Spiritual Warfare – the enemy’s strategy and tactics part 2

Reminder from last week of the way the Bible describes our enemy and his schemes

Name	Characteristic	Strategy	Our Armour
The Serpent	sly, cunning Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9; 20:2	Temptation	Shield of faith/Prayer
Satan	opponent, adversary	Fear	Shield of faith/Prayer
	Hebrew Job 1:6 ha satan – one who attacks	Division – from the Lord and from one another	Prayer and watching
	Greek 1 Pet. 5:8 antidikos – against justice	Persecution and suffering	Breastplate of righteousness
Devil	slanderer 1 Pet. 5:8 diaballos – one who throws through or against	Accusation	Shield of faith, Breastplate of righteousness, Helmet of salvation
Lucifer	brightness (Heb. heylel ben shachar) Isa. 14:12	Deception	Belt of truth, Sword of the Spirit
Liar	John 8:44	Lies	Belt of truth
Murderer	John 8:44	Brings death	Feet/Gospel (brings life)

“Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) But what does it mean to ‘resist the devil’? Does it mean we just say in an authoritative voice “I resist you, devil!”? Even if we add “in the Name of Jesus”?   Discsuss

I think the incident with the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19 would suggest that he would just laugh at us if that’s all we do.

Keys:

• 1 Pet. 5:6-9 Submit to God; be sober and vigilant; steadfast in the faith; understanding what’s going on
• Rev. 12:11 the blood of the Lamb; the word (logos) of their testimony (marturia) – see v.17 “keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus”; and loved not their lives unto the death
• Matt. 6:13 “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil (one) – focused and determined prayer (Piper)

All of which suggests a lifestyle of discipleship, following the Shepherd as closely as we can, being alert and praying constantly, being ready to speak about Jesus. Things like temptation and fear can be like loud noises blocking out the voice of the Shepherd. Temptation could be likened to actual sounds and words, while fear could be like white noise or interference.

Lets look at each of the enemy’s names and what they suggest about his strategies, along with some aspects of his tactics and some suggestions as to how the armour protects us.

The Serpent sly, cunning Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9; 20:2

• Temptation comes in three areas – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life
• And in three arenas – the world the flesh and the devil (looked at this in the introductory sessions)

Strategy: Temptation. Our response: Shield of faith (Eph. 6:16 – see also Gen. 15:1; Psa. 3:3; 5:12; 18:35; 28:7; etc.!) Online comment :

HeHealsOurWounds​I love the fact it states Satan is confined to darts… we can take heart, because God is tremendously mightier!!

Tactics	Our defence
Greed	2 Cor. 8:9 9:13
Pointing out how you have been hurt by others	Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:13
Pride/own achievements	Phil. 2:1-5 & 6-11; Rom. 3:27-28; 1 Cor. 1:18-25, 30-31.
Prejudice	Rom. 1:16; 2 Cor. 5:14-16; Eph. 2:11ff; Rev. 5.9
Conforming to the world	Rom. 12:1-2; Gal. 6:14; 1 John 2:15
Sexual temptation/lust	1 Cor. 6:18-20.
Addictions	“The expulsive power of a new affection” 2 Cor. 5:15; Rom. 6:1-14;

Satan opponent Job 1:6

Strategy: Fear. Our response: Shield of faith (as above, plus 2 Tim. 1:7) and prayer

Tactics	Our defence
Fear of failure	Phil 1:6; 4:13; Heb. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 4:16
I live in constant fear	Luke 12:32; Rev. 2:9-11.
I live in fear that God will abandon me	Rom. 8:35-38.
I struggle with anxiety and worry about everything	Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:6-7.
When you find yourself shamed into silence when confronted by non-Christians	2 Tim. 1:8-12.
When you live in fear that other people have the power to destroy or undermine who you are	Heb. 13:5-6; Rom. 8:31-34.

Satan adversary 1 Pet. 5:8

Strategy: Persecution and suffering. Our response: Breastplate of righteousness

Tactics	Our defence
Persecution/violence	Acts 5:41-42; 1 Pet. 4:12; James 1:2-4; 2 Thess. 1:5,6
Suffering	1 Pet. 2:18-25; 3:17-18
Physical & emotional sickness	Luke 13:16; James 5:14-16
Mental and physical oppression	Acts 10:38; 2 Cor. 12:7-9

Devil slanderer Rev. 12:10

Strategy Accusation. Our response Shield of faith, Breastplate of righteousness, Helmet of salvation

Tactics	Our defence
Feel defined and controlled by my past	2 Cor. 5:17.
I can’t break free of my sins and bad habits	Rom. 6:6,14.
I feel guilty and filled with shame all the time for my sins	Eph. 1:7.
Satan accuses you of being a constant failure	1 Cor. 1:30-31; Phil 1:6; 4:13
Tells you that you are an embarrassment to the church	Eph. 3:10.
Constantly asking: Who am I?	1 Peter 2:9-10.
Feel like you don’t belong anywhere	Eph. 4:1-16; 1 Cor. 12:13.
Don’t feel useful	1 Cor. 15:58; 12:7-27.
Feel condemned by God for your multiple, repeated failures	Rom. 8:1.
Feel you have no good works	Eph. 2:8-10

Lucifer brightness Isa. 14:12; 2 Cor. 12:14

Strategy: Deception. Our response: Belt of truth, Sword of the Spirit

Tactics	Our defence
Blinding  the minds of unbelievers	Preach Christ Jesus as Lord 2 Cor. 4:5-6
Deceiving the world – atheism, agnosticism, humanism, evolution; started in the Garden, Gen. 3	2 Tim. 4:2-5; 1 Pet. 3:15
Infiltrate the tares amongst the wheat – wrong Theology	2 Tim. 4:2-5; 1 Tim. 3:15
Plucking the Word out of people’s hearts	Grounded in the truth Eph. 4:11-14
Signs and wonders of the Lie (false signs, not because they aren’t miracles but they are done for the wrong ends)	Matt. 24:4-7, 24; 2 Thess. 2:9-10

Liar John 8:44

Strategy:Lies. Our response: Belt of truth

Tactics	Our defence
False teachers and teachings – heresies such as denial of Christ; erroneous teaching such as salvation by works, Replacement Theology and A-Millennialism	Matt. 24:4-7, 24; 2 Tim. 2:24-26
I’m afraid to pray and fear that God will mock my petitions	Heb. 4:14-16.
Despair	2 Tim. 1:7
I’m a spiritual orphan and belong to no one	Gal. 4:4-7
I’m not having any impact in life or on others	2 Cor. 12:9-10.
When you don’t have a sense of any personal value	Matt. 10:29-31; 1 John 3:1-3.
When you feel defeated by sin and hopeless ever to change	Rom. 7:24-25.
When you feel despair and hopelessness	2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 5:1-10
When you struggle to find meaning in life	Eph. 1:4-14; Rom. 11:33-36.

Murderer     John 8:44

Strategy: Brings death. Our response: Feet/Gospel (brings life)

Tactics	Our defence
Keeps people from the truth so that they will perish	John 8:31-32, 51
Causes the world to hate those who follow Christ	John 17:14-17; 16:33
Their feet are swift to shed blood	Isa. 52:7
Brings division and hatred into the church	John 3:11-16; Eph. 4:3

The great dragon, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world Rev. 12:9

Strategy: Anything else he can think of! Our response: The whole armour of God

Dissatisfaction	Grumbling	1 Thess. 5:18; Eph. 5:20; Phil. 4:6
Dissatisfaction	Poverty	Phil 4:19; 1 Tim. 6:17
Distractions	Fixing your thoughts on what’s going on around you and in the world	Heb. 12:1-2; Phil. 4:8
CRABS	Critical spirit/gossip	Phil. 2:1-5
CRABS	Resentment and Unforgiveness	Eph. 4:32; Matt. 6:14-15; 18:21-35
CRABS	Anger	2 Tim. 1:7; Prov. 14:29
CRABS	Bitterness towards others for any reason	Eph. 4:31
CRABS	Self-pity	Phil. 2:1-5 & 6-11