In every type of warfare, understanding the opponent's strategy is crucial for achieving victory. This principle holds true in spiritual warfare as well. A successful Christian life relies heavily on consistently resisting Satan's tactics. To effectively resist Satan, one must comprehend his schemes. This article examines, from a Scriptural perspective, the two primary tricks that Satan uses against believers.
Concealment and False Identity
The foremost strategy of Satan is to conceal his existence or identity. At the first manifestation of Satan in the Bible as a fallen angel his true identity as Satan was hidden in the identity of a serpent (Genesis 3:1-4). I have so much doubt whether Eve would have listened to Satan if he had revealed his true identity and I supposed Satan knew this well and then the choice to disguise. Satan hasn’t changed his strategy. One would think that since there is a practical revelation of this trick by Satan in the Bible Christians would understand and be cautious. This is not the case, the opposite is rather the situation.
This is obvious from the fact that Christians cognitively or theoretically simply believe in the existence of Satan just as doctrine thought by the Bible but pay little or no attention to his activities and possible practical influence in their lives, the church, and society. This is one of the downsides of the Evangelical circle of the Church. While the Charismatic and Pentecostals are guilty of hyper-sensitivity or preoccupation with Satan’s activities, the Evangelicals have fallen to the ploy of Satan’s concealment. Such an attitude reveals our real concern over spiritual matters. Just like A.W.Tozer has rightly remarked:
Show me an individual or congregation committed to spiritual progress with the Lord, interested in what the Bible teaches about spiritual perfection and victory, and I will show you where there is strong and immediate defiance by the devil!
An indifferent attitude toward the reality of spiritual warfare is not indicative of spiritual maturity. Instead, it reveals a significant lack of understanding and awareness of the complexities involved in spiritual matters. Such indifference often stems from ignorance and can suggest a failure to engage deeply with one's faith or spiritual beliefs. True devotion to spirituality requires an acknowledgment of the ongoing struggles that exist in the spiritual realm, as well as a commitment to actively participate in the journey of growth and discernment. Without this engagement, one risks remaining disconnected from the profound truths that underpin spiritual life.
The second scheme that Satan employs is to conceal his identity through his agents, which can include both people and afflictions. As a spiritual being engaged in battle with humanity, Satan requires human and physical means to achieve his goals. This makes spiritual warfare a more subtle battle than one might imagine. This is why the Apostle Paul warns us in Ephesians 6:10-13:
It is important to understand that this is a scheme; Satan does not want us to realize that he is the one working through human agents to create the troubles we experience at the hands of others. James 1:16-17 warns us: “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” On the contrary, this implies that every bad and evil gift comes from Satan and the kingdom of Satan. Nothing is left to chance in life; every event and activity occurs under the influence of either the Spirit of God or the spirit of Satan. Therefore, human beings are not our true enemies; the only true enemy we face is Satan.
In spiritual warfare, we must look beyond those who seem to hate or persecute us. As Scripture encourages, we are meant to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48), as they are not the real adversaries. The only entity the Scripture allows us to wage war against is Satan. Interestingly, fighting Satan directly is often easier than battling against people—after all, how many individuals can you fight? It is crucial to recognize Satan’s influence working through others and consciously choose to respond wisely by addressing the spiritual battle while treating the human agents with love, rather than with resentment or bitterness. Never let Satan use you against humanity as he does through his agents that ultimately has effect on God's kingdom.
When we respond negatively to others for their mistreatment, we are giving in to Satan and leaving ourselves vulnerable. Satan may hit their hearts with anger, hatred and every other negative emotions toward us simply to torment us, he could grant them diabolical powers to afflict and terrorise us, and he could even fool and deceive them with fleeting material things and all the fame and accolades that comes with it just to tempt us to fret. Understand that, these are all schemes and gimmicks of Satan. Never give in to them, and never lose sight of the true enemy, if you do, you will lose faith and live at the mercy of Satan. Do not allow all of that temper with the joy of your salvation, neither let it steal away your confidence in the Lord (Psalm 27:1-3). Sooner than you think, like a vapour, these will last only but a night as your joy cometh in the morning with angelic cheers (Psalm 30:5; Matthew 4:11). As his human agents realize that you are not instigated by their evil activities, they will become perplex and terrorized.
As Scripture reminds us, Satan is a defeated foe, and we have great power over him (see Luke 10:19 and Ephesians 1:18-21). This principle applies to various afflictions such as sickness or poverty. Some situations may extend beyond natural explanations and must be addressed spiritually by identifying the true cause—Satan—behind them. Otherwise, we risk failing to find solutions to our problems because we merely address the effects rather than the root causes.
Exaggerating Power and Authority
The magnification of power and authority is one of the major strategies that Satan uses against Christians. Although Satan is a defeated enemy, he does not want believers to know or believe this truth. Unfortunately, many Christians fail to recognize and treat Satan according to what Scripture reveals about him. For some, Satan is amplified through the lens of their culture, while for others, it is influenced by their personal struggles.
Satan takes advantage of our ignorance, often playing with our minds by presenting himself as a "roaring lion or as the Philistine giant Goliath", inducing terror and torment in our spirits, leaving us paralyzed inside. Regrettably, Satan has firmly established a stronghold in the minds of some Christians. In fact, some individuals build their Christian faith around a constant battle against Satan.
I do not believe Satan deserves this level of importance or power. Such an approach elevates Satan beyond his true worth and has dire consequences. From a Biblical perspective, Satan is a fallen leader of angels, surrounded by a host of fallen angels (demons) who work with him. In terms of creation, angels rank below humans before God; they are meant to serve humanity. Since Satan has lost his position and purpose, he is even lower in rank than the other faithful angels. Why, then, should he be so exalted in the eyes of humanity?
Understanding both who Satan is and who we are in Christ Jesus is crucial for spiritual warfare. While it is true that Satan possesses an advantage as a spiritual being and was once supernaturally powerful enough to oversee other angels, we must remember that he is not only a fallen angel but also one who has been disarmed and defeated by Christ on the cross of Calvary:
...having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross(Colossians 2:14-15).
Satan, known as the accuser of the brethren, once possessed the legal authority to bring accusations against us before God due to our bondage to sin. This enslavement caused a separation between humanity and the holiness of God, leaving us vulnerable to condemnation. However, Christ has liberated us from this bondage through His sacrificial death and resurrection. He has paid the price for our sins, granting us freedom and restoring our relationship with God. As a result, we are no longer shackled by sin or under the threat of accusation; we stand justified and redeemed in the sight of God.