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I
don't like talking about the devil, but time after
time the Bible warns us that the devil is like a
roaring lion who roams about, seeking whom he can
destroy (1 Peter 5:8). Whether we like it or not,
the devil is a real personality who is looking for
ways to destroy our lives. Since the Bible
frequently warns us about this sinister enemy, we
need to know:
How the devil operates.
- How to identify the devil's attacks at their
very onset.
- How to block and stop his devilish assaults.
- How to prevent repeat attacks from occurring in
the future.
In
Second Corinthians 2:11, the apostle Paul wrote a
verse that is teeming with insight to answer these
questions. He wrote, "Lest Satan should get an
advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his
devices."
Paul
clearly understood that Satan was constantly seeking
ways to take advantage of people. The word
"advantage" in this verse is the Greek word pleonekteo.
This word means to outwit; to trick; to take
advantage of someone through some sinister or
sneaky means. It is a compound of the word pleon,
which means more, and the word echo,
which means to have. Together, these words
form the word pleonekto, which denotes a
desire to have more, more, and more. It is a form of
the word pleonexia, the Greek word for greediness.
In this case in Second Corinthians 2:11, it pictures
someone whose lust for something is so intense
that he will take any actions required to obtain
what he wants.
Because
Paul used this word about Satan, we are alerted to
the fact that Satan desperately wants something in
his control. He wants us! The devil will use
any method necessary to take advantage of us and get
us under his control. He will deviously and artfully
endeavor to outwit us, trick us, dominate us, and
ultimately take us as his hostages. That is why Paul
said, "We are not ignorant of his devices."
When
you have an enemy who hates you this much and who
wants to destroy you, you can't afford to be
ignorant. In Paul's case, he and his team were
invading new territory with the Gospel all the time.
Paul knew that Satan wanted to hinder and even stop
them and that it was therefore essential for him to
understand the way the devil operated. He had to be
able to discern whether he was facing a mere human
problem or a planned demonic attack.
Likewise,
you need to know if the storm you're facing right
now is just a natural problem that will blow over,
or if are you facing demonic turbulence sent from
hell to disrupt God's plan for your life. You can't
just shut your eyes and hope the problem will work
out by itself. If this is an attack from the devil
and you do nothing to stop it, it will not simply go
away. On the contrary, it will actually increase and
become more intense. That's why being able to
recognize Satan's game is so important!
The
word "ignorant" in Second Corinthians 2:11 is the
Greek word agnoeo, and it refers to one's ignorance
or lack of certain facts. However, it also
includes making mistakes or errors due to a lack
of understanding. It is the picture of an uneducated
person who, due to a lack of knowledge, is
prone to arrive at mistaken conclusions. The word agnoeo
depicts someone who is in the dark or without a
clue. Because this person lacks understanding,
his conclusions are faulty, erroneous, and misguided.
This is where we get the word agnostic, the official
name used to describe individuals who claim they
don't know what they believe. So when someone claims
to be agnostic, he is literally claiming to
be ignorant!
An
example of this kind of ignorance is often seen when
a person is diagnosed with a terminal disease sent
from the devil, yet the person believes his sickness
comes from God. Because the sick person is ignorant
of the fact that Satan and not God is the
author of sickness and disease, he mistakenly
concludes that his sickness must be God's will for
his life. This ignorance is so devastating that it
could possibly lead to that individual's premature
death. Do you see how dangerous it is to remain
ignorant about how the devil operates?
This
is the reason Paul says, "...We are not ignorant
of Satan's devices." Paul and his companions had
carefully observed how the devil operates and the
primary methods he uses to attack. As a result, they
knew how to recognize the onset of an attack when
Satan started maneuvering to frustrate their plans.
Paul and his team were definitely not in the
dark about the devil; hence, the enemy found
it much more difficult to take advantage of them.
Paul
had to learn these things because he faced problems
with people, religious leaders, governmental
leaders, and even with friends. He was thrown in
prison, cast into the sea, and beaten during moments
of persecution. Traps were constantly being set for
his capture, and he constantly had to be on the
lookout for people who tried to use him and take
advantage of him. Paul couldn't afford to be in
the dark spiritually about the way Satan
operated - and neither can you!
But
notice what Paul says next: "We are not ignorant of
Satan's devices." The word "devices" is the
Greek word noemata, derived from the word nous.
The word nous is the word for the mind
or the intellect. However, when the word nous
becomes the word noemata, it describes a
mind that is scheming, calculating, conniving,
devious, shrewd, sly, or clever . This is
very significant because it alerts us to the reality
that Satan isn't just hoping to hinder us;
he is incessantly scheming and conniving to injure
or deliberately mess up a person's plans, health,
marriage, business, and family. The enemy doesn't
really care how he accomplishes his evil plan; he
just wants to find ways to ruin whatever that person
holds dear.
Thus,
the word noemata denotes Satan's
insidious, malevolent plot to attack and victimize
human beings, clearly demonstrating that the
devil loves to captivate and ultimately destroy
human beings. If this devilish process is not
aborted by the power of God, it is only a matter of
time before Satan puts the last touches on his plan
to take captive a person, family, church, ministry,
business, organization, or even an entire nation!
When you put all of these words together, it
expresses this idea:
"Satan
can forget it if he thinks he is going to pull the
wool over our eyes! We know how he operates, and
we understand the way he schemes and connives to
take us out."
So
don't shut your eyes and ignore the fact that the
devil wants to bring about your downfall. Instead,
open your eyes and allow the Holy Spirit to teach
you how to recognize the devil's operations so you
won't fall prey to him any longer. Then you'll be
able to say, "Devil, I know this is you
attacking me, so I am telling you to leave now in
Jesus' name!"
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