How the Enemy Attacks

by Mark Gambill

Sounds like a dumb question, but what is sin? Because of conscience and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Christians have an inherent sense of what sin is. You have probably heard of the so-called “Seven Deadly Sins”—pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. Most people would think of offenses like murder, adultery, and stealing as “really bad” sins. The New Testament lists 124 specific sins.

Sin broken down to its essence is straightforward: Doing things that God says not to do or not doing things that God says to do. Sin is often subtle. There are times when sin is overt; it is right out in the open and readily apparent. But most of the time, our sins are in the closet. We may think that we are justified when we sin; perhaps protected from our sins. No one will know what we are doing. Often, we simply do not think we are sinning.

In our sin, we are often like the proverbial frog in the kettle. Put a frog in boiling water and it will jump right out. But if you put a frog in cold water and gradually turn up the heat, the frog will sit in that kettle and boil to death. If we are confronted with our overt sin, we will usually jump right out. But if we are participating in secret sins, we tend to complacently sit in our sins as the heat turns up and it ultimately cooks us.

It has been said that no person suddenly goes base. Negative changes rarely happen right away; it is rather a gradual process. Last Sunday at Christ’s Church, our lead pastor, Brad Wilson, talked about how our adversary attacks us. In case you missed it, you can check out last Sunday’s teaching here.

We need to know how the enemy attacks us because many believers either overestimate or underestimate Satan’s power.

Satan’s Battle Plan

God gives us the playbook that Satan uses, the process for leading us to fall into sin. In James 1:14, 15, we read these words, “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (NIV).

To fall into temptation to sin, first, we are dragged away. From what? Our righteous way of life. Behaving as we know we should. Acting the way we are supposed to.

“By their own evil desire.” James confirms what the apostle Paul tells us about our inherent sin nature; our proclivity to do or not do what we should or should not do. In Romans 7:14-20, the apostle Paul explains how this process unfolds in our minds: “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (NIV).

And we are enticed. Satan makes sure that we are drawn to sin because it is attractive and often subtle. We are lured into doing something that God would not have us do, usually by an appeal or promise of pleasure or advantage. That creates a desire where we want or wish for something to happen; in this case, something contrary to God’s purpose. Finally, we give into temptation, and we sin—and if we keep on sinning, it leads to death apart from God. Paul tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, NIV).

Winning the Battle

Knowing that we have a sin nature that drives us to do what is wrong rather than what is right, and after understanding Satan’s battle plan for motivating us to sin, how should we respond? Here are four practical steps you can take to win the battle.

First, pray. In the Bible, Satan tempted Job after God pointed him out. Satan hit Job, a righteous man, with all kinds of bad things to test his faith. Job did sin, which came from his self-righteousness and questioning God’s judgment, but in Job 6:24, Job prayed, “Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong” (NIV). Job ultimately repented and acknowledged his sin (see Job 42:6). We also learn from Job what Satan can do—he can influence people, attack our health, and cause destruction; and what Satan cannot do—he is limited by God and cannot act outside his permission.

Second, we need to fight our sin nature, resisting the urge to sin. The apostle Peter exhorts us to “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8, 9, NIV).

Third, we humble ourselves by confessing our sins. First John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (NIV). Jesus told a story about two men; one self-righteous person who thought he was good, and one self-aware person who knew he was not. Jesus commended the self-aware person: “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:13, 14, NIV).

Fourth, be grateful. In his Gospel, the apostle John tells us, “The thief (Satan, supplied) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (10:10, NIV). We need to express our gratitude to God for what he did by sacrificing his Son, praising Jesus for paying the penalty for our sins.

Would you pray this overcoming prayer with me, asking God for victory in your life today?

“Our Father in Heaven, thank you for sending your only Son to die for me on the cross. You are merciful to me a sinner. I am so grateful for your infinite love. You have showered undeserved grace on me by giving me the ultimate gifts—forgiveness of my sins, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternal life with you. By your power, help me be an overcomer today!”

With over 35 years of business experience, Mark Gambill runs the East Region Real Estate Division for Albertsons; has three post-graduate degrees; has taught for over 30 years at various universities; and has been a member of Christ’s Church for over 25 years. He and his wife Karen have two sons, John and Matt, and three dogs, Winnie, Lia, and Tater.