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The Targets of
Satan’s Attack
1. Satan can fill our hearts as believers with a desire to misrepresent our devotion to God and be hypocritical.
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
“The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was energized by Satan (Acts 5:3); and he knows how to lie to the minds and hearts of church members, even genuine Christians, and get them to follow his orders. Always remember that the spiritual armor (Eph. 6:10–18) was given to believers, not to unbelievers; and it is believers who are in danger of being used by Satan to accomplish his evil purposes.
Their sin was motivated by pride, and pride is a sin that God especially hates and judges (Prov. 8:13). While the church was praising God for the generous offering of Barnabas, Satan whispered to the couple, “You can also bask in this kind of glory! You can make others think that you are as spiritual as Barnabas!” Instead of resisting Satan’s approaches, they yielded to him and planned their strategy.
It is easy for us to condemn Ananias and Sapphira for their dishonesty, but we need to examine our own lives to see if our profession is backed up by our practice. Do we really mean everything we pray about in public? Do we sing the hymns and Gospel songs sincerely or routinely? “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me” (Matt. 15:8, NIV). If God killed “religious deceivers” today, how many church members would be left?
We must keep in mind that their sin was not in robbing God of money but in robbing Him of glory. God didn’t demand they sell the property; and, having sold it, God didn’t demand they give any of the money to the church (Acts 5:4). Their lust for recognition conceived sin in their hearts (Acts 5:4, 9), and that sin led to death (James 1:15)”.
Beware of allowing Satan to make you proudly affirm a deeper spiritual sacrifice and devotion than what God knows is real in your heart. Solution: repent of half-hearted devotion right now and surrender completely to Jesus Christ!
The Targets of
Satan’s Attack
2. Satan can lead us into destructive behavior, and can also cause bodily harm (as most clearly seen in Job’s boils).
I Corinthians 5:5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
The man was delivered to Satan that his body might be afflicted, in order that his soul might be saved.
Beware of the consequence engine. God is not mocked. We always reap what we have sown. Solution: repent and stop now, give your body back to God as a living sacrifice before God’s chastening starts.
3. Satan uses temptations to inflame our lusts on all three levels. Peiradzo 39 x
1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Satan works as a co-conspirator with your flesh and mine. He has the power to cause our flesh to be tempted. Temptation is our flesh longing to be satisfied: either by the cravings of our bodies chasing pleasures (lusts of the flesh) or the longing of our eyes chasing possessions (lust of the eyes), or by the boastings of our hearts and mouths chasing status (pride of life) as I John 2:15-17 says.
Beware of playing with temptation lest Satan catches you in his trap, especially in the realm of sexual temptation as noted here. Solution: repent of playing with temptation, ask Jesus to deliver you from all evil in your life, and take the escape He makes for you as you cry out for help!