1 Peter 5:8
Satan’s Tactics: Master Illusionist
The Bible warns us of Satan, our adversary. Satan is a deadly, not
only for the lost but for the saved too. He can steal souls and ruin
lives. He is clever and powerful but not invincible—at least not for
a Christian. Jesus defeated the devil and through Him, we can as
well. It will take salivation but—and it is difficult for me to say
this—it takes more than salvation alone. It will also take a
knowledge of how Satan works.
2Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of
us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
The point of Paul’s statement is that ignorance breeds defeat. If we
are saved AND understand the devil, we can overcome him. If not, he
will wreak havoc upon both the souls and the lives of mankind.
What do we need to know about the devil?
II. Satan is the Master Illusionist
A. Satan is a spiritual being.
1. There is only a little comfort to be taken in that fact.
a. God comparing mankind to the angels He made said:
Hebrews 2:7 Thou madest him (man) a little lower
than the angels (the devil was created as an
angel); thou crownedst him with glory and honour,
and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
b. So mankind is "lower" than the spiritual beings.
(1) Angels are stronger in power than we are.
(2) Angels are greater in knowledge than we are.
(3) Angels are wiser in understanding than we are.
(4) Angels are swifter in mobility than we are.
(5) And on many other points, angels are our
superiors.
2. Our comfort comes in the fact that without a physical body,
angels cannot directly attack us.
a. In the Scriptures, the Bible demonstrates over and
over again, that demons desire to have a physical
body.
b. They prefer a human body but will take an animal body
if they can.
c. They are so desperate for a host that hundreds, even
thousands, of demons will inhabit the same body.
(1) Jesus came upon a man not possessed by a demon,
but by demons.
Mark 5:9 And he asked him, What is thy name?
And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for
we are many.
(2) One source said a legion comprised 6,000 troops
in Jesus’ day.
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/legion/
3. All of this means that for the devil to physically engage
a human being, he must possess—or at the least—
influence a body.
a. This is why hypnotism, Ouija board, séances, voodoo,
and all other occult practices are so dangerous.
b. It is also why alcohol and drug use are so dangerous.
c. All of these weaken the control that the human spirit
has over his own body, making it easier for the devil
to gain a foothold inside their bodies.
d. Remember, we HAVE a body, but we ARE a soul. Other
spiritual beings can take control of our bodies.
Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.
e. The devil is looking for a way to get into your mind
first and ultimately into your body to possess it,
and he is doing an excellent job.
August 30, 2019, Baltimore, Maryland - A woman was killed and three
others were injured in a possible retaliation to a previous stabbing.
August 30, 2019, Mobile, Alabama - Ten people, ranging in age from
15-18, were injured at a high school football game after a fight
escalated.
August 31, 2019, Frederick, Maryland - Four people were injured after
an argument escalated.
August 31, 2019, Charlotte, North Carolina - A man was killed and
three others were injured at a University of North Carolina at
Charlotte off-campus apartment complex.
August 31, 2019, Odessa and Midland, Texas - At least five people
were killed and twenty-one were wounded in a series of mass
shootings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_
States_in_2019
B. Satan tricks people into hurting themselves.
1. Satan is the master illusionist.
2. Genesis 3 tells us the story of how the devil works:
Genesis 3:1 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?
a. To communicate with Eve, Satan had to first take a
physical body. There were only two human beings so he
took the body of a serpent.
b. Satan wanted to mess with Eve’s mind. How did he do
that?
(1) \\#1\\ He questioned what God said. "Did God say
do not eat of every tree of the garden?"
(2) By doing so, Satan questioned what God meant.
"Are you sure that is what God meant?"
Genesis 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent,
We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the
garden:
3 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.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall
not surely die:
(3) \\#4\\ He questioned what God would do. "You
will not die."
c. With these three seeds of doubt…
(1) Did God really say that?
(2) Did God really mean that?
(3) Will God really do that?
…Satan caused Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and to
sin against God.
d. Note that:
(1) Satan’s hands never touched the tree, the fruit,
or Eve.
(2) Satan deceived Eve into doing everything to
herself.
(3) Isn’t that how Satan got you to drink liquor for
the first time? use drugs? commit adultery or
fornication? curse? steal?
(a) "It is not as bad as they say."
(b) "You will be all right."
(c) "I have done it a hundred times, and I’m
fine."
(4) That is the devil messing with your mind.
(5) He is tricking you into hurting yourself.
C. Satan can use about anyone.
1. For Eve, Satan used a serpent.
2. For first Adam, Satan used Eve, his wife.
Ge 3:6 ……she took of the fruit thereof, and did
eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and
he did eat.
3. For the last Adam, Satan used Peter, His disciple.
Matt 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to
rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord:
this shall not be unto thee.
4. Satan can use anyone to deceive and seduce you into doing
his will.
2Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light.
a. Stop and think:
(1) Who tempted you into doubting the Bible?
(a) A friend?
(b) A teacher?
(c) A book written by a respected author?
(d) A preacher?
(2) Friend, there are men standing in pulpits today
who may glisten like an angel, but the bile of
hell flows out of their mouths.
b. You say, "But it was my friend. They were trying to
help me."
(1) A common misunderstanding today is that a wolf in
sheep’s clothing must come growling, snarling,
and biting.
(2) No! That is the wolf without the sheep’s
clothing.
(3) In the sheep’s clothing is friendly, caring,
helpful, and seeming a friend; but he is still a
wolf!
D. Satan can be defeated.
1. It depends on who you are.
a. A lost person cannot defeat Satan.
b. For a saved person, the answer is yes and no.
2. Lost person, you cannot defeat the devil. You are already
his - lot, stock, and barrel.
a. The only thing that keeps you from being filled with
the devil is the mercy of God.
b. The devil cannot only get into your head but he can
also possess you.
c. All he needs is God’s permission and the only reason
God has not given you to him is that God is merciful
and wants to see you saved.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.
d. Get this.
(1) Every time you go on a drunken binge, a drug high,
an enraged tantrum, or entertain yourself with
filthy and occultic material, you are asking the
devil to come take control of your body.
(2) God—and maybe the prayers of a parent—are the
only ones who has kept him out of you.
(3) But the closer to the end times we get, the less
God’s mercy is going to do that.
(4) That is why stupidity and violence is running
rampant through the streets and even the halls
of Congress.
(5) And it is going to get worse.
e. Your only help is in the Savior.
3. Saved person, can we defeat Satan? Yes and no.
a. you and I can defeat him in our lives, but we cannot
stop his attacks.
b. We cannot stop him from attacking us, and we cannot
stop him from attacking our friends, family, and
world.
c. Only God can do that.
d. How do we win? There are several truths that I would
like to give to you, but I do not have time this
morning.
e. Let me sum it up in three statements:
(1) Be saved.
(2) Be surrendered.
(a) Not just in church occasionally, but
totally surrendered.
(b) Studying, listening, learning, and
practicing the Word of God.
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