A Guidebook to Satan's Strategies: part 8

Satan has schemes.You need to know them.What are some of his favorite strategies?In previous posts, we've talked about lying, blinding, hindering, persecuting, tempting, misdirecting and dividing.Now finally, slandering or accusing.One of Satan’s main activities actually is accusing. And, we see in a couple different passages how he goes about doing that. One passage is 1 Timothy 3:6 and 7 where Paul is talking about the qualifications for being an elder. And what he says there is that “the elder must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” In other words, the elder needs to have a good reputation with people outside the church, unbelievers; because if he is known as a wicked person, what will happen is that the devil uses that as an opportunity to disgrace that individual, and I am sure the church as well.  Later on in 1 Timothy, Paul comes back to this. In 1 Timothy 5 he’s talking about widows and there is a whole lot to this, but in verse 14, Paul says, “I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and…” why? If they don’t do these things they are going to face a much greater temptation for sexual sin and really all kinds of other sins as well, and if that happens, you know what is going to happen, the devil is going to take advantage of that to slander the church.  It is almost like Satan is always looking for an opportunity to tear down God’s people and Paul is saying, that we should do our best not to give him that opportunity. Take Titus 2:7 and 8 as another example.  Paul is talking again to a leader in the church, and he says “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching, show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned,” why?  “so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”  The opponent of course could be anyone who opposes Christ’s church, but certainly it could also be the opponent, the devil himself.  Now I think we have to watch out because not only does Satan like to take our sins and put them on display to people outside the church, making the gospel look ugly, he also likes to take our sins and put them on display before us, making the Savior seem insufficient. Perhaps someone might be tempted to think they are too big a sinner to be forgiven by Jesus, and that of course is a lie from the very pit of hell. Or it might be that someone hears all these strategies and looks at his own weakness, and begins to feel even a little hopeless, that a person like him can’t overcome and I really want to say to you, that Jesus is enough.   He is enough of a Savior to help you withstand these strategies of Satan.  He’s already defeated him at the cross.And he’s provided the armor you need for the fight, and what’s needed if you are going to overcome is that you humble yourself and look to Jesus for what you need and stand strong.Jesus has won which means you have won, so be aware of Satan's strategies and fight to win!