The devil has a list of tricks that he employees to cause us to stumble into sin. Because he has the same sinful desires as we do, he knows just how to push all the right buttons to lead us into sin. He even knows what to whisper in our ears that will cause us to question God’s word.
Thankfully we have an inside look at the tricks he uses in our Bible. Through careful study, we are able to see the ways in which the devil attempts to trick us and uncover the ways in which we can defend ourselves against these tricks.
Questioning God’s Word
Leading us to question God’s word may be the devil’s favorite trick to use. We see it constantly in the world and we even see it multiple times in the Bible. People don’t believe because they question whether the Bible is true. And sadly, many “Christians” today remove things from the Bible because they question if God would really say things like that.
The devil has been using this trick since the beginning of time. He questioned what God had instructed Adam and Eve about the tree of life. Which caused Eve to fall for the devils trick and forsake God’s word. Choosing instead to believe the devils lies.
Genesis 3:1-6 (ESV)
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
When the devil tries to call the Word into question or attempt to use it against you. Employ the same tactic Jesus used in the wilderness. Every time the enemy would try to bend scripture or call it into question Jesus would respond with what the Bible actually said. Which caused the devil to ultimately give up after a few attempts. Read our full article on using scripture to defeat the devil here.
Distraction
If he is unable to trick us into sinning by causing us to question God’s word. Then his next course of action is to try and distract us from the Word. Because if he can cause our focus to slip off the things of God and then it won’t be long before we are given over to sin.
In the parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus explains how distraction affects our faith. The cares of the world become overwhelming and slowly lead us farther and farther away from the ways of God. Until we finally completely leave our faith in the past.
Matthew 13:22 (ESV)
22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
Overcoming this trick is two-fold. First, we need to be sure our focus is always on God first and that all things come second. Just as we are instructed to do in the Bible.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Then if we began to notice our focus shifting off God and on to other things we must remove those things from our life. Which is what Jesus speaks of in Matthew chapter five. The things of this world may seem good now but they are definitely not worth losing your salvation.
Matthew 5:29-30 (ESV)
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Persecution
If we are able to see past those tricks then the devil will often try to scare us off. He does this through persecution. Now while that can, of course, be through severe means that does not always mean it will be. Hateful comments or losing friends are often enough to cause people to leave the church.
Matthew 13:20-21 (ESV)
20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
However, we must realize that the Bible tells us that we should expect persecution. Even Jesus warned that it would come and the Apostles said we should take joy in it.
James 1:2-3 (ESV)
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
So if you feel persecuted for your faith don’t let it get you down. It actually proves that you are on the right path. Plus, no matter what they may say or do to you here on earth you have a far better reward waiting on you in Heaven!
Romans 8:18 (ESV)
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
The Truth of These Tricks
Having a good understanding of the tricks used by the devil will help you tremendously as you walk through this life. However, there are a few important things to remember. First of all, while there is an order to how the devil’s tricks are shown in this article that does not mean the devil uses them in any particular order.
Also, while these are some of the common tricks employed by the devil that does not mean you will never encounter any other tricks on your journey. That is why it is important that we always study the Bible. That way we can see how he has tricked others that came before us. And why we must not lose focus and blindly walk into a trap. So keep your eyes open and your Bible with you and you’ll do just fine.
Finally, it is important that you understand that even if you defeat the devil today that does not mean he won’t come back again. In fact, he will probably try to use the same trick again to catch you later on down the road. This is because until we make it into the promised land the devil will always come back and try to lead us astray.
Luke 4:13 (ESV)
13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
We hope that this article has prepared you to see through the tricks of the devil. Do you know someone that this article could help? Then we ask that you please share it with them. Our goal is to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. But we can only do that with the help of readers like you! Thanks in advance and God Bless!
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