ENEMY TACTICS

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:8-10

Anyone who has traveled internationally will admit that most Americans have a very easy life. We are surrounded by convenience and comfort, with lots of entertainment options to distract us from the important things in life. Perhaps that is why it is easy for many of us to overlook the fact that there is a war raging all around us. The war I refer to is not in Iraq, Afghanistan or some other third world country. It is one we cannot see but are, nonetheless, caught up in every day of our lives. It is the one against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that Paul refers to in Ephesians. It is the war that forces every human being to choose sides, with that choice determining where and how they will spend eternity. While the outcome of this war has already been decided and the Lord Jesus Christ the declared the eternal victor, the day that victory will be recognized and the enemy vanquished has not yet arrived. Until that time, the battles rage on. We, as men of God, are called to be warriors in this conflict. Yet, we often behave as if that is not the case. Our enemy, the devil, knows this… and capitalizes on it. He is a master of deception and brilliant tactician, who is filled with fury and highly effective at devouring those caught untrained, unaware or unprepared. Three of his most effective ploys are accusation, deception and isolation. We must learn to recognize and resist these tactics so that we may overcome them through the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 12:10 calls satan the “accuser of the bretheren” and says that he “accuses them before God day and night.” Think about that. It means that the enemy finds this strategy so effective that he employs it every day. Why is that so? Because he knows that many of us have a difficult time truly accepting Christ’s forgiveness and grace. Also, as Mr. Stansbury pointed out in his last post, many of us have an identity crisis. If we don’t know who we are in Christ, we give the enemy a foothold to undermine us. Consequently, those accusations frequently discourage us and make us want to give up the fight. When that happens, we have become a casualty of war. The enemy has effectively removed us from the fight and we fail to advance the kingdom of God.

Deception is another favorite of the devil. So much so that, in John 8:44, Jesus calls him “the father of lies” and says that deception is his native tongue. Deception is powerful. From the time of Genesis, it has effectively hindered us from understanding God’s truth, deterred us from making good decisions, hampered us from realizing our true strength in Christ and, most of all, kept us from accomplishing the unique mission God has for each of us. When we are lied to, it causes to become distrustful and weakens our faith.

Isolation cuts straight to the core of a man. Loneliness is a very heavy weight. That is why prisons use solitary confinement as punishment. Even snipers and scouts are sent out in teams. The devil knows all of this very well and works hard to jam our communications with each other and with God. When we allow ourselves to become isolated it is easy to lose heart. We cannot encourage each other and, therefore, become susceptible to the enemy’s lies (Hebrews 3:13). When we live alone we fail to sharpen each other (Proverbs 27:17). When we keep our sins secret, we cannot prosper or find mercy (Proverbs 28:13). When we do not consistently communicate with God (pray), we are rendered powerless and ineffective (James 5:16). Our relationship with the Father is weakened and we are not able to receive His blessing.

So, how do you defend against these tactics? The bible instructs us in several places. The first step is stated clearly in 1 Corinthians 16:13 and again in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be on your guard” and “Be alert.” In other words, we need to recognize these attacks when they happen. This takes some practice, because these attacks play on our emotions and emotions are powerful. It is very important that we realize feelings are not fact and that we should never make an emotional decision, especially one that is based on worry or fear. The following are examples of a few lies that work especially well with most men: “You are so messed up that God will not forgive you. You are weak and inadequate. You don’t have what it takes. You have no clue what you are doing.” Sound familiar? I bet they do. So much so that just reading those words might even have a physical effect on some of you. At the very least, they can distract us from the truth if we are not prepared and do not recognize them as the lies that they are.

Once we are able to recognize an attack, the next step is to resist. There are several ways to do this. Ephesians 6:13-18 talks about the armor of God. A well-known passage that wonderfully summarizes how we should begin our resistance, it is a picture of a soldier preparing for war (No coincidence, in my opinion). Furthermore, the passage clearly states that the purpose of putting on the armor is to resist the devil’s schemes -- exactly what we are talking about here! Because every piece of armor has a distinct, important purpose and works together to fully protect us, I highly recommend you study the full passage. However, I want to focus on just three components here: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the sword of the spirit.

The belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness are the first parts of the armor mentioned. Think about the purpose of each of these. The belt holds the scabbard for the sword of the spirit (the Bible), as well as the armor for the lower vital areas. The breastplate covers your heart and lungs – the core of your being. To be righteous means to be free from guilt or sin. We have already been made righteous by Christ’s death on the cross. However, I believe this instruction to put on the breastplate of righteousness means we are to obey God. When we are obedient to God’s ways, then the devil has no way to accuse us. Truth exposes lies and the bible (sword of the spirit) shows us the truth. When we practice with our sword (i.e. study the Bible) regularly, then we will know exactly what passages and verses state the truth needed to expose the enemy’s deception. Again, I think it is helpful to provide examples:

ATTACK: “You are so messed up that God will never forgive you.”
DEFENSE: “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

ATTACK: “You are weak and inadequate.”
DEFENSE: “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness… For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

ATTACK: “You don’t have what it takes.”
DEFENSE: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

ATTACK: “You have no clue what you are doing.”
DEFENSE: “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13
“Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Are you starting to understand? As men of God, we must be on our guard, stand firm in the faith, be men of courage; be strong (1 Corinthians 16:13). If we rely on the strength of the Lord and the training he provides, we will overcome the evil one. When we learn to identify and expose the enemy’s lies, we can then resist the attack. When we live in community with other believers, pursuing relationships that involve openness, accountability and integrity and don’t allow ourselves to become isolated, then we can also strengthen, encourage and give hope to others when they come under attack. Remember, the enemy only attacks those who are advancing God’s kingdom. If you are making a difference you will take fire. Do not lose heart! Do not be afraid to engage the enemy! James 4:7 specifically says that the devil will flee if we resist him. Young men, I charge you today, LEARN TO RECOGNIZE AND RESIST! LEAD THE WAY! STAND FIRM! FINISH STRONG!

Praise be to Jesus Christ our Master and Commander,

Mike McFarland
Guest Director