In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy.” Unfortunately, he is still at work today. As I ponder the work of the devil, here are some of the ways I labeled his tactics.

The enemy shows me a Snapshot of my life at a bad point and convinces me that my life will always be like this. Nothing will get better. Satan wants to keep me from remembering ‘with God all things are possible’ and He can change everything with a single word.

The Bully preys on my fears and worries. He lurks in the shadows, taunting, trying to get me to engage with him. He keeps at it continually, wearing me down and making me miserable anticipating the encounter.

Whack-a-mole- When one problem after another keeps popping up, the enemy is trying to get me to lose focus and become consumed by small, immediate things. This happens when I need new tires, the dishwasher malfunctions, and there is an extra bill from the dentist. Add on a little more drama and a few extra tasks and I spend hour by hour, day after day, whacking those moles.

The time share agent– He is well-trained to sell, sell, and sell some more.  In fact, he creates a false need for something that is not necessary or even good for me making me believe I should not go without – after all, I deserve some good things. He points out all the benefits and hardly, if at all, mentions the steep costs. He glosses over any objections, and before I realize I am suckered into something that in the long run will be very costly to my well-being, finances or relationships.

Hand Grenade– Out of nowhere, a big explosion rocks my world. The enemy gets behind me and whispers “Where is God? He doesn’t love you. ” He hisses, “Surely, God is not in control over this and if He allowed this, He is not a good God.” I am maimed by confusion and doubts.

The Liar –Satan distorts truth. He may speak a shred of truth, enough to convince me to accept everything he is saying hook, line and sinker. His lies are clever, entwined with logical, sensible statements. If I am not on guard, I am duped.

Knowing this, I still fall prey to my adversary’s deceit.  But more and more often, I am able to detect and resist his traps. I am an overcomer because the Word of God, the Truth, abides in me and I in Him.