Satan–the devil–has been man’s GREATEST ENEMY since the beginning.
And man has been falling prey to Satan’s come-ons since the garden of Eden.
How is this possible? After all, man has been warned of Satan’s tricks for CENTURIES.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
–1PETER 5:8
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
–Ephesians 6:11-12
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
–2CORINTHIANS 11:13-15
“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
–Revelation 12:12
YET, Satan–the devil–harvests a new crop of souls EVERY DAY.
Again, how is this possible?
With all of the warnings about Satan, his clever tricks, traps and snares, how is it that man STILL falls victim to the father of lies?
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
–John 8:44
What is it that Satan uses to FIRST, deceive men; and then, to, SECONDLY, appeal to those deceived souls–and why are these appeals so powerful?
1- Man is a creature of sensation.
God created man to experience many sensations: hunger, thirst, sexual frustration, sexual fulfillment, contentment, and so on. And these sensations–which are an important part of man’s makeup–were viewed by God as, not only “good” but “very good.”
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. “
–Genesis 1:27-31
Though God may create something which is pronounced “good” or “very good,” Satan has the power to MISUSE that part of God’s creation.
Man has a sensation which tells him to eat when he is hungry?
Satan can turn that sensation into the sin of GLUTTONY, which focuses the attention of man onto the PLEASURES of eating.
Man has sexual stimulations which ensure that man will procreate and further mankind?
Satan warps those sexual stimulations by focusing on the PLEASURES of satistfying those sensations.
So, Satan gets a LOT of milage out of focusing man’s attention on the PLEASURES he might receive from an act–not the act itself or what the act was orignally created for.
2- Satan has an intimate knowledge of man’s senses.
Man lives in a world which is largely governed by the SENSES: touch, smell, taste, hearing and seeing. Man is informed by his five senses–and Satan uses those senses to misinform man.
Much like #1 on this list, Satan fans the fires of man’s senses to a fever pitch–and then uses those enflamed senses (appetites) to entice–and eventually, snare–him.
“You sharpen the human appetite to the point where it can split atoms with its desire. You build egos the size of cathedrals. Fiber-optically connect the world to every eager impulse. Grease even the dullest dreams with these dollar-green, gold-plated fantasies until every human becomes an aspiring emperor, becomes his own god. Where can you go from there?”
–John Milton (Satan), The Devil’s Advocate (1997)
3- Satan uses the things of the world.
Satan’s great ally is the world and the things of the world.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
–1JOHN 2:15
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
–James 4:4
And while Satan does use money, stuff and covetousness to his GREAT advantage, he probably snags the most souls using the world’s acclaim: the honors and recognition the world offers to those who do its bidding: what the Bible calls “the pride of life.”
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
–1JOHN 2:16
Man has the desire to be known–to be recognized–among his fellows–particularly, for his ‘accomplishments.’ Satan uses this desire as a snare.
Solomon labeled this desire to be known–particularly to be known for one’s accomplishments–as a “vanity.”
“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
–Ecclesiastes 1:14
Man has this deep-seated desire to “be somebody.”
Man wants recognition from his fellows for his “accomplishments.”
Satan misuses these desires to entrap and ensnare the unwary.
4- Satan does use the lusts of the eyes as a snare.
“Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.”
–Proverbs 27:20
Modern man can see this in action through the careful study of ADVERTISING.
Advertising strives to create desire where none previously existed–MOSTLY for the things of the world.
EXAMPLE: A car gets one from Point A to Point B. But, the manufacturers of cars need to keep selling new ones to make more money. SO, the car is advertised, NOT as a way to get from Point A to Point B, but as an EXPERIENCE; as a LIFESTYLE: as a way of life.
And so, desire for that automobile is created where perhaps none existed beforehand.
And Satan fans this heightened desire for the things of the world into COVETOUSNESS (which is a sin).
Coveting may start out as the desire for one item: a car, a particular video game, some music. But then, the person who is coveting begins looking around him and wishing he had MORE.
The devil is a tricky guy.
These are a few of his favorite tricks. NOT all of Satan’s tricks, but a few of his favorite ones.
God willing, some other tricks of Satan will be featured in the future.
What about the person who claims, “The devil made me do it!”
But–and this is IMPORTANT–the devil NEVER made anyone do anything.
MAN utlimately is responsible for his own actions–NOT Satan.
“You were right about one thing, Kevin: I have been watching; couldn’t help myself. Watching, waiting, holding my breath. But I’m no puppeteer, Kevin. I don’t make things happen—doesn’t work like that. No, I only set the stage. You pull your own strings.”
–John Milton (Satan), The Devil’s Advocate (1997)
Which is why man has the power–IF he uses it–to banish Satan from his presence.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
–James 4:7
However, Satan is a tricky fellow.
HAS the reader ever battled the devil?
OR, has the reader come to an “understanding” with the father of lies?
It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.
DOES the reader believe he is saved?
Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival
DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?
Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation
- Gospel of Jesus Christ: Making a Choice
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ
- Gospel of Jesus Christ: The Power of God Unto Salvation
- Gospel of Jesus Christ: The End Times Power of God Unleashed
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16
MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report
[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: January 25, 2021.]
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by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier
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