Satan: His M.O. Revealed

Okay, I think it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty.  You know, get past the green beans and mashed potatoes and onto that juicy steak.  Yes, the stuff that really matters…like Satan.

You know, I played A LOT of sports growing up, lots of softball, golf, basketball, and even a little spout with track.  Our team always had one object in mind, and that was to beat the other team.  We didn’t want to take this lightly either, no; we wanted to BEAT them, the greater the deficit the greater the win for us.  That’s just how it was.

Can I just be honest?  Ok good.  Whether we know it or not we're either on team Jesus or team Satan.  Whoa.  Yah, I really just said that.  Okay, alright, so here’s what this means for those of us who are following Jesus.  Satan is out to beat you and destroy you.  I can guarantee that he is not taking this lightly, the greater the deficit, the greater the win.  It’s his M.O.  Plain and simple. 

He’s a master of deception who longs to destroy your faith in God and His Word to keep you chained.  Remember what he said to Eve in the garden.  Watch this:  “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Gen. 3:1b

DID GOD REALLY SAY?

Eve goes on to tell Satan, well yah Satan God really did say that.  Oh, but Satan comes back again. 

Now look at this:  ““You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

LIE.  LIE.  LIE.

What happens here?  Well, Satan distorts the Truth.  He also switches Eve’s focus away from God’s goodness and onto what she couldn’t have.  They could have the fruit of any other tree in the garden, just not this one tree. 

Satan ever lied to you like that?  If God really cared or was loving then He would not have set this parameter and because He hasn’t allowed me this then I can be cranky and mad and sad and unbelieving and throw a pity party until I get what I want because I deserve it.   

Let’s see how that rebellion worked for Adam and Eve.  They ate the fruit and what happened?  Death came, just as God said it would.  Sin=Spiritual death (Rom. 5:12).

Do we realize how ruthless Satan really is, how crafty, how cunning, how deceptive?  How bent on your destruction He is?  Can I tell you, the more I desire to pursue Christ and live an abandoned, obedient life, the greater temptation I have to believe lies.  So this means you, and I as we follow Jesus, must have an even greater love and devotion to His Word.  His Word is one way we overcome Satan in the here and now (Rev. 12:11).

God has given us His Word and when we start to believe lies about it and create our own belief systems, we have just fallen for the same trick Eve did.  His Word is flawless.  FLAWLESS (Prov. 30:5).  It will accomplish its purpose and is completely trustworthy and true in all matters of faith and practice. It brings life, not death. 

Here’s what we can take away today concerning Satan. 

1.)  He causes us to question God. (Did God really say? v. 3:1b)

2.)  He lies and distorts God’s truth.  (You will not surely die) v. 4-5

3.)  He shifts our focus away from all God has given us to the things we don’t have.  (v. 4-5)

Accepting ALL of God

I bet you have done it.  I think most of us have.  We have questioned and wondered about the plans of God for the world and us.  We have found connection with the prophet Habbakuk who cried out, “How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?” (Hab. 1:2)  

Remember Job and his story?  He experienced a great time of suffering.  In all of the searching for answers to Job’s suffering he and his friends came up with various ideas and assertions, but God comes on the scene in Ch. 38:1-3 and says this:

 “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel
 by words without knowledge?  “Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me!” Job 38:1-3

Whoa, hello humbling.  Go ahead and read the whole chapter, I don’t know how you cannot leave from reading it without repenting and asking God for forgiveness.   Often times we want answers to our questions, but I have found in this life of faith that that is not where freedom in Christ is found.  Freedom is found in not only accepting all of God’s attributes, but also in praising Him for His attributes.  We accept and we praise Him not only for His love, but also for His justice, not only for his mercy, but also for His wrath.  We don’t make God who we want Him to be, but we glorify Him because He not only forgives sinners, but also judges the unrepentant and He not only showers us with blessings but also allows us to suffer and experience pain. 

You see, when we trust Him and learn to worship Him for all He is, we will find peace and assurance in His goodness regardless of our circumstances and the world around us.  Once we start to make God who we want Him to be we better humble ourselves before He does.   In fact, I’m praying either we do or He does.  Because pride is one of the avenues Satan loves and relishes in (i.e. the fall of man).  Don’t be deceived by the Deceiver, remember who you are and who God is.  We are finite, and in reality, we don’t have a clue.  God even says to Job, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand.” Job 38:4 

We don’t know best, God does and when we start accepting that and praising Him for it, letting go of our need for answers, and our ideas of who we want God to be we will find that living life is much easier as we walk trusting in Him for ALL He is.

What attribute of God are you wrestling to accept?