1 Peter 5:8 – Satan’s Tactics: Weak Spots – Bible study

1 Peter 5:8 Satans Tactics: Weak Spots The Bible warns us of Satan, our adversary. That is because Satan is so deadly, not only for the lost but for the saved too. Hes clever and powerful but not invincibleat least not for a Christian. The problem even Christians have in overcoming Satan is that we are not knowledgeable of his ways so we need to constantly watch, learn, and expose Satans tactics. 2Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. The point of Pauls statement is that ignorance breeds defeat. If we understand the devil, we can overcome him. If not, he will slay the lost mans soul and steal the saved mans spirit. Tonight, let me share some things with you that I have learned about the devil. Satan likes to attack weak spots. I. Satans Nature A. Some may think Peters statement to be nothing more than a picture to describe Satans end goal, to devour the Christian. B. I believe it gives us a description of Satans tactics. 1. In Peters verse, he describes Satans nature as that of a lion. a. A lion is a predator by nature. (1) A lion is a carnivore, a meat eater. (2) A lion studies and stalks its prey. (3) A lion will show no mercy to its prey. (4) A lion will happily feed on the weakest, slowest animal that it can find. (a) A lion takes no pride in the size or the abilities of its prey. (b) It only wants to kill and to devour. b. Peter tells us the devil is like that roaring lion. (1) You and I are the meat the devil desires. (2) Satan walks about, studying and stalking us. (a) Satan has been studying humanity since the first man and woman were created. By his experience along, he can predict how most will act in a given situation. (b) But he has been studying each of us since we were born. (c) In fact, he has planted certain triggers into each of us. Our sorrows, our joys, our lusts: As God gave him permission to do so, he has inserted those into our character. Sadly, Satan has had a part in molding us. (d) Hence we must break the mold and walk not a natural life but a supernatural life in Christ Jesus! (3) You can be assured that he will show no mercy. (4) And Satan will certainly strike down the weak. (a) It makes no difference to him if you are sick, young, old, or ignorant. (b) Satan takes no pride in what he kills and devours, only that he does so. 2. This is the devils nature as surely as any lions. II. Satans Strategy A. As a predator, Satan sizes you up and then pounces on your weakest, most vulnerable spots. B. There are three kinds of weaknesses – moral, emotional, physical. 1. Satan attacked Balaam at his weak spot. 2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; a. Balaam wanted money and fame. (1) He was not just thrifty. He was greedy. (2) To be thrifty is wise. To be greedy is to be immoral. (3) Balaams weakness was moral. (4) Greed will lead you to do bad things for wealth. b. Such it is with all immorality. (1) Immorality is to want somethinganythingmore than right. (2) Popeyes Chicken came out with a chicken sandwich. While working on this message, I took a break to check out Facebook. I saw a clip of fights breaking out across several Popeye stores because they could not keep up with the chicken sandwich orders. Somebody wanted a chicken sandwich more than they wanted right. (3) An adulterer wants carnal pleasure more than right. (4) A thief wants money more than right. (5) A blasphemer wants to be justified in his own eyes more than he wants right. (6) Balaam wanted money and fame more than right. b. If you are weak morally, you are the devils easiest target. (1) You want money? You will be in the devils pocket before the sun rises tomorrow. (2) Want a good carnal time? The devil loves you. (3) Want to be popular? You are one of the devils favorites. c. If you have an immoral character, the devil will size you up in 5 minutes and take you down as often as he wants whenever he wants. d. You are like the crippled zebra on the African plains. (1) He may not take you down right away. (2) He may save you for a lean day, but you are his whenever he chooses. e. Such was Balaam. His moral weakness made him an easy target. 2. Satan attacked Job at his weak spot. a. The Bible described Job as a righteous man, perfect before God and one that eschewed (avoided, stayed away from) evil. (1) Basically, that means Job did not have a moral weakness. (2) He did not like alcohol, fooling around, gambling, etc. (3) Those strengths did not make Job immune to Satans attacks. (4) Satan simply attacked Job in a different area. b. Satan had to study him to find another kind of weakness, but he did. (1) The weakness Satan found was an emotional weakness. (2) He had a fear in his life. Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. (3) I dont know that he ever told anyone his fear, but Satan watched him and figured it out. (4) What was his fear? (5) Based on what the devil did to him, I would say his fear was that he would lose everything and everyone. (a) I suppose everyone has fear, but Christians must fight our fears with faith. (b) We must grow so that we can trust God in our darkest hours, and it is always best to do so before the darkest hour comes. (c) Why? Because Satan will do his best to bring the thing that you fear most into your life. (d) That is just the kind of enemy you and I are dealing with. c. Satan did not just hit Job. (1) Satan hit Job in the area that he feared the most. (2) Why? To do the most injury and to cause the most pain. (3) It did not bother Satan to cut short the lives of Jobs children. (4) He lost no sleep over taking a good man and ruining him. (5) To be honest, I do not know if Satan even took thought of what he did to Job any more than you and I take thought of what we do to a mosquito when we kill it. (a) When we do so, we are not thinking of the mosquito at all. (b) We are thinking of ourselves. (c) I imagine that is how Satan deals with us. (d) We are just insects which annoy him. He hits us as hard as he can as fast as he can with the intent of doing away with us. (e) Satan is a predator. 3. Satan attacked Jesus at His weak spot. a. Now if it was difficult to find a weak spot in the life of Job, you know it would be difficult to find a weak spot in Jesus. (1) Jesus had no moral weakness and no emotional weakness. (2) So Satan waited and watched. (a) He watched for thirty years. (b) He watched until he found a time when Jesus was physically weak. Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him. b. Satan could not find a moral weakness in Jesus so he watched until he found an opportunity to exploit His HUMAN weakness. c. After forty days, Jesus was hungry and Satan tempted Him to use His power to satisfy Himself. d. I am not saying Jesus gave into temptation. I am merely saying that we can see what Satan does. III. Satans Defeat A. The point is that Satan studies you to locate your weaknesses and stalks you to exploit them. B. Does that tell you something you need to do? 1. It should tell you to study your own life, see where you are weak, and then fortify yourself in that area. 2. It should tell us that we must fortify ourselves to prepare for Satans attacks. C. How do I fortify myself? 1. In some situations, you can make yourself stronger in your weaker areas. You grow your spirit. a. Expose yourself to Gods Word. (1) Read it. Study it. Memorize it. (2) Stay under sound preaching even when it stings. b. Exercise yourself in obedience to God. (1) Find the things you dont want and wont like to do, and do them. (2) Then find the things that are impossible for you to do, and do them. c. Develop stronger will power. (1) We must each learn to slay self to do right. (2) We picture the Christians in the Bible as having a natural desire to do the spiritual. (3) They did not. 1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. (4) They made themselves do it until it either became natural to them or until no one else could tell that they were making themselves do it. (5) So must we. 2. In some situations, you may have to avoid your weak areas. a. If you have weaknesses around certain friends, stay away from them. b. If you have weaknesses around certain activities, stay out of places where that activity is going on. c. Stay away from anything that might stir your temptation or passion. d. And dont worry that other Christians are in those places or doing those activities. (1) You are not responsible for them, only for yourself. (2) Do what is right for your spiritual walk. 3. In some situations, you may have to get someone else to hold you accountable in your weak areas. a. There is strength in numbers. b. Accountability has helped many a Christian stay out of sin. Ecclesiastes 4:12 and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. There are more lessons that I would like to share with you, but this is the first. If you dont want to be the devil dinner, dont be the devils sinner.