Satan’s Strategies: Staying Silent
The past few weeks, we’ve been looking at the strategies of Satan-
Ephesians 6:11 | Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
This is because Scripture commands us-
1st Peter 5:8-9a | Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.
To be alert and on guard, we have to understand his battle strategies. First, he aims to convince the unbeliever to reject Christ. If that fails and a person becomes a believer, his strategy shifts to distraction – keeping the believer from pure devotion to Christ (2nd Cor. 11:3). He uses anything and everything he can to keep us distracted- busyness, earthly treasures, fear/worry, anger, worthless disagreements, persecution, and even sin!
This week, we’re looking at one final strategy, used to make sure that if a believer does grow in their walk with Christ, the impact of their faith stops with them. In other words, the enemy’s final strategy is to silence the Gospel, so the believer doesn’t share Jesus with others.
Before He ascended to Heaven, Jesus’ final commands to believers were all about being His witnesses, or taking the Gospel to the whole world!
Matthew 28:19-20 | Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Mark 16:15 | And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
He delegated us as His ambassadors (2nd Cor. 5:20), messengers taking the Good News everywhere we go. Clearly the most important mission that we have – a mission shared by ALL believers – is to tell others about Jesus. This is how people hear about the life-changing love of Christ so they can put their faith in Him and be transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God (Col. 1:13). So it's no wonder Satan spends so much energy trying to keep the believer from sharing Jesus with others!
We see the opposition of Satan against the Gospel and the Gospel-bearing believer over and over again in Scripture. Jesus warned Peter that he would face a battle with Satan-
Luke 22:31 | “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.”
Despite the warning, and identical repeat attacks, three times, Peter doesn’t stand firm in the fight–
Luke 22:54-62 | So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!” After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted. About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.” But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
Satan waged war against Peter and the Gospel. Peter was distracted by fear, and as a result, failed three times to proclaim His allegiance to Christ. Here’s the thing– Jesus didn’t need to know that Peter was on his team. It was these three people and the others with them that needed to hear the truth about Jesus – they needed to know about His love for them and the Good News! Peter could have told them about how Jesus had changed his life. The moment was perfectly laid up for Peter – he just needed to grab the ball to sink the basket. But instead, He refused to be in the game.
In Matthew 5, we are told that we are lights in the world and lights should not be hidden–
Matthew 5:14-16 | You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Our enemy opposes the light (John 1:5, John 3:20) and works to keep it hidden. If he can’t veil your light with sin or distraction, then he will oppose the message to keep it from being shared. He did this with Paul (1 Thess. 2:18) and over and over again in the book of Acts, having the apostles attacked, thrown in prison, or even murdered when the Gospel was shared (Peter, John, Paul, Silas, Stephen, etc.). He even tried it on Jesus, using Peter to tell Jesus He shouldn’t go to the cross (Matthew 16:21-23)!
Believers must stand firm against this strategy of Satan, looking for opportunities to share Christ whenever God presents them–
Ephesians 5:16 | Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
As we shift away from the strategies of Satan to the armor of God - our God given weapons for battle, remember to watch out for the strategies of Satan. Stand firm and live as children of the light, boldly proclaiming Christ to others.
Ephesians 5:8 | For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
Why would Satan want to silence the Gospel?
Why did Peter stay silent about his faith?
What are some other reasons people have for not sharing the Gospel?
Have you ever let any of these or any other reasons keep you from sharing Jesus with others? When?
Does it change your perspective to know that the struggle you faced was a spiritual battle? What tools do you have to stand firm next time you face this same strategy?