The Tactics of the Evil One

 

I’m not sure exactly how it works, but somehow while I see greater evidence of goodness, I also see greater evidence of darkness.  President Ezra T. Benson said,

We live in a wicked world.  Never in our memory have the forces of evil been arrayed in such deadly formation.  The devil is well organized.  Never in our day has he had so many emissaries working for him.  Through his many agents, his satanic majesty has proclaimed his intentions to destroy one whole generation of our choice young people. (see his wonderful talk here: Satan’s Thrust-Youth)

It is a reality that there are forces of good and evil surrounding us.  To a certain extent, we have control over which one influences us.  We spend a lot of time talking and thinking and reading and writing about the influences of good.  We spend a certain amount of time battling bad influences.  We know the Savior’s plan, but do we know Satan’s plan?

I follow football about as much as the next guy.  I’m interested, but not addicted.  I enjoy it, but the ending of any game will not alter my mood.  That being said, I know that there’s a big football game coming up in a few weeks.  Each team making every preparation to defeat the other.  Not only do they work on their own plans, plays and formations, but they search, analyze and prepare for the schemes of the other team.  In bringing this up, I definitely do not encourage anyone to dedicate too much time to studying about the adversary, but being aware of how he works will allow us to resist his efforts to a greater degree because we will see “things as they really are.”

So from experience and observation, here are a few ways that I have seen Satan work in my life and in the life of others around me:

1. Discouragement – If Satan can get us discouraged we will feel a lack of hope.  What does hope get us?  “I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal.” (Moroni 7:41)  If we loose hope we may feel that we are not capable or worthy to live in God’s presence.  Or we may not feel like God could save us.  If we don’t feel like living with God is a possibility, then why try?
2. Confidence – Someone may feel like he or she is capable of becoming great all on their own.  The atonement may not be necessary for that individual.  The might not need God.  “In the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him…Can ye say aught of yourselves?  I answer you, Nay.  Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth.” (Mosiah 2:23, 25)
3. Temptation – Satan has known us for a long time and he has observed us throughout the years.  He knows what temptations will work for each individual.  Temptations will even come when properly protected.  But God has promised us strength to resist such temptation.
4. Justification – “Eat, drink, and be merry: nevertheless, fear God-he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take advantage of one because of his words…there is no harm in this.” (2 Nephi 28:8)  Some justify sin because there’s no chance for perfection in this life.  Some are able to justify so much that they feel good about their decisions.  Even “if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.”
5. The Half Truth – “The father of lies…beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.” (2 Nephi 9:9)  Remember, there were great “half truths” sold to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  Even Satan appearing as an angel of light is a half truth.  He is an angel, but there is no light in him.

There are certainly many more tactics and approaches that Satan has to make us “miserable forever” (2 Nephi 2:18), but I have seen these tactics used often in our lives.  The scriptures are full of the antidotes to these plans, can you find them?

David-An Average Man