The Devil’s Favorite Weapon: How Satan Attacks Your Mind (and How to Stop Him)
A spiritual war is taking place.
There are supernatural evils, difficulties, and fights, and you need a solid foundation of knowledge and revelation to know how to battle in the spirit. Supernatural evils exist, but we will follow the biblical model for effective breakthroughs in spiritual warfare.
Satan’s Temptation of Jesus
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God’” (Luke 4:1-4)
Satan used food as his first temptation because he knew that Jesus was weak with hunger. That’s one of the devil’s tactics—come at us when we are weakest.
Food is the same temptation Satan used with Eve in the Garden of Eden. He asked, “Did God say you would surely die if you eat this?” (See Genesis 3:1-4.) The question was designed to bring doubt and unbelief into her mind about what she knew. This battle in the mind is spiritual warfare. It’s not just demons; it is mind warfare. It’s challenging to fight if you don’t understand the tactics, but it becomes very powerful once you do.
It Is Written
Satan also assaulted Jesus’ identity. “If you are the Son of God….”You should be able to turn this stone into bread. In other words, prove who You are. Even in His human weakness, Jesus countered this temptation with the Word of God. “It is written….”
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours” (Luke 4:5-7).
The first temptation did not work, so the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. Satan was tempting Jesus with control of the earth and the worship and glory of the people. The devil wasn’t lying about his authority over the earth. That’s why Jesus did not rebuke him for it. It was a fact.
The Devil Was Offering Jesus A Shortcut
Somehow, supernaturally, in a moment, Satan was able to give Jesus a revelation of all the kingdoms of the world. This vision could be taken in a couple of different ways. Satan could have shown Him the epochs or other times in history, or it could have been a simultaneous vision of seeing all the world’s kingdoms suddenly in His Spirit. The devil tempted Jesus with the very reason He came—to redeem us and establish His kingdom in the second coming. Jesus knew the first Adam was deceived and forfeited it to him. The devil had the authority to give the earth to whomever he wished. He offered Jesus a shortcut by providing the world to Him. All Jesus had to do was bow down and worship Satan.
And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written ‘You shall worship the LORD your God and Him only you shall serve’” (Luke 4:8).
The point is that if you have a supernatural encounter, you should ensure it aligns with God’s Word.
Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,’ 11 and, ‘in their hands they shall bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone’” (Luke 4:9-11).
In the first two temptations, Jesus countered the devil by using the Word of God: “It is written….” So, for the third temptation, Satan decided to try to deceive Jesus with scripture. The devil knew to quote this because he was angelic in origin and knew what God’s Word said about him and his kind. But the devil quoted scripture out of context and contradicted what God says in the rest of scripture. Jesus countered this temptation with the truth of scripture.
Job’s Temptation
Satan tempted Jesus for the second time by offering him all the kingdoms of the world, as he had authority over them. This authority was granted to him when he deceived Adam and Eve. Consequently, Adam relinquished his authority over the earth to Satan. Because of this, the devil could do whatever he wanted with the earth.
In Luke 10:18, Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” This must have happened earlier in history. Why? Because in the Book of Job, the devil was able to come into the presence of God with the sons of God.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD and Satan also came among them (Job 1:6).
When he was in heaven, the devil was called Lucifer, but the Lord Jesus called him Satan.This means that after he had fallen, was cast out, and became Satan, he was able to come before God. Satan now had Adam’s position in his dominion. Adam used to walk with God in the cool of the day and had total access to God. He was able to be with the Lord. Adam and Eve were sent out of the garden after Adam gave his authority to the devil.
Then, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came among them. Notice the Lord didn’t say, “I cast you out. What are you doing back here?”
Instead:
And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it” (Job 1:7).
At this time, there was no serious covenant between God and man, not in the same way that Adam had it or the same way Jesus established it. What you see here between God and His relationship with humanity is a “do the best you can” scenario. It was a dispensation with no written law for Job to follow. (Job pre-dated Moses’ receipt of the law.) God still loved humankind and saw Job as a righteous man who would not fall for the devil’s tricks and lies. This explains why God pointed him out to Satan.
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD (Job 1:8-12).
In other words, Satan can’t take his life because death and life are in the power of his tongue (see Proverbs 18:21). Notice the word “behold” in verse 12. The Hebrew word for “behold” is hinnēh, meaning behold, or look, now. It often expresses strong feelings, such as surprise, hope, and expectation, thus giving vividness depending on its surrounding context.1 In Hebrew, this is the equivalent of God saying, “Hey, Satan, surprise, all he has is in your hands.”
I don’t think the devil knew what he had gained when Adam turned his authority over to him because of the word “behold,” or surprise. Once he obtained the earth from Adam, Satan had the power to attack Job. I believe the devil didn’t realize what he had because he had such contempt for God’s creation that he disregarded what he had gotten from them. He so devalued humankind that he did not realize the extreme value God had placed on Adam by giving him authority.
A More Opportune Time
And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time (Luke 4:12-13).
After Satan was finished tempting Jesus, he departed from Him until an opportune time. That opportune time came when Jesus told the disciples what He must do.
From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:21-23).
Satan spoke through Peter. Here, the devil was again trying to tempt Jesus through a friend in an effort to keep Him from the cross. It might be startling to realize that the devil can work through acquaintances who may be using logic and compassion, but really, it is a device to take you off track. Peter was the devil’s access point for a more opportune time.
In Luke 4:12, Jesus says, “You shall not tempt the LORD your God.” The Greek word for “tempt” is ekpeirazo, equivalent to “test.” It means don’t test God by forcing His hand or making Him display His power through frivolous actions like jumping off the top of the temple.
There is Only One Place We Can Test the Lord
According to the Word of God, there’s one place you can test Him, and that’s by your giving and receiving (see Malachi 3:10). What you cannot do is test His power through a thoughtless activity that has no fruit in it. For example, the Bible says you have authority over venomous snakes and scorpions. It does not tell you that you should snatch up one for show, saying, “I’m going to let this snake bite me to show you it can’t hurt me because God will take care of me.” That’s testing God.
But if, like Paul, one were to bite you when you picked up a bundle of sticks to throw on a fire, you would suffer no harm (see Acts 28:3-5). If you are a true believer, God is there to enforce His Word. You must be in line with the Word of God. That’s how Jesus overcame every temptation of the devil—through the Word of God.
Satan’s Arsenal
Luke 4:13 says, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him.” There were only three temptations mentioned, but this seems to be the total of the devil’s temptation arsenal. In the various temptations, Satan tried to cause Jesus to fall through hunger, identity, power, and authority, and identity again. Isn’t that what the devil tries with God’s people as well? Let Jesus be your example of overcoming temptation through the Word of God. You have the same authority to overcome everything the enemy throws your way.
The Focal Point
It is essential for you to delve deeper into the Word of God. Realize that where demons come from and how they operate is not the most important thing. The focal point is that you have the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and all the enemy’s power (see Luke 10:19). In context, snakes and scorpions refer to demons.
A person who has a physical body, whether you’re born again or not, can resist demons. You can starve demons out with willpower, even if you’re not born again. This is one of the reasons why people get rid of addictions when they don’t know God. They’re free moral agents, and the power of choice and willpower can still stop the devil. How much more so the sons and daughters of God who give their lives to Jesus! Jesus positioned us to take the world back. That’s why we need to win people to Jesus.
The Natural World Was Not Made for Spirits
This world was not made for spirits. It was made for bodies. Only people, human beings, born into this world can be born again (see John 3:5-7). Many people teach a doctrine that even Satan could be born again. This is a false doctrine. He cannot because he’s not a physical creature. He’s only a spirit; spirits can’t be saved without being born into this world. It’s also why angels can’t be saved.
The Ultimate Act of Spiritual Warfare
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down” (Revelation 12:10)
The ultimate act of spiritual warfare is to win someone to Jesus Christ and pull them out of darkness into light. They can enforce the kingdom of God with willpower, the power and authority given to them through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Both God and the devil are territorial, and they want access to your mind. Only you can give it to them. Through your choices, you are the deciding factor in that narrative.
The devil had access to the presence of God in Job 1 because he stole Adam’s authority. But Jesus came as the last Adam and drove him out. Through Jesus, we can fight off the effects of the devil’s tactics.
