybe pertaining to something you had been ‘needing to hear’? And then 10 seconds later you continue scrolling… and up pops a funny reel or ‘cat video’ that just captures your fancy and has you laughing aloud. And as you check out of the line and make your way back to your car…you can’t wait to post that silly video online to share the laughs with all your friends…quickly forgetting…that little ‘seed’ God had dropped in your heart previously.

Yeah...that has happened to me on more than one occasions as well.