Stand Firm Against the Schemes
Paul exhorted the Christians at Ephesus to “put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
Satan usually uses one or more of these three strategies.
Discourage You from Worshipping God!
Discouragement was Satan’s primary strategy against God’s servant Job. But when Satan had hit Job as hard as he possibly could, this servant of the most High God cried out, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15).
I imagine at that moment the heavenly audience gasped in amazement of not only a creature who could endure such pain, but of a God who could command such devotion.
Distract You from Serving God!!
If Satan cannot persuade you to reject God, the next best thing is to distract you so that you ignore God. The adversary’s goal is to create as much distance as possible between you and your Creator. While overt disobedience is one way to create a wedge between God and us, Satan does not always have to resort to such obvious strategies.
Many times he can achieve the same result simply by distracting us from our relationship with God through what a previous generation of Christians called “worldliness,” – a preoccupation with the delights and details of living in this world.
Deceive you into Disobeying God!!!
“Disobey God and your deepest desires will be fulfilled” Satan promised the first woman, just as he promises us today. What the tempter fails to disclose with his offer is that instead of satisfying our cravings, sin only increases those cravings until we are consumed and destroyed by our own desires.
The spiritual battle in which you are engaged is real. This invisible war is the reality behind most of the conflicts you confront every day. But there is no need to panic. God has provided you with every resource you need to overcome your already-defeated adversary. It’s time to wake up!
Put on the full armor of God. Stand firm against the schemes of the devil!