Do you know the enemy's strategy?

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AnotherPenitent

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I just saw the movie War Room, and was struck by the idea that if we are at war with the devil, we need a strategy to win. The enemy certainly has a strategy, so what are we doing to counter it? First, we need to know what it is. When I sat down and thought about it, I recognized the following strategies being used against me:
  1. Encourage discouragement and giving up.
  2. Divide and conquer.
  3. Distract from the real problem.
  4. Encourage a focus on the negative.
  5. Sow impatience.
  6. Encourage overeating as a way to deal with problems.
  7. Encourage isolation and self-absorption.
So what’s the devil’s strategy in your life, and how are you going to counter it?
 
The best strategy is to be in and remain in a state of grace.
 
AnotherPenitent said:
I just saw the movie War Room, and was struck by the idea that if we are at war with the devil, we need a strategy to win. The enemy certainly has a strategy, so what are we doing to counter it? First, we need to know what it is. When I sat down and thought about it, I recognized the following strategies being used against me:
  1. Encourage discouragement and giving up.
  2. Divide and conquer.
  3. Distract from the real problem.
  4. Encourage a focus on the negative.
  5. Sow impatience.
  6. Encourage overeating as a way to deal with problems.
  7. Encourage isolation and self-absorption.
So what’s the devil’s strategy in your life, and how are you going to counter it?
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I like the church and the sacraments. Confession to help is preserve and give encouragement. Mass to bring us with a community of believers and give us grace.
 
Distraction is big these days. Looks at the cyber world of people getting eye-popping enraged daily over whatever happens to be the story you are supposed to argue about. Look at the obsession with politics and people freaking out if this politician used such and such a word or that politician used that one… Meanwhile, divorce is rampant, sexual addictions, whatever… no one even sees a problem.

Another classic strategy the devil uses is impersonation. He is an impostor. He offers an imitation of what is good, and the one who does not examine closely, accepts the imitation. Only those who take a closer look see the harm beneath. For instance, all the bandying of the term “equality” or “love” or whatever are disguises of systemic trojan horses designed to eliminate family–which is the image of the Trinity. But hardly anyone looks closer than the “nice words” on the cover.

edit to add: there are a number of great images of this impersonation in The Passion of the Christ, where you see the “devil” character who looks fairly benign and fair-faced at one point and then the little worm slithers over the nose. And in another scene, the devil is taunting Mary, holding a “baby” in “his/her” arms, and at first glance, the image seems to imitate Marian iconography until you see the baby’s face which is hideous. This principle is at work in daily lives, convincing people of the “beauty” of a sin, and convincing them not to look any closer to recognize it.
 
C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters is really chapter after chapter of the devil’s strategies. I often quote from it from page 1. Screwtape, the master, tells the apprentice how to get his human subject not to think of doctrines "as primarily ‘true’ or ‘false’, but as ‘academic’ or 'practical, ‘outworn’ or ‘contemporary’, ‘conventional’ or ‘ruthless’. Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church."The devil does not want us to even engage the real question. e.g. Is it a person in the womb? No, the devil only wants you to say “choice.” Isn’t choice nice? e.g. Is it true? No, the devil only wants you to say the Church is “out-dated,” or “patriarchal,” or “bureaucratic” etc… The devil does not want us to engage “is this true/false” “is this right/wrong”. If you study political or social arguments, you can usually spot the fallacies quickly if you can recognize questions that deviate from these principles.
 
MarcoPolo said:
Another classic strategy the devil uses is impersonation. He is an impostor. He offers an imitation of what is good, and the one who does not examine closely, accepts the imitation. Only those who take a closer look see the harm beneath. For instance, all the bandying of the term “equality” or “love” or whatever are disguises of systemic trojan horses designed to eliminate family–which is the image of the Trinity. But hardly anyone looks closer than the “nice words” on the cover.
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This is one of the biggest ones, just because it is so prevalent.
 
Exploit the energy centers that fuel the false self, by seeking excessive amounts of 1) power/control, 2) security/comfort, and 3) affection/esteem.
 
This is from an article entitled “The Devil’s Tactics” from the CatholicBible101 website (a great and interesting resource by the way):

1- Ridicule and Personal Attacks: from the educated and so-called “intellectual” class to camouflage his existence. Just bring up the subject of “the devil” at a party or at work, and you are bound to hear something like, "Oh, come on. This is the 21st Century. No one believes in that medieval stuff anymore.

2- Your Strengths: For instance, if you like helping down-and-out people, he will send you a member of the opposite sex who really appeals to your physical senses, and who will regale you with tales of personal woe, all in an attempt to win your heart. And because you really do want to help him/her because of your Christianity, you reach out to them. But be forewarned, the goal of this person is to ruin your life, and if you fall for the trap, you will soon be in a state of mortal sin, either through fornication or adultery.

3- Spiritual Pride: This occurs when he sees that he is losing you to Jesus and he knows he can’t stop you. So then he goes to Plan B, which is to instill in you the thought that since you know so much more than everyone else about the Bible, about the sacraments, about the catechism, etc., then you are somehow better than everyone else who isn’t as knowledgeable about God. Being knowledgeable is a wonderful thing, but in no way does it ever make you better than the great unwashed out there in the world who don’t take the time to study theology. Pride is the devil’s great sin, because he thinks he is equal to God, as do a lot of people today.

4- The Occult: So many people read their daily horoscope, or play with ouija boards, or have their fortunes told at the rundown shacks of “psychics” in town. DON’T DO THESE THINGS! This is akin to playing with fire. These things are NOT harmless fun and games, but demonic gateways for Satan and his minions to attach themselves to your soul. The only way to get out of this trap once you get involved with it is to confess it to a priest, and push back against it. (Side note: if anyone has any cursed objects that they need to get rid of, please see the following: Procedure to Destroy Occultic or Cursed Objects

5- Depression: is the devil’s compensation for living for him and not for God. He will whisper to you that you are no good, and you might as well end it all now, because God will never forgive you, since you let Him down so much. Of course, before you sin, he will whisper in your ear that you have had a rough life, and you deserve a little pleasure in life. After all, look at all of the rich people who lead sinful lifestyles all the time with sex and money and pleasure, and nothing bad ever happens to them! And besides, God will always forgive you, and you can go to confession this week anyway. So what’s the big deal? So many people fall for this depression trap, and commit suicide as a result. DON’T BE FOOLED. God will ALWAYS forgive you if you repent, and the odds of going to heaven after suicide are pretty slim, although even that can happen, if there is enough time for you to repent after you initiate the act.

6- Other Tactics: allowing you to come in contact with bad influences at work, like the good old boy or the good old girl, who are always joking and kidding around about sex. Another strategy of his is to always upset you, so that you will start to question why God allows these bad things to happen to you. After all, you will start to think, I am a good person, and if God loved me, then He wouldn’t let these things happen to me. Well, guess what - none of the saints ever lived perfect and cushy lives either! Read Job chapter 38 if you want the answer to this question! Still another of his demonic methods is to make life so easy and cushy for you with money and good luck, that you will start to question why you need God at all!

Solution: There are many other ways he can get us, but these methods mentioned above are some of the ones that are apparent. And remember, the more you commit yourself to Christ, the more demons satan will assign to you to trip you up. Prayer, the Rosary, Adoration, helping the less fortunate, performing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy on a regular basis, reading scripture, praising God, Daily Mass, singing hymns of praise in your car, etc., are all ways to drive these demons nuts. They have no power over us UNLESS we give in to their temptations.

The full article can be found here: The Devil’s Tactics

One last thing – If you enjoyed reading this article, you may also enjoy reading “A Memo from the Devil” which outlines the Devil’s traps and which can be found here: A Memo from the Devil

God Bless,

Josie
 
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