Sam Storms on Satan’s Schemes

Sam Storms discusses Satan’s schemes (2 Cor 2:11) and activities with a view to equipping the church to “be aware of them and fully prepared to respond.”

Make no mistake: Satan has a plan. Although sinful, he is not stupid. He does not act haphazardly or without a goal in view. He had “designs” for the church at Corinth and he most surely does for your congregation today as well. In Ephesians 6:11 Paul referred to the “schemes” (lit., methodia, from which we derive our word “method”) of the Devil. He has cunning and wily stratagems not only for the individual believer but also for the corporate body of Christ.

Storms lists 18 ways that Satan is involved in the church and the world.

1. He works in active opposition to the gospel, blinding the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the truth about Christ (2 Cor. 4:4).
2. He is often (but not always) the source of sickness (cf. Acts 10:38; Mt. 8:16; Mark 9:17-18; Luke 13:10-17).
3. He can inflict death as well as provoke the paralyzing fear of it (Heb. 2:14; see Job 1:13-19; John 10:10).
4. He plants sinful plans and purposes in the minds of men (Acts 5:3; John 13:2; Mt. 16:21-23).
5. On occasion, Satan will himself indwell a person (John 13:27).
6. He sets a snare or trap for people, perhaps with a view to exploiting and intensifying their sinful inclinations.
7. He infiltrates the church and plants within it his own people (Mt. 13:37-39).
8. He tests or tries Christians, the malicious “sifting” “like wheat” of Peter’s faith being an excellent example (Luke 22:31).
9. He incites persecution, imprisonment, and the political oppression of believers (1 Pt. 5:8-9; Rev. 2:10).
10. He is the accuser of the Christian (Rev. 12:10).
11. He performs signs and wonders to deceive the nations (Exodus; 2 Thess. 2:9-11).
12. He seeks to silence the witness of the church (Rev. 12:10-12).
13. He promotes false doctrine (1 Tim. 4:1-3; Rev. 2:24; 2 Cor. 11:1ff.).
14. He can manipulate the weather (but not by virtue of his own inherent power; it is only to the degree that God permits, as is clear from Job 1:18-19; cf. Mk. 4:37-39).
15. He influences the thoughts and actions of unbelievers (Eph. 2:1-2).
16. He attacks married believers in regard to their sexual relationship (1 Cor. 7:5).
17. He exploits our sinful decisions, most likely by intensifying the course of action we have already chosen (Eph. 4:26-27).
18. He confronts us with various temptations (1 Chron. 21:1; Mt. 6:13; 1 Thess. 3:5).

He concludes,

Satan has “designs” and “schemes” all of which, in one way or another, are intended to undermine our enjoyment of all that God is for us in Jesus. May God grant us both the wisdom to discern his stratagems and the strength and resolve to resist him at all times.

I find that I have a tendency in prayer to focus more on the weakness of my own flesh and may go days or even weeks without giving careful thought to Satan and the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places,” against whom we wrestle. Reminders like this are good, for they point us with more urgency to the gospel and its power to enable us to withstand and stand firm.

Read the whole post at the Enjoying God Ministries blog.

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