Part 3: Satan’s Playbook: 9 10 Tactics Satan Commonly Uses

by Pastor Kerry Krissel
SYNOPSIS

INTRO: In this third blog of a three-part series, we look at a few ways Satan works against those who
follow Jesus. He is more clever, more experienced at the art of war, and smarter than any of us. He will
win if we stand up to him alone, without God and without knowledge of his schemes. His deceitful trickery
is as elusive as it is effective. Fortunately, he has an (ancient) playbook and we can pick up on some of
his more common strategies. How are you at noticing (and countering) his devious methods?
KEY VERSES: Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Peter 5:8; John 8:44; John 10:10.
PROGRESSION:
Previous Articles – Satan’s Playbook (Parts 1 & 2)
Satan makes good use of 1) Misdirection (Part 1)
Satan makes good use of 2) Gaslighting (Part 2)
Satan makes good use of 3) Truth
Satan makes good use of 4) Open Windows and Closed Doors
Satan makes good use of 5) Personal Pronouns
This Article – Part 3: Satan’s Playbook
Satan makes good use of 6) Fatigue
Satan makes good use of 7) Dormancy
Satan makes good use of 8) Surrender
Satan makes good use of 9) Murder (Violence)
*Freebee – Satan makes good use of 10) ???

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Condensed Introduction From Part 1:

Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us to put on all the armor God gave us when the enemy brings the fight to our
doorstep. Every piece is needed both for defense and offense, to protect our ground and to take new
ground for God’s kingdom. But there is a mental piece to this warfare as well. Satan is a crafty bugger.
He is smart, experienced, determined, deceitful, wicked, ruthless, heartless, and unfair. Did I mention
deceptive?
Satanic Methodologies
This armor is designed to help us stand rock solid and immovable against Satan’s “schemes.” “Put on all
of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all STRATEGIES of the devil” (v. 11). The Greek
for “strategies” is the word we get methodologies (μεθόδεια = methodeia) from. It highlights the way
Satan couples his clever wisdom, several millennia of experience, and his resulting prowess, with a
crafty cleverness that is mulled over and brewed (devised) to trick us into doing his bidding. These are
specific and well-planned, conscious procedures he uses that he has perfected over the years and that
have a high return rate. It is some of his “dark magic” that is not magic at all! Staying alert to these
methods exposes his insidious way.

Part 3: Satan’s Playbook: 9 10 Tactics Satan Commonly Uses

1. Satan makes good use of fatigue. Since humans are inclined to project what we know of ourselves
onto others, we mistakenly assume that when someone is vulnerable, Satan will back off to give us
time to recover. This is a sizable miscalculation. Imagine that Satan is hanging out with his crew and

calls one of his minions to his side. “Hey Sleaze Bag, get over here. I believe you are assigned to
that Krissel jerk down there. He has been having a tough go of it lately, so back off the temptation
and attack. Life has left him weak, serving God has left him depleted and vulnerable, so give him a
little room to recover. Geesh, have a heart!” The devil has said never! The truth is that his
methodology is quite the opposite. He slinks around looking for the weakened, sick, abused,
exposed, and defenseless. When found, he ramps up the attack tenfold while they are the most
vulnerable to it. He is so despicable that even when cast out of a life, as he turns to go, he will “swish
his tail” (so to speak) at the now freed life to knock them on their keester for no other purpose than to
hurt them one last time on his way out. When we fail to take care of our bodies, minds, and souls, he
sees the weakness and exposure and springs on us like a cat at a red laser dot! His glee is only
matched by his compulsion to pounce.
2. Satan makes good use of dormancy. When Satan feels that we are getting close to unearthing his
presence and lies, that he is close to losing ground (leverage, subterfuge) he has worked hard to
gain or retain, he will back off his pressure… and then tell us that we beat him. All of a sudden, quite
probably right after we have tried some new way of defeating him, or begun a new effort to follow
God better, he goes dark. Silent, inactive, and supposedly trounced for good. He withdraws his
advance. He leaves us with the impression that finally we have found something that worked. He
may go radio dark for a day or a decade… or a generation. But here is his clever strategy. He holds
onto that ground like an ace up his sleeve. Then, when we least expect it, he comes roaring back in
with a powerful ambush using the advantage of surprise to accomplish his evil purpose. Dormant is
not inert. Unused is not the same as inability. He chooses to use other weapons and misdirection
until he has cause to reactivate what he left hidden and inactivated. The dormant ground is once
again asserted, leaving us wondering what just happened, all just as he planned.
3. Satan makes good use of surrender. Most Christians do not realize that Satan will even
permanently give ground back to us. Not just hide his leverage, but forfeit it. But always to gain a
strategic advantage. Whatever influence he has garnered, be it a certain lie we believe that leads to
our cooperation with him, some invite we have extended to Satan unknowingly, or a vow we made
that works his purposes in us, he will give it back… if it will help keep something he values more
under wraps. He will even allow us a victory or two if he can secretly hold onto another tool that he
values more because it has proven effective against us. Satan plays chess, not checkers. He loves to
play the long game. He is good at thinking many moves ahead. True, he is not always that patient.
He has been known on many occasions to overplay his hand. But do not count on it. He will be
working against you and your family long after you have forgotten the encounter or without ever
knowing you lost a battle to him.
4. Satan makes good use of murder (violence). John 8:44 reveals that Satan is a murderer. He
wants your life. If he cannot take you eternal life, he will steal your temporal life. Anything but the
abundance that God promises (Matthew 11:28-30; John 15:11, 16:24; Romans 15:13; 1Peter 1:8-9)
And in case you are wondering, yes, he deceives and manipulates with the real intention of taking
our physical life, one way or another.
Many years ago I counseled someone who, as a child, had an imaginary friend who lived in their
bedroom closet. When the house was remodeled, the closet was removed. Afterward, they began to
hear a voice in their head that said, “When the closet was removed, they killed me. Kill yourself so
you can come be with me.” When they came to me as a 20-something adult, they were lonely and
suicidal. I snatched the pills they produced and called 911. They jumped up and tried to retrieve the
bottle of medication, and when that didn’t work, they attempted to hand up the phone! I watched as
they were handcuffed and taken away in a police cruser. He is not just a jesteror trickster and he is
not just trying to mess with us. Satan wants to kill us. He will take anything that we willing give him.
He will kill our hope, dreams, possibilities, opportunities, gifts, talents, and life.
John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My (Jesus) purpose is to give them a
rich and satisfying life. (NLT) (parenthesis are mine)

5. Freebee! Satan makes good use of chaos. This should have been at the beginning of the list
because it may be his favorite strategy, just behind misdirection (deception). Over 30 plus years of
pastoral ministry and counseling, this is one of his most effective because there are some many ways
he can work it and so many unsuspecting tools and people at his disposal. I had two appointments
scheduled for this morning and both were no-shows. One confessed that the morning had been
unusually crazy and the other overslept and woke up feeling ill. Typical. Satan will attack our health,
house, family, finances, car, job, routines, and anything else he can to create chaos and distraction.
Anything to get us to stay away from what could expose him to his victims. This is the other side of
dormancy. If backing off does not keep us away from help, crazy making just might. I will often pray in
my morning time with God that he will protect those that I am scheduled to see that day against
Satan’s chaotic detonations. Some many of us are inclined to cave when the going gets rough and
the cost of freedom and truth is enduring the pain of “all hell breaking loose against us.” Kids get sick,
cars have flats, jobs want overtime, babysitters cancel, and sleepless nights cause us to snooze right
through our alarms… or alarms mysteriously don’t go off! Watch your six and proactively choose to
follow through on your spiritual and church commitments as well as your promises to God. Pledge to
make it to that counseling appointment, accountability partner, Sunday church service, weeknight
small group, or worship team practice. Or at least to reschedule before the day is over!
Keep in mind that Satan is very skilled at using these tools, most of which he keeps on the top shelf of
his toolbox so they are close at hand. He uses them as standalone devices or in various sly
combinations. Give it some thought and see if you can remember a time when these methods were used
on you. Try to come up with your own methodologies that are either born from mine or are unique. The
time you invest will help you suit up in the armor God provides for our victory against Satan.
Summary: Satan’s (Not So Secret) Playbook/Methodologies
1) Satan makes good use of misdirection.
2) Satan makes good use of gaslighting.
3) Satan makes good use of truth.
4) Satan makes good use of open windows and closed doors.
5) Satan makes good use of personal pronouns.
6) Satan makes good use of fatigue.
7) Satan makes good use of dormancy.
8) Satan makes good use of surrender.
9) Satan makes good use of murder (violence).
10) Satan makes good use of chaos.