Five tactics Satan will utilize to get to you
VBC
September 9, 01
Job 1:1-5
Job was the wealthiest man in the east in his day. In those days’ wealth was measured primarily in terms of land, animals, and servants. Job had all three in abundance. Job was prosperous in his family (seven sons and three daughters). Job was great in his piety. He was not sinless, but he was complete and mature in character and straight in his conduct.
Satan appears in heaven to accuse the saints of God. He would like to be able to turn the eyes and heart of God away from His children. It is not long before you observe Satan plotting, planning, scheming against Job. Satan plays havoc in Job’s life.
Satan sets out to get Job. He will attempt destroying you as well. It would do us well to observe the tactics in which Satan endeavored to dismantle Job. May we learn from the life of Job some of the devices of Satan to get an advantage of us. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
I. Satan tried to get to Job through his faith (11)
Satan attempted to undermine Job’s faith.
Look at Job 1:21 and note Job’s profound statement of faith.
Luke 22:31-34
Satan wants to overthrow your faith in God. He wants you to think negatively about God. He wants you to doubt the power of God. WHAT COMES INTO OUR MINDS WHEN WE THINK ABOUT GOD IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT US. Satan wants you to think skeptically about God. Satan is not interested in what God has said or did not say; what he is interested in is getting you to doubt that God said what he said. He wants to fill your heart with questions about God. Satan wants you to think suspiciously about God. He wants you to doubt the love of God. He will attempt to misrepresent God to you. The devil is an accuser.
It takes faith to claim and challenge loving-kindness out of all the roughest stokes of life. Romans 8:28
II. Satan tried to get to Job through his finances (14-17)
Job was stripped of everything he had (21).
Satan will try to get to you through your money whether you have it or whether you don’t. Finances can evaporate very quickly. You can have it today and be bankrupt tomorrow.
Satan will come at you through your capital or lack of it until you are discouraged, disheartened, and defeated.
Don’t let the devil get to you through your finances.
For too many there is more month after the money runs out.
Far too many have bought things with money they do not have to impress people they don’t even like!
Far too many can’t be in the house of God faithfully because they have to work a second job to pay for their worldly appetites.
See Acts 5
Money was connected to the death of Ananias and Sapphira. It was money that turned Elisha’s servant, Gehazi into a leper.
III. Satan tried to get to Job through his family (18-19)
Job lost seven sons and three daughters in one day. Can you imagine the death of 10 children in one day?
See Job 2: 9,10. Satan can work through people who are dear to us. Satan gets to a lot of God’s children through their family. It may be through conflicts with our family. It may be with confrontations with our family. It may be with compromise for our family.
See 2 Samuel 6:20.
IV. Satan tired to get to Job through his flesh (2:7,8)
A man can stand almost anything better than he can stand pain!
Most of humanity value their flesh above everything. What is tolerable when we are good health is torture when our limbs ache and our flesh is lacerated or scorched.
A prolonged trial will wear out the flesh.
See Daniel 7:25. The devil will get to you through prolonged pain if you are not careful.
V. Satan tired to get to Job through his friends (2:11-13)
At least three friends showed up. However, the number three is pitiful, for don’t you know he had more friends than he could count when everything was going good.
Three friends of Job agree to come to mourn and to comfort him. They came indeed to sympathize with him,but like other well-meaning people today, they stayed on to sermonize. Eliphaz suspected that Job had sinned and this may be the reason for his trouble. Bildad surmised that Job was a sinner, and this was probably the reason for his trouble. Zophar stated that Job had sinned, and this was the reason for his trouble. They supposedly came to comfort but in reality, but they condemned Job. Be cautious of the person who knows why everything happens to you.
See Job 16:1-5. With friends like you, who needs enemies?
See 2 Samuel 13:3.
Conclusion:
Satan is a real person with great intellect. He is an individual who is extremely subtle. Don’t underestimate him. He desires the destruction of every man. He will use anything and everything to distract, disappoint, and defeat you. He walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour
If we are constantly aware of Satan’s devices, we are much less likely to fall prey to him.
Practical instruction to guard against his tactics:
RECOGNIZE YOUR ADVERSARY
RESPECT HIS ABILITY
RESISTS HIS ATTACKS - James 4:7 “Resist the devil....”
RELY ON YOUR ADVOCATE
Sincerely yours but securely His,