Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ “

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

Genesis 3:1-6

This is like breaking down the game plan of an opposing team. There are some very basic plays in Satan’s play book and once these are understood… don’t kid yourself, you’re still susceptable to them, but, it can be helpful to see the simplicity of his tactics.

The Tactics of the Enemy:

1) Calling God’s word into question:

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)The enemy said, “Did God really say that?” Did God really mean this? Is all scripture really inspired by God? Come on now, all of it? You don’t really believe that the Red Sea was parted do you? Is all scripture really without error? What about that part of the Bible that just doesn’t seem quite right to you — I don’t think that part is inspired. Calling God’s word into question is one of the basic tactics of the enemy.

Notice also that the enemy twisted God’s words for God of course never said that Adam and Eve must not eat from any tree in the garden.

2) Denying the existence of judgment or consequences:

…the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4) “There are no consequences,” the enemy says to you and says to me. You won’t die a spiritual death — because there is no hell. Your marriage relationship won’t die — if you have sex outside of marriage. You will not surely die — if you don’t accept Jesus as your savior. Denying the consequences of not abiding by God’s word and will — a second tactic of Satan.

3)  Misrepresenting God’s nature:

“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5) God doesn’t want you to eat from this fruit because he wants to hold you back. He doesn’t want you to advance to the point where you have knowledge of good and evil because he’s jealous, in the worst sense of the word — He wants to keep you down. Of course God knew the consequences of eating the fruit and forbid Adam and Eve from doing so for their own benefit. God always wants what’s best for you and for me. Satan always portrays God in the opposite light. How could a loving God allow people to suffer? People suffer because the world is in a fallen state as the result of what happens in the next few verses. How could a loving God allow people to go to hell? God says that if you’re bound and determined to go to hell, you can, but, you’ll have to do it over My dead body, over the body of My Son, Jesus Christ. (see previous post on Eternity)

Only 3 plays left in his playbook — the final three tactics of the enemy:

1 John 2:16 says: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

4) The lust of the flesh:

The enemy’s 4th tactic is to try to appeal to the lust of your flesh. Genesis 3:6 says that, When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food… When the woman saw that this fruit would feed her flesh, that it would taste good, that it would please her flesh… When the alcoholic sees that a drink will please his flesh, when a man or woman sees that an extramarital relationship will please his or her flesh, when the businessman decides to cut a corner so he can make money that will purchase things that gratify, sin is at hand, life altering consequences are at hand.

5) The lust of the eyes:

The 5th tactic is to try to appeal to the lust of the eyes. Verse 6 also says that when the woman saw that the fruit was pleasing to the eye… When the woman was visually attracted to the fruit, when the woman was drawn to the fruit because of its visual appeal… When the man is visually attracted to pornographic images on the internet, when the woman is visually attracted to clothes that will break the budget, when the man is visually attracted to that thing that he covets that he can’t afford, sin is at hand, lives will be damaged.

6) The pride of life:

The 6th tactic is to try to appeal to the pride of life. Verse 6 also says that when the woman saw that the fruit was desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. When the woman thought, I can advance, I can be wise like God, I can have some of the same knowledge that God has… When the New Ager says that you too can be a God. Or when the cult says that, like God, you too can rule your own planet. Or when the intellectual says that scripture is for those who need a crutch, anyone with intelligence is above all of this Bible nonsense, sin is at hand again, eternal consequences are in play.

The Enemy’s Enemy

We see the enemy attempt to use the same final 3 tactics again in Matthew 4. But, this time Satan is playing his game against Jesus.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (Matthew 4:1-3) Jesus was hungry, Satan attempted to use his old standby, number 4, the lust of the flesh. But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (Matthew 4:4)

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

” ‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” (Matthew 4:5-6)

Prove you are who you say you are, prove you are God’s Son! Come on, prove it! Old standby number 6 was used here, the pride of life. But Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7)

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9) Look at all the splendor before you, just look at it, look! Old standby number 5, the lust of the eyes. But Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10)

Jesus said that Satan was a liar and a murderer from the beginning. (John 8:44) As I said earlier, understanding the enemy’s tactics can be helpful in avoiding his pitfalls. However the real power for protection from Satan’s devices comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Why not ask Him into your life now? What do you have to lose? Click on this link and do what it says to be saved: Save me.

References:

Blue Letter Bible

Bible Gateway

Bob Davis

Jon Courson