Satan’s Schemes

Satan is real and dangerous!  First Peter 5:8 states that we need to “be alert…[because] [our] enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  In verse nine, it says to resist satan and to stand firm in our faith.  The devil uses schemes to trick us into walking away from God and Godly living.  He uses busyness to distract us from Christ.  There is a saying, “if the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”  As long as satan is distracting us from God’s Word, prayer, and fellowship by giving us worldly opportunities, he does not have to be worried about us defeating him.  He uses deception, beauty (2 Corinthians 11:14), emotions, and hindrances (Matthew 13:19, Hebrews 12:1) to keep us in his embrace.

BUT, the Bible tells us that Jesus defeated satan, and we live in victory.  Ephesians 6:11 says for us to “put on the full armor of God, so that [we] can take [our] stand against the devil’s schemes.”  Here are some ways to resist the devil:

1. Confess your sins to God. – 1 John 1:9
2. Repent from your sins – Acts 8:22
3. Submit to the Lord – James 4:7a
4. Resist the Devil – James 4:7b; Ephesians 6:11
5. Accountability – 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Proverbs 27:17

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Acts 8:22 –  Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that He may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

James 4:7 –  Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and He will flee from you.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Proverbs 27:17 – As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

All these things help us resist the devil and to live a Godly life.  Confessing and repenting our sin purifies us in Christ.  Submitting to the Lord helps us acknowledge satan’s schemes and resist the devil.  Accountability helps us stay focused on God and be encouraged during difficult times.

I’m reminded of a story in the Bible (Matthew 4:1-11) when satan tempted Jesus for forty days and nights.  Jesus did not drink or eat during this time.  Satan tempted Him three times in the wilderness.  The devil offered the most beautiful and enchanted things to Jesus to distract Him from God.  Every time, without hesitation, Jesus quoted Scripture and defeated satan.  We are to do the same when the devil tries to trick us into his schemes.  We need to be alert and ready for the devil and learn how to resist him without hesitation.