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61 lines
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<title>What Are the Methods of the Devil toward the Believer?</title>
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<div class="head">What Are the Methods of the Devil toward the Believer?</div>
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<p>The Bible tells us that Satan works in a number of ways toward believers. They include the following.
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<p><b>1. Tempts With Evil</b>
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<p>The Devil tempts people with evil.
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<blockquote><p>For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless (<a id="nbi93-si1" onClick="return mV('1Th',3,5);">1Th 3:5</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>2. Inspires Wicked Thoughts</b>
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<p>Satan inspires evil thoughts.
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<blockquote><p>But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? (<a id="nbi93-si2" onClick="return mV('Act',5,3);">Act 5:3</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>3. Opposes Those Who Are in God's Service</b>
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<p>The Devil is opposed to all that is good - particularly those who are in service to God.
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<blockquote><p>because we would have come unto you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us (<a id="nbi93-si3" onClick="return mV('1Th',2,18);">1Th 2:18</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>4. Makes Accusations Against God's People</b>
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<p>Satan makes accusations against the people of God.
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<blockquote><p>Then he showed me the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him (<a id="nbi93-si4" onClick="return mV('Zec',3,1);">Zec 3:1</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>5. Intimidation of God's People</b>
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<p>Satan acts as an intimidator.
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<blockquote><p>Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour (<a id="nbi93-si5" onClick="return mV('1Pe',5,8);">1Pe 5:8</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>6. Seduces Believers To Sin</b>
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<p>Satan by his craftiness can seduce believers to sin.
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<blockquote><p>But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ (<a id="nbi93-si6" onClick="return mV('2Cr',11,3);">2Cr 11:3</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>7. Divert From God's Truth</b>
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<p>Satan tries to turn the minds of believers to the temporal things, not the eternal. Paul encourages believers to set their minds on things eternal
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<blockquote><p>For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (<a id="nbi93-si7" onClick="return mV('2Cr',4,17,18);">2Cr 4:17-18</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>8. Compromise</b>
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<p>Satan attempts to get believers to compromise their convictions. Jesus made it clear that we can only have one master.
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<blockquote><p>No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (<a id="nbi93-si8" onClick="return mV('Mat',6,24);">Mat 6:24</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>9. Doubt</b>
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<p>Satan places doubt in the minds of believers.
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<blockquote><p>Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" (<a id="nbi93-si9" onClick="return mV('Gen',3,1);">Gen 3:1</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>10. Be in Spiritual Darkness</b>
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<p>Satan attempts to get the believer to feel separated from God in a state of darkness. When a person trusts the Lord, they walk in the light.
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<blockquote><p>Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant, who walks in darkness and has no light, yet trusts in the name of the LORD and relies upon his God? (<a id="nbi93-si10" onClick="return mV('Isa',50,10);">Isa 50:10</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>11. Assaults Believers with Unfounded Criticism</b>
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<p>Believers can be the beneficiary of unfounded criticism. This is ultimately the work of the Devil, as Job found out. After he went through all of his terrible suffering - losing family, wealth, and physical health - he was told the following by one of his "friends."
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<blockquote><p>"Think now, who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same" (<a id="nbi93-si11" onClick="return mV('Job',4,'7-8');">Job 4:7-8</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p>His friend assumed his sufferings were a result of some sin in his life. This criticism of Job was unfounded.
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<p><b>Summary</b>
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<p>There are a number of things that Satan does to the believer in an attempt to get them off the straight and narrow. Believers should not be ignorant of these devices for the methods of the Devil have been the same from the beginning. Fortunately, the Bible warns us ahead of time about these devices.<br>
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