Spiritual Warfare

satan’s Strategy With The Christian
satan’s strategy #1. Affliction

Job 1:12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands...” and Job 2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Notice. satan had to have God’s approval to afflict Job. Any dis-ease from satan we experience has to come through God’s protective “bubble” surrounding us. God isn’t the source of evil, but He allows it.

I ask the Lord for a new challenge every year. It becomes my objective for the year. My focus. One year it was:
“Nothing can come my way today that God, my loving Abba PaPa,
will not use for my benefit. For that reason, my objective is to
learn to actively embrace my life, not passively resign or resentfully
resist and to live with continuous joy and gratitude in the Lord
even through the toughest circumstances or attack by satan.
I have confident trust in the character of God and wait
with confident hope in Him.”

That was during the two years My first wife died, I was unjustly fired from a college coaching/teaching position, all vocational doors were closed to me and God seemed to have removed a sense of His presence. It wasn't a JOB situation but it seemed like a significant affliction from the evil one.

Life is great now (nine years after Ann's death. I have a wonderful new wife. Money in the bank. Am making new friends. A good mind. Much for which to be thankful. I often lose that perspective; consequently, I believe God’s objective for me was to learn a depth of Him that brings no tactile experience. No feeling of His presence. A faith and dependence on Him alone. Not for what He does. I wait with confident hope in Him, no matter the circumstance or the attack by satan. (Much of the time!)
My challenge is to focus on how God wants to use affliction for my good and His glory. satan afflicts and he also deceives.

satan’s strategy #2. he deceives
2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Deception began with Eve,
“You’re not adequate in yourself.
You need to become like God. Eat the forbidden fruit.”
The evil one continues his deceptive onslaught on the Christian.

Have you listened to his lies?
“Who are you to think you are of any value. You are just a “wretch” who doesn’t deserve God’s blessings. You’ve prayed to have that mountain removed. It hasn’t moved an inch. God doesn’t care about you.
“God is mad at you. That’s why your prayers aren’t answered.”
‘Look at all those promises the Bible portrays. Why aren’t you receiving more? Besides, it seems like God has been far away from you for quite some time now. Maybe those promises and His presence are for those more worthy.”
“The economy is so bad. You’ll lose your job. There will never be as good a job as you now have.” satan’s deceptive onslaught of the Christian.

satan doesn’t encourage us to “curse God and die," like he did with Job. he just encourages cynicism and discouragement. satan afflicts, deceives and tomorrow we'll look at his instigation to sin.