The Craftiness of the Enemy

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:1-5)

Satan does not show up as a red man with a pointy tail and a pitchfork in his hand, trying to make you sin. He is subtle and crafty. Deception is not overt or in your face; it often comes disguised as curiosity or natural wisdom. The enemy’s goal is to trick you into feeling right about deciding to turn away from God. Satan's primary tactic is to sow doubt in your heart as to who God is and what God said.

When the enemy met Eve, he asked her questions that led her to second-guess her understanding of God’s Word. Eve knew about God's command but still engaged with the serpent. This shows us how vulnerable we can be when we entertain thoughts and suggestions contradicting God's Word. Believers must learn to recognize and reject any idea or suggestion that contradicts the truth of Scripture immediately.

Satan’s lies will always include accusations against God’s character. To Eve, he was trying to convince her that God was withholding things from her and that God lied when He said that she would die. Her response shows she knew what God said but was “interpreting it for herself.” Knowledge of Scripture is vital, but knowing the Word isn’t enough. That knowledge must also have wisdom about how to apply it. That’s why being a part of a Bible-teaching church is so important for believers.

Practical Application

Don’t miss church. You mustn't just read the Word; you need to study it and learn from it with others in the house God has called you to be a part of.

Revelation 12:9; John 8:44

The Danger of Foolish Thoughts

The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. (Proverbs 24:9)

Sin is not just an external action we do, but it also influences our minds.

Satan can speak to you the same way the Holy Spirit can. He is not inside you but he can whisper suggestions into your ear. When we entertain those thoughts, we allow sin to come into our lives.

The Holy Spirit lives inside of every born-again believer. He reminds us of our identity in Christ, guides us, and comforts us when facing difficulty. On the other hand, Satan’s words always confuse and mislead while bringing condemnation to believers. While the Holy Spirit gives us God’s truth and leads us to pursue righteous actions, the enemy aims to instill fear and doubt. Satan is a thief who wants to steal your peace, your power, your potential, and, eventually, your life.

Believers must realize the importance of being more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to guide our thoughts and decisions. We cannot control every thought that comes to mind, but we can control how we respond. We can allow the Holy Spirit to guide those thoughts and submit them to the Word of God. Capturing every thought means actively evaluating our thoughts and rejecting anything that does not align with God’s Word. Be aware of the thoughts that enter your mind. Identify any that promote fear, doubt, or negativity and decide to throw them down.

Practical Application

When a thought appears in your mind, evaluate it with the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit: “Did this come from God? Did this come from the enemy? Or did this come from my flesh?” Accept only God's thoughts and dismiss the other two. Learn to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit when it comes to your thoughts throughout your day.

John 10:10; 1 Corinthians 3:19

Give Him No Place

Neither give place to the devil. (Ephesians 4:27)

This is not a suggestion by Paul to the church of Ephesus; it’s a command. In Greek, place is topos, which means a spot, location, position, or opportunity.  To give the devil a topos is to create an opening for him to influence your life. That could be through unresolved anger, unforgiveness, or entertaining fearful, anxious, or sinful thoughts. Satan seeks these small openings to sow division, doubt, or despair. Paul warned believers not to give him even the slightest opportunity to enter their lives.

The most frequent way believers allow the devil in is through their thoughts. The enemy may plant lies that sound like, “You are not good enough” or “God isn’t going to take care of you.” When we listen and meditate on these lies, we can allow them to snowball into feelings of insecurity and identity crisis in faith.

The battle against the enemy is both mental and spiritual. To defeat the enemy, we must first identify his negative thoughts and replace them with Scripture-based truth. The more believers fill their minds with God’s Word, the less room the enemy has to plant doubt or fear. Just as Jesus quoted Scripture to resist Satan in the wilderness, we must also respond to every lie with God’s Word.

We must be vigilant in guarding our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors from becoming footholds for the enemy. When we allow sin, anger, or negative thinking to linger, we can unintentionally give Satan a platform from which he can operate. Give him no place.

Practical Application

Have many of your words and actions not been based on the Word? Are there areas where you are prone to complain, attack, or get frustrated instead of speaking faith? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where you have allowed the enemy to gain ground and decide to take back what he has stolen by submitting your words and actions to the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 2:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:18