Imagine this… Nebraska football is set to face Big 10 foe Ohio State University. In the entire week leading up to the game, Nebraska coaches focus on the team’s pass defense in practice. The team has struggled throughout the season with allowing too many pass completions and yards, so that becomes the focus of the entire week’s practices. They practice their technique for breaking up passes and putting extra pressure on the quarterback. Nebraska’s defense makes huge strides throughout the week and feels READY to play dominant defense against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Then, the big day arrives. The weather is a perfectly crisp fall day, the stadium is bursting with fans, and the players and coaches are focused and amped up for the game. The Huskers kick off to the Buckeyes, and the Ohio State quarterback takes the field. As the first series of plays unfolds, though, Nebraska’s defense comes to an unfortunate realization. Ohio State’s offense is 100% based around a dynamic running back. Their top receivers have been out for several weeks with injuries, so their offensive scheme is entirely focused on the RUN, not the PASS. 

What went wrong? Nebraska did not do its research. The team and coaches failed to watch film on Ohio State’s prior games from earlier in the season! Had they done that, they would have known that the Buckeyes’ offense is a run-offense, and they would have spent the week focusing on defending the run and strategizing in that specific area. Instead, Nebraska was uninformed and unprepared, leaving them way more vulnerable to the opposition and likely to struggle. 

The likelihood of success in most sports increases significantly when a team has done its due diligence by thoroughly studying its opponent before the matchup. But this isn’t only true in sports! Politicians study the opposing candidate when preparing for a debate and strategizing a campaign, and military forces study their opposition when preparing for any type of battle. Bottom line, if you will be facing an adversary of any kind, your chances for success are much higher if you’ve diligently prepared by studying the other side. 

So that begs the question… How much time have you spent studying the devil? As long as believers are still on earth, they live in the midst of a battle between light and darkness every single day. We are sinful human beings who fight sin, temptation and evil constantly as we try to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and live in His ways. Who is at the forefront of our struggle against sin, temptation and evil? Satan. He is the opposition of every believer of Jesus. Are you prepared for his strategies, tactics and attacks? Nobody wants to spend too much time obsessing over the devil, but if you don’t know who he is and how he works, you simply cannot be adequately prepared to battle against him. 

So let’s buckle down and do a little research. This research will not be comprehensive… And it’s important to remember that every single hard thing that happens in your life is not from Satan! Our world is broken because of sin, which brings suffering, pain and consequences. But sometimes, our difficulties and temptations do come from the devil. He is not more powerful than God, but he does have power and he must be respected as an opponent who is not to be ignored. The Bible tells us everything we need to know about Satan. Let’s look at a few things it has to say:

The devil lies. John 8:44 says that lies are Satan’s native language. Not only does he lie, but he is the father of lies! If you’re hearing a message in your heart or from another person that goes directly against God’s words about His children, that is a lie. For example, we know God says that He loves us unconditionally. While we were still sinners, He sent Jesus to sacrificially die for us out of love (Romans 5:8). So if someone is telling you that God can’t love you anymore because of a certain sin you’ve committed or because you haven’t been to church yet this year, that goes directly against what the Bible says. …which means it’s a lie. …which means it’s certainly not God speaking to you. Hmmmm. To counter Satan’s lies, you must know and be filled with God’s truth. The best way to expose a lie is by knowing the truth, right? 

The devil steals, kills and destroys. John 10:10 lists these three verbs specifically when talking about the devil. A look into Satan’s playbook tells you that he’ll steal, kill and destroy whenever and however he can. He might maneuver to steal your joy, hope, peace or patience. He could mess around and kill/destroy a dream or relationship in your life. Just know, he is out to steal, kill and destroy. Obviously, the types of things he’s gunning for are those things that impact your intimacy with Jesus and your surrender to His ways. So when you sense something that falls into that category being threatened, it’s time to get defensive and take action.

The devil is a stumbling block. My mom took a little tumble as we were walking into a ballpark over the summer. There was something uneven sticking up from the sidewalk, and it completely wiped her out. (Don’t worry, she was okay!) When she fell, she obviously stopped moving toward her intended destination. She was also in some pain. If you’ve noticed something that causes you pain or stops you from following Jesus’ call and direction for your life, it could be a stumbling block. …and that stumbling block could be Satan. In Matthew 16:23, Jesus says to Peter (who had just rebuked Jesus for talking about His death), “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Be alert! Watch out for anything that encourages you to be more focused on human concerns rather than the concerns of God.

The devil is on the move. He cannot be approached or opposed casually, and his threat cannot be taken lightly. 1 Peter 5:8 says the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” He’s not just sitting around, he won’t take a day off, and he doesn’t take a lackadaisical approach to spiritual opposition. Sooo if his energy level is on 100—if he’s prowling around on the hunt for a vulnerable, unsuspecting target—your energy level must be on 100, too. You’ve got to stay on the offensive! Through prayer, Christian fellowship, Scripture study, and so much more, you can proactively pursue God, mature in your faith and beef up your spiritual defenses. Whatever you do, don’t do it halfheartedly.

The devil is smart. Remember, this is no dumb opponent you’re facing. Genesis 3:1 calls the devil crafty. If you look at that same verse in a variety of Bible translations, you’ll also see Satan called subtle, skilled in deceit, cunning, intelligent, sneaky, clever, shrewd, astute and wiley. Your spiritual foe is not a lightweight, so don’t assume you’ll be able to smell him coming from a mile away. He won’t walk up to you with a sign that says, “Hi, I’m here to tempt you and hopefully turn you against God and ruin your life.” Oh no, the devil is way too fancy for that. He’s sneaky and shrewd, which means you must be ready and watchful. Expect him to attack right in the bullseye of your weaknesses and insecurities. Expect it, and then be ready to resist. 

So if you’re noticing any of these things happening… If you’re hearing lies whispered into your heart that go against what God says about you… If you find yourself stumbling… If you realize your peace has been replaced with anxiety… If you’re losing momentum on a dream God placed in your heart, and you realize it’s slowly being killed/destroyed… It might be time to put up a strong amount of resistance. Because →

The devil will flee if you resist him. How’s that for being prepared!! James 4:7 basically gives you a cheat code. If you resist the devil, he will leave you. To resist is to withstand, to hold out against, to counter, to endure, to outlast, to abstain from, to not give in to, to keep out. When you resist the devil, the TRUTH that is Scripture says he will not just slink away or stand still and leave you alone for a minute. It says he will flee from you! Resist him in your mind and your heart. What are you looking at? listening to? This playbook says that resistance is key. Take note.

This is not a game, folks! Who really cares if Nebraska beats Ohio State or not. (Figuratively speaking, of course…) Athletic contests are whatever, but this is your life we’re talking about. Eternal destinies are on the line, and your wholehearted surrender to Jesus is at stake. Satan does not want you following after the Lord with all of your heart, mind and soul! In fact, a believer fully surrendered to Christ is the devil’s worst nightmare. He will use his smart, sneaky, unrelenting tactics to block you every opportunity he can. However, knowing his ways, his tendencies and his playbook should give you an edge up. I’m so thankful the Bible provides truths about who Satan is and how he acts. Now it’s up to you to take those truths to heart and face your spiritual opponent with prepared gusto. 

Here’s one more Scripture passage for the road to keep in mind… 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. -Ephesians 6:10-18