We are warned not to be ignorant of the devil’s schemes and to guard ourselves against his deceptions. To overcome ignorance and prepare ourselves to resist the devil, we must understand Satan’s tactics. How does Satan mislead people away from God, away from Messiah, and towards a counterfeit messiah?
If we examine Biblical examples of Satan tempting people to sin, we can see a pattern in his tactics. A strategy Satan uses can be summarized in the following three points:
1. Throw out the Torah
2. Demonize YHWH
3. Offer personal benefit
Let’s examine the three points in detail.
1. Throw out the Torah
Torah (תּוֹרָה) is teaching, instruction, or commandment. Torah is commonly translated in English versions of the Bible as “Law”. While Torah does include the concept of laws or rules, it more properly means direction or guidance. Torah is God’s instructions given to us for our benefit.
When we obey Torah, we obey God’s instructions and do what is righteous. When we disobey Torah, we sin. The Apostle John gave us a clear definition of sin:
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:4-8)
Sin is defined as lawlessness, which is violation of Torah. Jesus has no sin, he never violates Torah, and his purpose was to destroy the devil’s work of leading people into sin and rebellion. Jesus’ intent is that we practice righteousness, which means we are to obey Torah. Jesus wants us to go and sin no more.
The first step in Satan’s strategy is to get people to question, doubt, and discard God’s commandments. If people will turn away from Torah they will sin, their relationship with God will be impaired, and they will be set on the path of rebellion and death.
2. Demonize YHWH
The second step of Satan’s strategy is to make God out to be the bad guy. Satan does this by attacking the name of God, which is His character, reputation, and authority. In truth, God is love. But, how often do people refer to Him as “the ‘Old Testament’ God of Wrath”? How often do people accuse God of being cruel, harsh, or sadistic? These are all attempts to demonize God and frame Him as the bad guy who opposes us.
If Satan can convince people to throw out God’s Torah and regard God as the bad guy, then the people will completely fall to sin and rebellion.
3. Offer personal benefit
The final step in Satan’s strategy is to offer people something they want. Satan presents a thing we desire, promising that we can have what we want if we reject God and His Torah. Satan frames God’s Torah as opposing our will and desire; what we want is presented as good, and what God wants is presented as bad.
If someone has been convinced to throw out the Torah and view God as the bad guy, then he or she is ripe for temptation by appealing to personal desires.
Example 1: The Temptation of Eve
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that YHWH God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:1-6)
The first step: Throw out the Torah
Satan began by posing the innocuous question, “Did God actually say?”
The first aim of Satan’s temptation of Eve was to lead her to question God’s instruction. Notice Satan played it cool; he didn’t come right out and say, “God’s law is no good. Get rid of it.” No, Satan posed a seemingly benign question that directed Eve’s attention towards the path he would lead her down. Getting Eve to question God’s Torah, or Law, was the opening attack.
Satan’s question probed two things: Eve’s knowledge of God’s teachings and Eve’s devotion to God’s teachings. Both are necessary to stand against Satan; we must know God’s word, and we must stand by God’s word. In Eve’s case, she failed. Eve seems to have added to God’s teachings by saying He instructed her not to even touch the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Based on the Genesis record (Genesis 2:15-17), God never said to refrain from touching the fruit or that touching the fruit would result in death. It might be a good idea not to touch what we are forbidden to eat, but having good intent doesn’t justify adding our own rules and traditions to God’s commandments.
Eve’s defense showed weakness. As Eve began to crack, Satan pressed his attack further by saying, “You will not surely die.” At this point, Satan directly called God’s instruction a lie. If Eve would accept the statement against God’s instruction, she would be ready to throw it out and act in rebellion.
The second step: Demonize YHWH
When Satan called God’s instruction a lie, he called God a liar. The opening move to portray God as the bad guy was to discredit Him as a liar.
Then, Satan built on his attack by saying, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan accused God of hoarding knowledge and status for Himself. Eve was led to believe God’s instruction was a deception, intended to keep her from obtaining special knowledge and to keep her in a subordinate position.
So, Satan demonized God by framing Him as lying, giving false instruction, making empty threats, hoarding knowledge for Himself, and suppressing Eve so He can continue to maintain superiority over her.
The third step: Offer personal benefit
While framing God as the bad guy, Satan presented personal benefit to Eve. Satan gave the impression that turning on God and eating the forbidden fruit would result in her obtaining special knowledge and becoming like God herself.
Summary
Satan’s message to Eve was:
1. Question and disbelieve God’s instructions, because they really aren’t true or binding.
2. Discard God’s instructions, and you won’t really suffer the penalty for lawlessness.
3. God has an ulterior motive with His instructions; He is keeping you from having something good.
4. If you turn on God, you can gain knowledge and rise to His level.
Eve accepted the message and turned on YHWH.
Example 2: The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. (Matthew 4:1-11)
In his attempt to corrupt Jesus, Satan makes the statement, “If you are the Son of God…” Just as Satan opened his attack on Eve by questioning God’s teachings, instructions, and commandments, he did the same to Jesus.
If we back up to Matthew chapter 3, just before the temptation in the wilderness, we see:
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)
God had just declared that Jesus is His son. The Holy Spirit had just anointed Jesus as the son of God. But Satan questioned God’s word with, “If you are the Son of God…” Just as he did to Eve, Satan’s opening question intended to point Jesus’ attention down the path Satan wanted to lead him along.
Does Satan’s opening question to Jesus attempt to throw out the Torah? Yes.
The Torah and the prophets all spoke of Jesus. To question Jesus’ person, position, and authority is to question the Torah and the prophets.
Jesus is the word of God that was with Him since the beginning. Questioning Jesus is questioning the Word of God.
Pointing Jesus’ attention towards questioning God’s word is the signature opening move of leading him towards rebellion.
The same pattern Satan used on Eve continues. After questioning what God said, Satan then pressed Jesus further. All three of Satan’s follow-up statements are intended to move Jesus towards violating Torah, which is sin. Satan pressed Jesus to wield power for self-gain, fulfilling a personal desire for food and not relying on the Father to provide. When Jesus refused to stray from reliance on his Father, Satan then told him to foolishly put himself in danger and expect the Father to save him. When Jesus refused to abuse his Father’s protection, Satan then appealed to Jesus to turn on the Father and receive all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus refused.
Satan’s message to Jesus was:
1. God said you are His son, but that doesn’t really make it so. Prove it.
2. Operate in your own will, in your own authority, and put God to your test.
3. Turn on God and you will get the kingdoms of the world with their fleshly pleasures.
Resisting Satan’s Strategy
We can counter Satan’s strategy by simply doing the opposite of what he wants.
1. Embrace the Torah
We must first recognize Torah is holy, perfect, and just. We must believe God’s commandments were given for our benefit. This is what we are repeatedly told throughout the Bible: God’s ways are perfect. Study and meditate on Psalm 119, and when we recognize the value and benefit of Torah we will be ready to embrace it and gain its blessings.
After we recognize the value of Torah, we must study it, know it, and practice it. Torah instructs us on right and wrong, and it guides our decisions. We must understand Torah to apply it for wisdom and direction. We must meditate on Torah until it fills our minds and there is no room for anything else. When we are filled with Torah, we are ready to walk in God’s ways and resist leaving His path.
2. Stand in Awe of YHWH
We must know the nature and character of God. If we understand who God is and what He’s like then we will be resistant to attacks on His character, and we will be able to recognize and reject counterfeit gods. This requires thorough study of scripture and consistent closeness with God. One portion of scripture that reveals what God is like is Exodus 34:5-7, which is commonly referred to as the Thirteen Attributes of YHWH’s Mercy.
Please see our study on the Character of God for more detail.
3. Serve God and Mankind Rather than Self
God wants us to serve Him with all our heart and soul (Deuteronomy 12:12-13). This means we must place service to God above all else, including our personal wishes and desires. Love, devotion, and service of YHWH must be our highest priority. If we place anything else above God, that thing will become our master and we will serve it instead of Him. This is exactly what Satan attempts to do, to get us to let go of God and pursue something else that appeals to our desires.
God wants us to love and serve one another. In the book of Acts, believers willingly gave up their excess resources to make sure everyone’s needs were met (Acts 2:42-47). We are told that laying down our own lives for others is the highest form of love, and it is Jesus’ example for us (1 John 3:16-18). If our minds are fixed on serving God first then others second, we can avoid the greed and selfishness Satan would use against us.
Being selfless doesn’t mean we cannot enjoy life. There are many blessings and rewards for God’s obedient children. God designed His creation to be beautiful, enjoyable, and very good. But we must put enjoyment in its proper place: God must be first, mankind must be second, and whatever we take enjoyment in must be permissible by the standard of Torah.
Being the Kind of Person Satan Hates
Knowing Satan’s work is to drive us to sin and death, as John wrote, what kind of people should we be?
We should be people who value Torah and delight in meditating on it.
We should be people who stand in awe of YHWH.
We should be people who love YHWH enough to trust and obey Him.
We should be people who put faith in Jesus for our atonement and salvation.
We should be people who place service to God and mankind above selfish desire.
The kind of person Satan hates is anyone who strives to obey Torah and who places faith in Jesus for salvation. It’s not one or the other, it’s both. To practice Torah is to love God and walk in His ways. To place faith in Jesus is to obtain forgiveness for having violated God’s Torah. Salvation by faith, obedience by Torah, and the truth of God’s word sets us free.
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12:13-17)