“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NIV)

A scary “monster” appeared at my son’s football game last week. It was actually a friend’s son having a little fun in his Halloween mask. Although he was scary at a first glance, everyone knew he wasn’t really a monster. And so it will be in the coming days as Halloween approaches. We’ll see ghosts, goblins, and other scary looking creatures, but will know they’re not real.
However, there is a demon that roams the earth and his presence among us is very real. He is Satan, a fallen angel who now lives to disturb, disrupt and destroy the goodness of Christ in our lives. Satan is a tricky force to reckon with. He, too, likes disguises, not just at Halloween, but always. The Bible describes him as being clever, cunning, and shrewd.
I’m ashamed to admit that I recently fell for his deception. After returning home from a women’s retreat where’d I’d talked about how Satan tries to trip us up, I allowed him to do just that. I had a disagreement with my husband when I got home and I listened to the voice in my head that said I should be very upset with him. The “good” voice in my head tried to be the voice of reason to keep me out of trouble, but the “bad” voice sounded more reasonable to me, and it had the last word. I unsuspectingly acted on the promptings of Satan’s voice and said things that deeply hurt my husband. As soon as the words were out I realized I’d made a terrible mistake, but it was too late. The damage was done.
I was so upset with myself. I’d fallen for the tricks of the traitor. How could I have let this happen?
Looking back, I see that the traitor caught me in a moment of weakness – a common mode of operation for him. I should have been on guard. I should have prayed for discernment to help me decide which voice to listen to. At the time the voices sounded just alike, but in retrospect I see an obvious difference between the two. The “good” voice – the voice of God – spoke words that went along with the teachings of the Bible about grace, truth, love and forgiveness. The other voice spoke harsh, self-centered words that contradicted God’s words of mercy and love.
The traitor can trick us in many ways. He can distract us with busyness to keep us from our time with God. He can lead us into destructive habits and thoughts. And he can hold us back by mocking us with guilt and shame if we let him.
The traitor might have his tricks, but he can’t win our souls if we’re sold out to Christ. Christ is the victor and we can always overcome attacks by the traitor by claiming victory in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Determined to spite Satan and turn his tricks into my treats, I prayed to God claiming Romans 8:28 which promises that God can work all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And treats were mine, indeed. My husband and I worked through our problems to find our marriage stronger and better on the other side of this ordeal. We now respect each other in new ways and are better equipped to move forward into future endeavors.
Dear Lord, Thank you for rescuing me from the snares of Satan and for letting me stand victoriously with You. Please help me avoid the tricks of the traitor by being mindful always of the truths of Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Related Resources:

Capture His Heart by Lysa TerKeurst
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Do you know Him?
Application Steps:Identify the ways Satan tries to trip you up in your relationships.
Pray for protection from his sneaky attacks. Be firm in your faith.When challenged, seek the truths of God’s Word in scriptures.
Reflections:What can you do to be on guard for the tricks of the traitor?
How will you avoid his deception and destructive ways in the future?

Power Verses:

Romans 6:12-14, “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God…Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God’s grace.” (NLT)
1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV)