Satan’s grand strategy. Do you know what it is? Are you falling for it?
Satan’s Grand Strategy
In a sentence, can you describe Satan’s grand strategy for deceiving and destroying mankind?
We know the devil’s supreme goal: To seize God’s throne, destroy the incredible human potential, and shatter the God Family plan. We are aware of many of his tactics: the way he spreads lies and deceits, how he exploits man’s lust of the flesh and broadcasts through negative emotions, moods and attitudes. But Satan has a grand plan, a well-crafted strategy, in which he employs various tactics in pursuit of his goal. This strategy is as simple as it is deadly.
You and I must know what this strategy is if we are to avoid becoming victims of it.
Take your Bible and study Genesis 3. Although God doesn’t give us a detailed account of Adam and Eve’s sin here, the details He does provide, as Mr. Armstrong explained, give a vivid and powerful understanding.
Verse 1 reveals Satan’s subtlety. Notice, he didn’t reveal himself as the powerful and impressive archangel that he was. He probably could have dazzled Eve with his brilliant mind, or with his musical talent or his power to perform miracles. But there was little flash and dazzle. Instead, the devil slid into Eve’s life with a small, seemingly innocuous question: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1).
That was it: With one seemingly innocent question—a mere 14 words in English and only 6 in the original Hebrew—Satan the devil hooked Eve! We can learn so much about Satan from this one scripture. First and most obviously, never underestimate the subtlety of Satan. While he can and does work in overt ways, often his deadliest attacks consist of one sentence, one question, one thought. Like his question to Eve, the questions he’ll try to instill in us are loaded with the potential to introduce doubt and criticism, uncertainty and mistrust, and to undermine our faith and confidence.
Eve fell for it: “And the woman said unto the serpent …” (verse 2). Eve engaged the thought, and by doing so engaged the devil. In many respects, this is the most pivotal moment of this account. This was the moment mankind engaged with the devil. Satan was thrilled and believed that it would only get easier from here. Eve’s answer to Satan in verses 2-3 is noteworthy. It shows that Adam and Eve clearly understood God’s instructions about the two trees. Consider Eve’s confidence: Oh, that’s easy, she seemed to think, God told us this, this and this. In Eve’s mind, there was no confusion, no doubt and no questions. She had accepted God’s truth and was at peace. Then Satan started talking. With Eve engaged, he could now get to work employing his grand strategy. “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (verses 4-5).
This was the extent of Satan’s conversation with Eve after his short introductory question. The devil didn’t need much time or many words. With this brief exchange, Satan was able to deceive Eve and set about taking mankind captive. How did he do it? He uses the same methods today.
First, Satan criticized God and His plan. He undermined God’s supreme authority. He told Eve, God doesn’t want you to eat from this tree because He knows when you do, you will become like Him.
The devil deceived Eve into thinking that God was selfish and sinister, and that He hid truth from them. In essence, Satan convinced Eve that the true God is in fact more like the devil—a wicked, selfish liar whose sole purpose is self-aggrandizement and self-love.
If God is the devil in Satan’s message, then who is god? He is! Again, look at what happened here. Satan sold himself to Eve as the ultimate authority on creation, the two trees and human existence. He convinced Eve that he had all the answers. He persuaded Eve that he had mankind’s interests at heart. Satan acts like he is the selfless supreme power and authority.
Satan waxed eloquent on the subject of the two trees also. He told Eve that the fruit from his tree would impart wisdom and enlightenment. He declared to Eve that his tree would impart eternal life, and that the tree of life would bring unhappiness and death. It’s not hard to see what happened here: Satan convinced Eve that he was God, and that the tree of death was in fact the tree of LIFE.
In a sentence, this is the devil’s supreme strategy: Satan sells himself as God!
All Satan’s subtle lies, devious devices, tactical operations, influences and emotions fall under this single strategy: to convince man that he actually is God. It’s simple, but it’s incredibly effective andutterly deadly. Human beings fall for it over and over and over. Even God’s own people are vulnerable if they are not vigilant and relying on the power of God to recognize and overcome Satan.
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