In my reading recently, it has occurred to me that I need to be more proactive about combatting sin and the evil spirits that serve it up.  I’ve been thinking a lot about how to be more effective in staying on course and thought I’d share a three-step approach that I’m putting into practice.  This is how I suggest dealing with the devil.

1. Know Your Enemy.  Satan has simple goals. As John Milton writes from Lucifer’s point of view in Paradise Lost, “But ever to do ill our sole delight: as being the contrary to his high will whom we resist. If then his providence out of our evil seek to bring forth good, our labour must be to pervert that end, and out of good still to find means of evil.”

To even talk about Satan nowadays is like discussing UFOs and poltergeist. Or maybe voodoo. Societal norms have made it uncomfortable for us, like we’re off our rocker for believing that evil spirits are on the loose and active in our world. But if we believe in Heaven, and God, and all that is good, we absolutely have to believe what the Bible says about Hell and the Devil. They are real. And since they are real, and they are active, we need a game plan to combat them.

It is very important to understand what your adversary is after and how he does business. In sports, teams will study film of their upcoming opponents in order to learn as much about the way they approach the game as possible. Their tendencies, their preferences, their tricks.  If you know the team you are playing loves to blitz on defense, or run the ball on first down or use a lot of reverses and fakes, you can show up prepared for what they do best and potentially take it away from them. At the very least, they won’t catch you off guard.

Satan is a very creative and evolving enemy, but he does have some common tactics and tendencies. Consider these passages:

Acts 13:10 – You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is  right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never
stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?

2 Corinthians 11:3 and 11:14 – But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ…And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 12:7 – To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of  Satan, to torment me.

Ephesians 2:2 – in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world  and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work  in those who are disobedient.

In short, Satan deceives. He tempts. He disguises. He distorts. He preys on weakness. He enters through disobedience and spreads like a virus.

2. Know Yourself. What are your weaknesses? What are your struggles? What doors have you left open and unguarded? I deal with a combination of low self esteem and unrealistic expectations.  The result is that I feel like I never measure up. I always come up short, no matter what. Obviously, this affects me at work, at home, with God, with other people. It is unhealthy. It causes me to perform for validation and approval. It causes me to push myself too far and too often. It causes me to stumble. When I first signed up for this journey I’m on, I immediately began brainstorming about what grand adventure I would conquer, what mountain I would climb. I’ve discussed this previously. This is the door that I leave open for Satan. It’s a wide open door that you could drive a truck through, but I’m working hard to close it as fast as I can. Be self aware and be honest with yourself. Believe me, it’s not all that much fun. But it is effective.

3. Know What to Do. Armed with knowledge and insight, you will be much more prepared to defend your turf when the enemy arrives. Having a specific plan of action is helpful as well. The Bible provides proven strategies to help good prevail over evil.

Ephesians 6:11 – Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

James 4:7 – Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Ephesians 4:27 – and do not give the devil a foothold.

The game plan is simple but worth repeating: Suit up in the grace and the glory of God. Submit to God. Be self-controlled and alert. And don’t give the devil anything to grab hold of.