Far too many people and pastors are ignorant of the schemes of Satan. Satan is a liar and deceiver from the beginning. In fact, he is the father of lies. With that in mind, what are his schemes, why do we need to be aware of them, and how are we to respond to them?
2 Corinthians 2:11 …so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
When was the last time or only time anyone ever mentioned this to you or taught you about it? Pastors are either ignorant and thus deceived themselves of his schemes. Or, sadly, they are conscious and deliberate co-conspirators in Satan’s deception.
There are numerous examples in the Bible of his cunning success of leading people away from the truth in God’s Word. The first was in the garden.
Genesis 3:1-6 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Satan is so bold that he went directly into God’s garden and successfully deceived Eve by questioning the Words of God. He challenged her knowledge of God’s Word,understanding of God’s Word, and the very nature of God. If you are also confused or ignorant of God’s Word, beware because Satan is ready to tell you what he wants you to believe rather than what God has really said.
If you place all of your confidence and eternal life in what someone else says about God’s Word, then you also in danger of being deceived.