Satan's 12 Step Program
Whether you believe that evil has a logical path is not what is being suggested here. But… Satan is the Father of all evil and....
• HE MUST BEGIN WITH A LIE. You must believe a lie to tell a lie.(Knowing the truth-Jesus, the Word, living the truth, faith in the truth, working by love, and discernment must start here, if you know Jesus and want to be armed for victory. IF you are not armed, you will be deceived). You have no alternative, but the world, the flesh, the devil, if you walk away from God and choose defeat.
• GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU TO WIN!
• THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS KEY! Die daily, take up your cross and follow Christ. This is the truth path for the "overcomer."
Satan's only strategy is to KILL, STEAL, AND DESTROY. We bring our vulnerabilities, (different from our weaknesses), weaknesses, limitations and also our strengths into every situation. It is what we do with them that determines if we are overcome, or WE ARE THE OVERCOMER.
Discontentment and emptiness in the USA have been labeled contentment and fulfillment. This is a delusion of reality which allows Satan to operate almost at will, it seems in the life of some believers.
So what's normal? Many who are born-again can no longer answer this question in the American church. Why? They have accepted doctrines of devils, having itching ears, and been allowed to believe a lie. They have been seduced and deceived. Without power in prayer, along with true faith, true agape love and heaven sent discernment in these last days, many will accept a counterfeit church, a counterfeit revival, a counterfeit life, counterfeit relationships, counterfeit blessings, and a counterfeit walk with God, based on lies that begin with Satan.
Antagonism, apathy and passivity have become the norm for a church that is disconnected from the head (Christ), and a church (the Body) that is disconnected from one another. 75% of all Americans say they have only 2 confidants. (This includes those within the church, as well as those outside the church). The average person lives to be 77 years of age, and spends only 7 months of their entire life with God in prayer, or other time with God. How tragic! Is there any wonder Satan defeats people so easily?
SO HOW DOES THE TWELVE STEP PROGRAM OF SATAN WORK?
1-Disguise (Counterfeit) - a lie, an ungodly belief, a generational curse, spirit/soul tie or demonic oppression are at the beginning of the program. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32). We are also told, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6). If you're kept from the truth, then you are vulnerable to a disguise.
2- Deception…This is his continual pattern. Offer a counterfeit, seduce, to be sly as a fox, as in the Garden of Eden, and appear to be truthful. Adolph Hitler said, "The bigger the lie, the more that will believe it." History has proven that statement to be true. Satan counts on a lack of discernment, a lack of knowledge and a lack of wisdom among those called to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." If you weren't valuable to God and a threat to evil, Satan wouldn't waste his time on you. But...he does roam to and from throughout the earth, seeking whom he may devour.
3-Disappointment...no matter how little, Satan wants to build your disappointment inventory, hoping to get you to focus on your failures, and others who have failed you. The more he can chip away at your faith, hope, love, and victorious Christian living, the less encouraged you will be. He doesn't want you to share encouragement with others, so his goal becomes finding anything, and everything, anybody and everybody to disappoint you. Building this tower to the point it reaches discouragement is what wants to do. This world will never offer anything but temporary pleasure. It will always disappoint you. There are many dead-end streets. That's where Satan wants you to travel. When a pattern or cycle of disappointment comes, Satan's goal is to take you to a place beyond disguise, deception and disappointment.
4-Discouragement-Although things don't always go right as we see them; Satan wants you to think God is not for you. (Jeremiah 29:11) says different. If Satan can get you to believe "I can't," even though Philippians 4:13 says you "can," and also get you to believe God "won't" when Philippians 4:19 says God "will," then Satan's goal is to cut you off from your source of encouragement and strength.
5-Displeasure-Satan just generally wants to be unhappy. He wants you to find fault with everything around you, and everybody around you. The world does not center around you and me. "Happy" is the man who obeys the commandments of God, Scripture tells us this. Don't seek to derive pleasure from this world. It lasts only a few moments before the emptiness sets in. Unsaved people will always disappoint you. Never expect from man, what only God can give.
6-Distraction and entanglement-(Think of a spider's web). Satan wants you confused, stepping out of the will of God, tantalized by what looks like Godly opportunities, but they are really traps. Satan wants you off the gospel road, and on "rabbit trails" so you lose your way. The Bible says "the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord." God's order is confirmed through His peace, His stillness and His rest. Satan wants things to "get in your way" to prevent you from prayer, fasting, fellowship, growth, evangelism and maintaining an eternal perspective.
7-Detour-A good sign you're on the right track, is when you feel Satan tempting you to "get off track." We must persevere, and stand during those times. Know what the blueprint is. Look at it often. The Father will always "lead you down the paths of righteousness" for His name's sake. Satan always wants you to take "the easy way" out. God will never detour you from obedience unto Himself. The detour leads to your downfall. No matter how it looks, or feels, God will never in His infinite wisdom, detour you, or mislead you. He confirms the truth of your path through His word and through His Spirit.
8-Displacement-Moving you into another area that you shouldn't be walking in will completely upset the plans of God temporarily. Usually a temptation that looked "Godly" led to this and you submitted. It wasn't God; I assure you. You’re completely where you don't need to be. You will remain "stuck" there apart from the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver you. Avoid relationships of any kind, at any time that will displace you.
9-Discontentment-Satan does not want you to experience the joy of the Lord which is your strength. At this point, you're starting to feel like giving up. Church and the body of Christ you avoid. The Word has lost its power for the moment in your life. Nothing "fresh" is happening. You're miserable. You feel abandoned by God during this time. Maybe you feel alone or lonely. Where did God go, you might ask? Maybe you feel forsaken. Satan wants you at a point of total discontentment so that you will be totally disillusioned about church, God, the Word and Christians, and Satan wants you to stop praying. He knows if He can get you to this point, he can cut off your "supply line" as occurs in the military, as a strategy to defeat the enemy. We are the enemy of Satan. He is our enemy.
10-Disgusted-Satan likes to weaken your resistance to evil, and for you to reduce your attacks against evil by using failure and other factors to minimize your efforts. Wearing you down by multiple attacks, particularly "getting hit with everything at once" is one of his favorite schemes. Completely overwhelming the saint is what Satan is frequently doing in these last days. You’re not alone. Ask for help from those you trust, who trust in God so they may share your struggles. Seek Godly counsel. God has a breakthrough right around the corner.
11-Disillusionment-You've failed so much you're ready to give up, so you stop looking to God, others, and you don't have faith or confidence in yourself. You are almost backslidden, if not there. You are living in defeat. You're miserable. You are powerless. You are ready to "hang it up." Life has lost its meaning. Nothing is working. There is nothing but the world, the flesh and the devil to draw from. Emptiness fills your life. Remember...this all began with a disguise: A COUNTERFEIT OFFER ---- A LIE!
12-Despair-disease-hopelessness, severe depression, being at wits end…all may have set in, which LEAD TO DEATH. That was the enemy's plan all along: Destroy your mind, your emotions, your body, your finances, your relationship with God, your family and others, wreck your job, create unusual trials and circumstances through continually weakening you, draining you of your resources, day after day, until you can not overcome. You are powerless. You need deliverance. Most likely you are up against principalities. You will need help to get out of this "pit." Deliverance is the only thing that will work. Some who have tasted of the fruit of heaven do not return to God, and even go as far as to commit suicide.
** Pray, fast, repent, confront the enemy and tear down the strongholds. These are 5 strategic answers to always defeat the devil. If we are to do greater things than Jesus, we were meant to have as many or more victories. Otherwise, we are all stepping into one of these 12 steps that lead to death at some point along the journey. We don't have to take this journey. Victory in Christ Jesus is ours. If we have a spirit of humility, submission and obedience, Satan will always flee.
David Hammock. Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.
