Welcome to the In Touch podcast with Charles Stanley for Monday, November second. Today we begin a powerful series that uncovers the reality of spiritual warfare and equips you to stand victorious against the enemy's attacks. Stay with us now as Dr. Stanley exposes Satan's strategies and shows how believers can stand firm in the power and protection of God. Do you remember the last time you found yourself facing a very strong, appealing temptation—something you either really wanted to do, something you wanted badly, or maybe something you knew you should not do—and yet there you were?
What did you do? Did you just simply walk away and say no to temptation, or did you find yourself in debate with yourself? Trying to decide, well, what should I do? What should I not do? And begin to rationalize this.
And then finally, you just decided this temptation is too strong, and therefore, I'm just going to go ahead and yield and just not fret about it. Is that what you did?
Well, do you realize what was happening at that moment in your life? You see, if you and I don't realize what's really going on. When we face these situations and circumstances, what happens is they just keep on reoccurring, and we keep on responding in the very same way. And that same way is a way of defeat. That's not what you want for your life.
It isn't what God wants, and it's not necessary. But if you don't understand what's happening, then you find yourself doing the same thing over and over and over again because you don't realize there's something behind it all. What I want to talk about in this message is simply this. A satanic attack—that is, Satan's attacks upon us—and listen, he does attack us in more ways than one, in many ways. And so, what I'd like to do in this message is this: I want us to examine from Scripture his strategy.
That is, what is he up to? How does he do this? What causes me to keep on failing and falling and yielding? Why can't I walk away? And I think if you'll understand his strategy, how he works in your life individually, personally, you'll find yourself being more victorious.
So I want you to turn, if you will, to Ephesians chapter six, and I want us to read verses ten through twelve, beginning in verse ten of Ephesians six. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.
Now, there's one phrase I want you to notice here. When he says, "Stand firm against the schemes of the devil," what is he talking about? His tactics. His strategy, that is, his methods of defeating us. Because the things that happen to us don't just happen.
There is a strategy. There is a scheme. There is manipulation. There are methods behind what happens to us. When we begin to understand that, then we begin to understand how to respond in the proper fashion and have the strength and the will to do it.
So let's begin by simply defining what is a satanic attack. A satanic attack is simply this: a deliberate, willful assault by Satan upon an individual, for the purpose of bringing that person harm—harm in their spirit, harm in their soul, or harm in their body—or all three. It is a listen—a willful, determined assault. Upon a person by Satan in order to bring harm to their body, their soul, their spirit, or all three.
Now, what is Satan's objective in this in your life and mine?
Well, there are four objectives. Number one, to draw us away from God. That's always one of his objectives. A second one is this, and that is to cause us To be thwarted in God's purpose in our life, that is, He desires to thwart God's purpose, His will and plan for our life. And so, what He does is He gets us off track, out of the will of God.
A third objective here is simply this, and that is that He would rather deny God. Of his rightful glory and honor as a result of our living a life of obedience, and the fourth objective is simply to destroy us.
So think about it. It's very clear from Scripture that whatever Satan is doing is working.
Now let's go all the way back from the very beginning. Look in the very first chapter, second chapter, third chapter of the Bible. God's creation, how He created man, and then all of a sudden, here man is confronted. With Satan, and you see exactly how he operated, his strategy, his tactics, how subtly deceptive he was, what a liar he was, and yet it worked.
So, what are his tactics? What are his measures? How does he work all this in such a way that we find ourselves, as devoted as we are to Jesus Christ, once in a while we find Satan doing what slipping upon our blind side.
Next thing we know, we've yielded to something in our life that does not belong there.
So when you think about that, and I think also the fact that here is Adam and Eve, for example, here they are in the garden, absolute perfect environment, they are sinless. Everything around them is perfect, and what happens? They yield, and that is God said, "Don't eat of the fruit." And so you say, "Well, this is a whole different culture today. This thousands of years later, does he use the same tactics?" Absolutely. And as we go through the scriptures and see what the Bible says, you'll understand.
As you look at your own life, recall and think about how you have been defeated at times exactly. What his strategy was and how he defeated you. If you want to be victorious over sin in your life, you want to be able to conquer those things in your life that have harassed you for years and years and years. If you listen carefully, and not just listen, but take some notes. If you don't write this down.
I guarantee you, he'll steal it from your mind. He is a master at that. Whenever God brings something to your mind and heart that's important, if you don't write it down, I guarantee you, if you're not careful, you're going to lose it for good because Satan is a stealer of the truth. Because he works in the mind, this is where he works primarily.
So when we think about his strategy, I think about the fact that Paul issues us a very strong warning. Go back to Second Corinthians chapter eleven. When you think about what Paul said, he was encouraging these Corinthians here at first. And then here's what he says in verse three of this eleventh chapter. He says, "But I'm afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, that is by his deception, his clever shrewdness, he says, deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." Now look at this.
Craftiness, deception, and seduction—that's what these three words mean. Listen, deceived—that is, you deceive when you are caused to believe or made to believe that something is true which is not true. Craftiness—that is, the shrewd, manipulative way he comes at us, led astray to be seduced, to be taken away from what is right. He says, "I fear for you, Corinthians, that if you're not careful, if you don't know the truth and exercise it." Just like the serpent deceived Eve with his craftiness of your minds, your mind will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. That is, he was warning them because he knew exactly what they were facing, and I think all of us have to be warned.
Because you see, where does Satan begin his work? Satan always comes to us in temptation in our mind. It begins in your mind, what you think. And so, as a result of the way we think, our feet or our actions or our hands or eyes are going to follow. Always begins in the mind, because in our mind we remember, in our mind we acknowledge we have knowledge, we understand with our mind, we make decisions based on what we are thinking.
So therefore, Satan knows that his playground, his battleground, in your life and mine, is in our mind. That's Satan's battleground. This is where he works. If Satan can blind your mind to the truth, he has you captive, and this is the reason that people can be so adamant against Christianity, and so adamant against Christians and against the church and against the Bible. Why?
Because Satan has them blinded. If you and I were blinded from the truth, no matter who we are, it would be interesting to know what we would think and how we would be responding and how we would act. The truth of the Word of God is the light. Of the gospel shining in the heart of a person, doing what revealing to them who God is, what they're like, their need of Christ, and what the cross is all about. As long as the devil can keep you blind to that, as long as he can convince you that there is no such thing as a Satan, a devil, as long as he can convince you that everybody's going to be all right, that there's a loving God in heaven, everybody's going to get there one way or the other.
That's just one way, and we're all going to be there. All religions are the same, all equal, all this, all that, all lies. That's the way Satan operates. Why? It all sounds good, but it's all untruth.
So, when you look at how he operates, very important, very interesting, because it isn't something that just happens. It is something so very well planned. Every temptation is presented to the mind, every single one. All begins right here. That's why he says we must bring our thoughts.
Captive. That is, we must we must control the way we think.
Now, if you're unbeliever, you've got to do it in your own strength, and sometimes you can't. Probably most of the time you can. You can control some things you think, but when it comes to strong temptation. Your tendency is going to be to rationalize your behavior to the point that you can say it's okay. You say everybody does it's a new culture, it's a new day.
The Bible's antiquated. You can think all kind of things, all of which indicate the blindness of your mind and heart to the truth. But that's the way Satan. That's the way he operates. And so we have to guard our thinking.
Now, let's analyze this whole issue of his strategy. What is when we think about it? What is Satan's strategy? Because these things don't just happen.
Well, suddenly I fell in a temptation here, or I'm tested over here, tried over here. There is a very clear design, and if you are wise, you will not listen to this message without writing down what I'm about to tell you. Because listen, you're going to be defeated. He's a master at it, and I'm going to show you he's a master at it. He knows exactly how to defeat us.
He defeated Adam and Eve in the perfect garden. He defeated Abraham. You can just go all the way through. David, you go through the scriptures. The the saints of God defeated them one after the other, over and over and over again.
We will live in defeat if we don't understand Satan's strategy. And his objective to destroy us—that's what he wants to destroy us. And listen, if you're saved, he can't destroy you, but he can certainly destroy your testimony, your witness, and your usefulness for God. That's why you have to be very careful in the life that we live and the environment in which we live.
So, what is his strategy?
Well, the first thing is this: very simple, but very, very important. That is. He directs our attention to a specific need or desire. There is some things that Satan is not going to tempt you with because he knows that you have no desire and no need in that area. But he knows what our needs are, what our desires are.
Somebody says, "Well, is Satan omniscient?" No, he's not. He doesn't know everything, but he knows just enough. You said, "Well, how does he learn about me?" All Satan has to do is watch how you live. And so he knows our weaknesses, and he knows that there are times in our life when we are weaker than others, and he knows the area of our weakness.
So how does he tempt? That is something very specific, usually a need or desire. And let's look, for example, at two examples here. And let's take Eve first of all. You remember what he said to her?
He said, Eve. That tree in the midst of the garden, the one that you can know what God's like. In fact, you'll sort of be equal to God. That is, you'll know the same knowledge that He knows the difference between good and evil.
Now, Eve had three natural, God-given desires: a desire for beauty, which it must have been one of the most beautiful trees; a desire for knowledge, to be like God. And certainly a natural appetite. Whatever this fruit was, to satisfy her physical appetites. All of us have the same. Watch this carefully.
What Satan does is to get us to want something that we want, in order to give us something that he wants us to have. Which, of course, oftentimes, once we get it, we wish we'd never had it. He will lead you and tempt you with something that you need, or something sometimes you think you need. And what he's after is to get you to have what you want in order to give you what he wants you to have. Remembering his objectives, draw you away from God toward God's purpose, deny God His glory, and ultimately destroy you.
That's the way he operates. He will get you to focusing on something you don't have, and you know what that does? You won't think about all the things you do have.
Now you think about this for a moment. How often this is the way Satan tempts us? He brings us to the point of bracketing out everything else around us and pinpointing one particular desire or need we have. And what happens? We get so caught up in that need.
So desirous of that, such a strong feeling about that, we forget all the wonderful things that God has around us that He's provided. But you know what? That's His strategy. Narrow your thinking, pinpoint your thinking. Your need, your desire at this moment.
What do you feel like you desire at this moment? What do you think you just absolutely must have right now? And what you'll notice also, He's always in the now business. Satan's not always in the future business; he's always in the now business. You know why?
Because he doesn't want you thinking about future consequences, under no condition. Just think about what you want now. What do you need now? What do you desire now? Forget tomorrow.
Forget next month. For next year. Forget the consequences. He covers those well. He never brings those up.
He never says to an alcoholic who gets in their automobile, "You know what? You could have an accident, kill somebody else, innocent people." Doesn't bring that up. Drink till you're full, and you could take every single sin.
Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us that Satan's warning people about future consequences of today's actions and thoughts. That's the way he operates, and he always listen. He narrows it down because what he wants us to do, he wants us directed toward what. Toward one single need, one single desire that we have, so that what happens is we forget the rest.
Now, second strategy I want you to jot down is this: that is that Satan chooses his time. There are times when you and I are the most vulnerable to satanic attacks. There are times when it won't work. There are times when it will work. Satan knows when you and I are the most vulnerable to sin.
He knows those moments when you and I are the most likely to say yes. He knows exactly the right timing.
So, do you remember that word I've given you over and over again? And let's see how many of you remember it. And because somebody's always bringing up, I meet people everywhere in the airport. You mentioned they'll say, "You remember that word you gave us." So let's see how many of you remember. What's the word?
Halt. How do you spell halt? H A L T.
So you don't get to H what? Hungry. You don't let yourself get to A angry. You don't let yourself get to L lonely, and you don't let yourself get to T tired. You say, "Well, what's that got to do with temptation?" Well, just think about it.
When you get too hungry, you feel weak. Don't get too angry. If you have any smarts at all, you will not make a decision when you're angry. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the times is going to be a wrong decision, making out of the wrong motive.
So watch out when you get angry. Don't get too lonely. You get lonely. What happens? You start looking, or thinking, or imagining, or or whatever it might be.
You don't get too tired, why? Because when you get weary. Physically weary, you are. Listen, you are more vulnerable when you're tired, when you're lonely, when you're angry, and when you're hungry. He knows exactly when to hit us, and I think about people, for example, who.
Live alone, and oftentimes they come home in the afternoon or the evening or whatever it might be, and there they are all alone. One of the things you should be wise enough not to do is to sit down and watch some program on the television that has to do with people who are trying to satisfy their emptiness, their flesh, and their loneliness with somebody else. All that will do is create something within you. Satan knows. Listen, if he can get you looking at, thinking about.
Or trying to manipulate some circumstance in your life, he's going to defeat you. We need to look at our lives and see what should I avoid, what should I be careful about, what's the environment in which I am the most susceptible to a satanic defeat, and whatever it is, it needs to be corrected. And you see, nobody else can correct it but you. But you need to examine that, and you may sit here and listen to this message and say, "Well, I'll think about it." I'm telling you, you're going to get defeated. You're going to get whipped because you're dealing with a master technician when it comes to defeating God's people and the unbeliever.
He's got thousands of years of experience, and history will prove the greatest of men and women. And the greatest of God's servants, no one is immune to satanic attacks. No one. And if you ignore the fact that timing is very important, you're going to be defeated. Thank you for listening to today's podcast titled "Satan's Strategy." For more inspirational messages like this one, visit our online twenty four seven station.
And if you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or In Touch Ministries, stop by intouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.
