Genesis 3:3-5 "…3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" 4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."…
THE DEVIL INFLUENCED PETER TO SIN : Notice Christ addressed the devil while talking to Peter!
Matthew 5:22-23 "…22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Far be it from You, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!” 23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
THE DEVIL INFLUENCED ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA TO SIN.
Acts 5:3 "3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?"
The devil spends more time influencing people to rage and rail at believers in an attempt to get them to sin than any other way. He tried to get Eve to believe God lied to her, he influenced Peter to question God's purpose and he influenced Ananias and Sapphira to feel the need to impress others, pretending they gave all their earnings when they held back a portion. It was interesting that this couple was not required to give all but they wanted to be seen by men as doing a good thing, so they lied. It was the lying to the Holy Spirit that did them in, literally.
Satan places unclean thoughts in the heads of people to cause them to believe things that are not true. If he can get us to think certain things he can break up relationships, remove support systems and cause rebellion in children.
When he knows he cannot get them to sin through mere temptation, he can cause them to sin by using the mouths of others to falsely accuse or frustrate with mocking and demeaning, then watch their reaction to defend themselves in anger.
Do not fall for the tricks of the devil. His favorite tactic is to arouse frustration in believers so they will become angry, then he can point his bony finger of accusation that we are the evil ones.
Revelation 12:10 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, he who accuses them day and night before our God."
It is interesting how the accuser feels justified in their hateful tactics when we respond to them. When we do not respond they exit quickly because they only have themselves to see. Their goal was thwarted so they remove themselves.
The attacks on believers are increasing, if we know the tactics of the evil one we can be prepared to allow the Holy Spirit to control us so that we are not controlled by the devil.
God warned us many times in the Word about the tactics of the devil, in every case He tells us to remove ourselves or we speak the words of God and the devil will flee.
James 4:7-8 "7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.…"
Revelation 12:11 "11 They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.…"
There it is, the answer to the attacks, the devil has been conquered by the blood of Christ, he has no power unless we give it to him.
Ephesians 4:27 "…26“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. "
Because Christ is in us we can exercise self control when we are under attack. No need to explain ourselves or attempt to reason with the devil. Simply state truth as needed or refuse to answer at all.
Proverbs 26:3-5 "…3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools. 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. 5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes.…"
Remember the attacks do not reveal anything about us, but they do reveal much about the attacker. However if we become angry and exact revenge, then our response does reveal that our heart needs more work.
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