Satan’s Secret Playbook: Opposition

Paul Harvey in a 1965 broadcast – “If I were the Devil”   

Week 1 Deception – Attack on Truth

Week 2 Accusation – Attack on Identity

Week 3 Temptation – Attack on Righteousness

Week 4 Opposition – Attack of Fruitfulness

Key Verse

1 Peter 5: 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.   9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

The Devil is the D to the 3rd power – He tries to Disappoint us leading to Discouragement with the goal of getting us to Doubt God.

1. Disappointment – 

We get disappointed/ we get wounded by the arrows of others when we have expectations that don’t get met…

Proverb 18: 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Words that Wound: a. Hatred b. Lies c. Jealousy / Envy d. Gossip e. Slander f. Rejection 

Proverb 18: 14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

Many have been disappointed so many times that it is tempting to stay down and quit, (not trust anyone) 

2. Discouragement – 

Discourage – “To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirit; to deject; to deprive of confidence.”

I have learned that one of the main obstacles which hinders us from doing great things in the Lord is the lack of courage. 

Courage – 1. The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

Joshua 1: 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Romans 12: 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage.

But understand this, it is much easier to encourage others, than it is to encourage ourselves. But, to be the effective, successful person that God purposed in you to be, you must learn to encourage yourself in the Lord!

Why Do We Get Discouraged?  

1. Exhaustion.

2. Defeat or apparent defeat.

3. A bad report, accusation, or threat. 

4. Long desert time. 

5. People turn against you or leave you.

6. Little or no apparent progress. 

7. Loss of vision. 

8. Loss of joy and strength in the Lord. 

9. We replace relationships with work and accomplishments.

10. We walk in the flesh (our natural sight or hearing) instead of the spirit. (Faith) 

Bottom line: Any time our expectations differ from the Lord’s expectations we are a prime candidate for discouragement!

3. Doubt – 

There are times in life when things seem like they are spiraling out of your control…when you don’t have all the answers

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, “[You say to Me,] ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, “I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.”

Three things that are important here.                                      

1. Be honest about your doubts.                                                                 2. Get to Jesus ASAP.                                                                              3. The Name of Jesus – Understanding the power we have in His name:

At the original sin (Gen. 3) – We lost 

1. Our relationship with God  

2. Our Nature to be like Him 

3. Our Dominion

– When Eve disobeyed God in the Garden and submitted to the enemy and came into agreement with him… she gave away our dominion. Agreement with the enemy is always disobedience to God. 

– Satan did not violently come into the garden and take possession of Adam and Eve… Why? Because he did not have that authority. 

– He had no dominion, so he subtly (he was craftier than any other beast of the field). Came in and tricked/talked Eve and Adam into to come into Agreement with him.

Keys = authority 

So, Adam and Eve gave away our Dominion, our authority so we no longer had it…

Mathew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Notice the tense of what Jesus is saying here… He says, “I will give”, not I am giving, or I have given, but I will give.

Jesus did not have the keys to give Peter at this time! Who had them?  Satan

But when Jesus died, as a man, he defeated death…he rose again, and when He did, He took back the authority from Satan… He (Jesus)now has the keys again!

Rev. 1: 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Matthew 28: (TPT) 18 Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All the authority of the universe has been given to me. 19 Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

What is He saying… In me, you have all authority!!  You no longer have to bow down to the lies of this world…the lies of the enemy!


“I am never down, I am either up or getting up!”

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