UNDERSTANDING THE STRATEGIES OF THE ENEMY – PART 1:

THE DEVIL HAS NO NEW IDEAS
The moment you are born again, the Devil’s grip over your life is broken, and you become his enemy. He then seeks to win you back, and if he can’t have you, he tries to destroy you. You are therefore thrust into a ferocious, fierce and vicious battle between the forces of God and the forces of the Devil. This battle is commonly called “spiritual warfare”.

The outcome of the war has been pre-determined, which is why the Bible says that in Christ Jesus we are “more than conquerors”. The Lord Jesus came to destroy all the works of the enemy, and indeed He disarmed the Devil on the Cross of Calvary. Having triumphed victoriously over the Devil, Jesus has delegated His authority to us to enable us crush the Devil and his cohorts using the name of Jesus. Your role in this warfare is therefore to enforce the victory which the Lord won at Calvary. You have a duty and a responsibility to ensure that the Devil is made Jesus’s footstool.

To succeed in this battle, you are expected to understand how the Devil, the enemy of your soul operates. The Apostle Paul stated it very clearly in his second epistle to the Corinthian church when he said, “so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes” - 2 Corinthians 2:11 (New Living Translation). In other words, without an understanding of the enemy’s schemes, devices and strategies, you are likely to be outwitted by the Devil! You gain an understanding of the enemy’s strategies as you spend quality time in communion and fellowship with God and His word. You must allow the Word to become a part of your daily routine.

Now let me let you into a secret - Not only is the Devil a defeated foe, but when he fell, God actually cut off his source of wisdom, beauty and ingenuity. On account of this, the Devil does not have any fresh wisdom or understanding or insight. He is bereft of new ideas. All he does is to recycle the same tricks and temptations dressed in different attires. This is one reason why the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 10: 13 that “the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience” (New Living Translation). In the words of the preacher in the book of Ecclesiastics, there is nothing new under the sun. So you can overcome temptation. You don’t need to yield to the Devil. Therefore be encouraged!