Our enemy, Satan, loves to use a variety of tactics to keep Elohim’s (God’s) people from being victorious in life and spiritual warfare. He is no respecter of age; he will attack even the youngest and most vulnerable. He constantly assesses people for being potential threats, and he intends to stop each threat before it comes to fruition.
Our enemy can be relentless in attacking his strongest threats or opponents with general attacks such as fear, physical illness, all kinds of trauma, grief, loss, emotional attacks, persecution, abuse, rejection, betrayal, sabotage, retaliation, and poverty. These attacks can paralyze us and cause us to engage in bad coping skills such as cutting, drug and alcohol addiction, suicidal ideation, spending money we do not have, stealing, pornography, assaulting the weak, witchcraft, etc. Your greatest advantage at this point would be seeing the attacks for what they are – a means to completely incapacitate you. Then, you can run to the Lord for healing, as well as training and equipping for spiritual battle. Your goal should be to make sure you fulfill Elohim’s destiny for your life.
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent, also known as Satan, questioned what YHVH said to Adam and Eve, “Did Elohim actually say…?” He will twist the truth, and he will add or take away from what was actually said. By doing this, he attacks our faith and leaves us confused and/or disillusioned. We must constantly be on guard against lies and deception. Therefore, we must know the truth because the truth can set us free from fear, confusion, doubt, deception, rejection, etc.
Satan has great experience at introducing temptations into our lives. Honestly, we don’t need a lot of help in this area because we can be consumed with our fleshly desires, which may include greed, envy/ jealousy, anger, hatred, strife, gossip, rumors, slander, twisting of the truth, outright lies, sexual immorality, murder, vengeance, unforgiveness, bitterness, rebellion, witchcraft, and thinking we have a license to sin. The Lord has lavished us with His grace (mercy, kindness, and favor), but His grace is not a license to sin. We must renounce our sins and walk in righteous allegiance to our Lord.
If temptations do not work, Satan will try to hinder and/or stop our personal spiritual growth, our ministries, or other events of spiritual significance. If you find that you are not spending time praising and thanking the Lord, reading his word, and praying each day, Satan is likely at work behind the scenes to distract or divert your attention from Him. This is why it is important to cancel evil/witchcraft assignments that may be coming against you. Daily carve out the time and seek the Lord in your secret place while avoiding complacency or laziness. Take advantage of opportunities for ministry, conferences, and other spiritual events.
Satan may cause you to compare yourself to others, and you may feel the need to isolate yourself if you feel like you do not measure up. We are not supposed to compare ourselves to others. Our gifts should compliment the gifts of others, so that we are working together as one body to accomplish the goals of the Lord. In addition, we should be building up one another in the faith and sharpening each other’s skills. Do not allow yourself or others to become isolated. Be unified, come forward, and be directed by the Lord for His purposes.
For those who have sought the gift of speaking in tongues, Satan may bring people into your life that insist that diverse tongues are not real and were only for the past. If you have received the gift of tongues, he may still make you think it is not real and make you doubt what took place when you received this gift. The gift of tongues is a weapon that the enemy does not want you to develop for several reasons. First, it strengthens your spirit. Second, it allows you to decree what the Spirit wants you to decree. Third, when interpreted, tongues communicate a message from the Spirit to the body of Messiah.
Other tactics that Satan uses against us is causing us to be prideful or to feel shame or guilt over something from the recent or distant past. This may have resulted from him putting us in environments that compromised our faith. This can generate discouragement and discontent, which prevents us from experiencing joy. Be careful if you find yourself spiraling downward into anxiety, worry, a spirit of heaviness, and self-pity. This can lead to oppression and feelings of worthlessness. Renounce those things and tell the enemy to leave. Remember, YHVH convicts us of our sins, so we will repent and become weapons in His hand, but Satan causes us to feel shame and guilt to immobilize us. Do not allow him to do that.
Other attacks of the enemy involve demonic oppression and/or possession. This happens when people – leaders and laypersons – give license to the enemy through their thoughts and behavior, as well as allowing people to lay hands on them that should not. Serious demons to avoid in the last days include:
- The twisting of leviathan, which is related to pride, slander, and division.
- The seduction, control, and manipulation of Jezebel, which keeps people from hearing and obeying God.
- The religious spirit, which is Satan’s version of the Holy Spirit, often causes us to divert attention to ourselves and our doctrines – with more of a focus on the letter of the law than permitting the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives. YHVH wants us to focus on loving Him and other people while having a balance of truth and Spirit.
- Discouragement, which can lead to depression, hopelessness, and suicide.
- Pride, which is a serious trap people can fall into. Beware of pride because it can lead to arrogance, destruction, and disgrace!
Reflect on all these strategies and become familiar with them. Doing so can help you break Satan’s hold on you, so you can become a mighty warrior in the Lord’s army.
Highway to Holiness 