Life is hard. It wasn’t always that way. Adam and Eve had it perfect in the Garden of Eden until Adam sinned against God and fell from grace. Sin corrupted God’s creation. As a result, Satan became the god of this world and everyone who came after Adam and Eve has had to face hardships in their life, both physical and mental. Why is that? Satan and his fallen angels were thrown to the earth after their rebellion in heaven and once man was expelled from the Garden of Eden we were without God’s protection. With man and demon together on the same earth conflict was inevitable and, in fact, has been ongoing from the beginning. Demons from the spirit world can’t touch us physically but God does allow them to assault us mentally, up to a point. Maybe God allows us to be tempted by the devil as part of our purification process during our “testing time” here on earth before we go to heaven.
Mental assault is the same for everyone, it’s constant and never ending. It’s all we know. It’s normal for us. We think that’s the way it’s supposed to be because we don’t have any other frame of reference. We don’t recognize we’re being oppressed from the spirit world because it’s a slow roll, a dull ache that never goes completely away. We learn to live with it and we don’t know any different. When we get to heaven and have no evil attacking our minds we’ll realize what we had to endure on earth. The Bible says everyone experiences the fiery darts of Satan and will need God’s protection. Peace in this life is only possible with God and the one and only true living God is Jehovah. The followers of all the other world religions do not have this inner peace and their souls are always in turmoil. Ask them and if they’re honest they’ll admit it. The following is a list of some the devices Satan uses to enslave us:
A. Disappointment leads to discouragement which leads to despair – There is not one person who has ever lived who has had all their hopes fulfilled. Everyone faces some kind of disappointment in life. Go to God when you’re disappointed so as not to give Satan an advantage over you. Lingering disappointment can lead to discouragement (loss of confidence). Lingering discouragement leads to despair, which is the complete loss of hope. People in despair are the ones who commit suicide because without hope we have nothing.
Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
B. Doubt which leads to disbelief – Satan sows the seed of doubt in our minds about God. Satan tells us God doesn’t exist. Satan tells us if God does exist he certainly doesn’t love us. Once we start to doubt God and the Bible we’re on a slippery slope to disbelief. Pray and read God’s Word daily to maintain your faith.
Hebrews 3:12 – Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
C. Distraction leads to doublemindedness which leads to delay – Satan will use the pursuit of your lifelong goals to pull your attention away from the truth of God’s Word and your salvation. As you focus on family, career, money and power it can pull you away from God and you cannot serve two masters. As we are pressed for time in our daily pursuits it can lead to us not making a commitment to God until it is too late. Many a man is in hell today because they died before they had a chance to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They meant to get saved. They thought they had more time to decide.
Proverbs 27:1 – Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
James 4:8 – Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
D. Dishonesty, deceit and disobedience – Satan is always urging us to lie and cheat thereby disobeying Gods commandments. As we sin it becomes easier to keep sinning and that widens the gulf between us and God. Satan’s goal is our separation from God.
E. Dullness leads to deadness – Satan wants to quench our faith to the point of apostasy. If our faith in God starts to fail it will ultimately lead to deadness if we don’t nurture our faith. Satan’s goal is to kill our faith so we can’t be an effective ambassador for Christ.
F. Defamation, defilement and discord – Satan urges us to sin against God with out tongues. Satan wants us to sin because when we defile our bodies God cannot use us for his purposes. Satan is a master at stirring up anger, hate and violence. Look at all the murders, wars and carnage throughout history caused by Satan.
Psalm 105:1 – Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destrou him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.