Satan (Part 07) – Satan’s Tactics

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1. The prince of this world (Joh 12:31; Joh 14:30; Joh 16:11)
   1. Prince – 1. a. A sovereign ruler; a monarch, king. 4. a. Applied to Christ, esp. in the phrase Prince of Peace.  b. Applied to an angel or celestial being of high rank; sometimes (in pl.) = principality 5. (Cf. 2b, above.)  c. Applied to Satan in the phrases prince of the air, darkness, evil, fiends, the world, etc.
   2. Satan is the ruler and king of this world.
      1. He offered to give all the kingdoms of the world to Christ if He would worship him (Mat 4:8-9).
      2. Jesus rebuked his desire for worship (Mat 4:10), but not his claim of ownership of the kingdoms of the world.

• The other fallen angels (devils) are also principalities and rulers of this world (Eph 6:12).

1. Principality – 1. The quality, condition, or fact of being principal; chief place or rank; pre-eminence. Now rare. 2. The position, dignity, or dominion of a prince or chief ruler; sovereignty; supreme authority. 5. A spiritual being (good or evil) of a high order.
2. Satan is the king over them all (Mat 12:24-26).

1. Though Satan is the prince of this world, the Lord Jesus Christ is king over him and all the principalities and powers (Eph 1:20-22; Col 2:10, 15; 1Ti 6:15).
2. The title prince of this world shows that Satan is in control over the kings and kingdoms of this world.

2. The god of this world (2Co 4:4)
   1. god – 1. A superhuman person (regarded as masculine: see goddess) who is worshipped as having power over nature and the fortunes of mankind; a deity. d. the god of this world: the Devil, Satan.
   2. The gods of the heathen are devils (1Co 10:20; Deu 32:17).
   3. The title god of this world shows that Satan is the god that this world worships.

I.       Satan’s tactics

1. We should not be ignorant of his devices (2Co 2:11).
   1. Knowing the strategy of an enemy is the first step in defeating him.
   2. Knowing Satan’s devices is critical in order to properly resist him.
2. The following are some of Satan’s devices:
   1. He tempts (Mat 4:1; 1Co 7:5)
   2. He deceives (1Ti 2:14; Rev 12:9; Rev 20:3, 8, 10)
      1. Deceive – 1. trans. To ensnare; to take unawares by craft or guile; to overcome, overreach, or get the better of by trickery; to beguile or betray into mischief or sin; to mislead.
      2. Satan beguiles his victims (2Co 11:3).

• Beguile – 1. trans. To entangle or over-reach with guile; to delude, deceive, cheat.

1. He entraps (1Ti 3:7; 2Ti 2:26)
   1. Snare – 1. a. A device for capturing small wild animals or birds, usually consisting of a string with a running noose in which a foot or the head may be caught. Also in fig. context.
   2. Captive – 1. a. Taken prisoner in war, or by force; kept in confinement or bondage.

• Like a serpent, he lies in wait to catch his victim.

1. He accuses (Job 1:9; Rev 12:10)
2. He lies (Gen 3:4; Joh 8:44)
3. He wrests and perverts the scripture.
   1. He takes scripture out of context (Mat 4:6).
   2. He questions the word of God (Gen 3:1).

• He contradicts the word of God (Gen 3:4).

1. He lies to explain why the Bible doesn’t mean what it says (Gen 3:5).
   1. We have seen this happen in our own church when a brother tried to wrest the scriptures which plainly teach the eternal punishment of the wicked (Mat 25:46).
   2. Who do you suppose was behind that, given what the Bible says Satan’s end will be (Rev 20:10)?
2. He murders (Joh 8:44).
3. He affects our thoughts and actions.
   1. Satan put foolish thoughts in Peter’s head (Mat 16:21-23).
   2. He filled Ananias’ and Sapphira’s hearts to lie to God (Act 5:3).

• He entered into Judas Iscariot and used him to betray Jesus to the Jews (Joh 13:21, 27; Mar 14:10-11; Mat 26:47-49).

1. He can also afflict our bodies.
   1. God allowed Satan to cover Job’s body in boils (Job 2:7-8).
   2. Satan bound a woman so that she could not lift herself up for 18 years (Luk 13:11, 16).

• Satan buffeted Paul with a thorn in the flesh which the Lord allowed (2Co 12:7).

When a sinner is excluded from the church, he is turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh (1Co 5:5).