“God is a God of unity, and where there is disunity and division, His Spirit is not free to dwell.” Tony Evans
Deception was Satan’s first device he used to destroy man in the Garden of Eden. The serpent distorted what God really said to Adam and Eve which caused them to doubt the Father’s goodness and trustworthiness. Planting lies in my head is the most common way the enemy keeps me from knowing and believing the truth. Spending time in God’s Word gives me clarity and protects me from deception.
Another scheme of the enemy is confusion. It reminds me of the confusion surrounding Covid-19 (what’s true and what isn’t), and whether to wear a mask or not. Satan uses confusion to create chaos, which incites fear. God is not the author of confusion. I gain clarity from listening to the Father’s voice and in discovering His true nature. When I’m confused or in a swirl of chaos, I run to Him to restore my peace by sitting still and listening to Him speak.
The enemy not only wants to confuse us, he wants to divide us. Division is another strategy the enemy uses for our destruction. Satan knows if we’re isolated and not standing together then we’re weaker and unable to fight against him. It’s helpful to remember during this pandemic that “the enemy is the enemy,” not those who disagree with us. Winston Churchill spoke these profound, wise words: “United we stand, divided we fall. Divided the dark ages return. United we can save and guide the world.” We preserve unity through humility, preferring one another, and displaying Christ’s love.
Fear, leading to control and self-protection are yet other tactics the enemy uses. The sooner we let go of control, of how we want things to happen, the sooner peace comes. When we fight to keep our desires, we lose the peace and rest we were meant to have by trusting our One and Only Protector and Sovereign Ruler.
Knowing the enemy’s tactics supplies us with ways to fight back. Ephesians 6:11 encourages us to “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Instead of deception we put on God’s truth. Where there’s confusion we find clarity and peace listening to the Father’s voice. We take a stand against division by building unity. And we quell our fear by allowing God to protect us and sovereignly control the situation around us.
“Division has done more to hide Christ from the view of men than all the infidelity that has ever been spoken.” George MacDonald
Relevant Reflection: Which of the enemy’s schemes is most prevalent in your life? How can you fight back?