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ENTERING THE COMBAT ZONE
CHAPTER 14
BATTLING THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

+ Write the Key Verse from memory.
+ Define the word "strategy".
+ Define the word :counterstrategy".
+ Explain the strategies of Satan which combine the evil forces of the
world and the flesh.
+ Identify spiritual counterstrategies for victory over the world and
the flesh.

KEY VERSE FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:

"Knowing this, that our old man is
crucified with Him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we
should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin." (Romans 6:6-7)


INTRODUCTION

You have answered the call to arms and been inducted in God's army. You
have studied about enemy strategy and territory. You learned about God's
battle plan and been armed with defensive and offensive weapons. With this
lesson, you actually enter the combat zone and begin to fight! This
chapter is the first in a series which focus on Satan's strategies and
Scriptural counterstrategies for overcoming his deceptive tactics.
"Strategies" are the science of forming and carrying out military
operations. They are the methods or plans which lead to voctory.


SATAN'S STRATEGIES

Satan has organized methods aimed at gaining victory over believers. This
is what Paul means when he refers to the "wiles" of the Devil:

"Put on the whole armor of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles
of the Devil." (Ephesians 6:11)

The word "wiles" means crafty or deceitful. Satan's "wiles" are his
crafty, deceitful strategies of attck.

GOD'S COUNTERSTRATEGIES:

The believer is not left defenseless in the face of the enemy. In His
written Word God has provided a manual of strategies for spiritual warfare:

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us:
for we are not ignorant of his devices."
(2 Corinthians 2:11)

The word "devices" means thoughts or purposes. The Bible contains
counterstrategies for overcoming all the power of the enemy.

The word "counter" means to act in opposition to, to hinder, defeat, or
frustrate." In the spirit world a counterstrategy is an organized plan
and method of opposition to Satan. It is designed to hinder, defea5,
and frustrate his "wiles" and "devices."

The next few chapters are organized by strategies and counterstrategies.
The strategies of Satan in specific areas of spiritual warfare are
discussed first in each chapter. Specific spiritual counterstrategies
for victory are then presented. In this lesson you will study how
the world and the flesh function together in spiritual warfare and
counterstrategies for overcoming these evil forces.


STRATEGIES OF SATAN: THE WORLD AND THE FLESH

You learned in Chapter Seven that the world and the flesh are enemy
territory.

SATAN WORKS THROUGH THE WORLD:

"And we know that we are of God, and
the whole world lieth in wickedness."
(1 John 5:19)

Satan is the prince of this world and as its prince he influences the
governments of nations. He is described as a "deceiver of nations" in
Revelation 20:3 and 7. Daniel chapter 10 identifies a demonic power
over the nation of Persia working to prevent Daniel's prayer.

Satan is as a roaring lion in the world:

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
(2 Peter 5:8)
The picture of a roaring lion illustrates the open terror tactics Satan
uses. But Satan is also described as "an angel of light":

"And no marvel for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the
ministers of righteousness; whose end
shall be according to their works."
(2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

This describes Satan as alluring and appealing in a more subtle, secret
type of attack. So Satan works both openly and secretly in the world:

Satan's activities are varied in the world, but they are always directed
against God, His plan, and His people. Satan opposes God's work in
the world. This is quite evident in his rebellion and fall from Heaven
which you already studied (Ezekiel 28:12-19). Satan opposes the work
of Jesus in the world. He is behind the "anti-Christ" spirit of the
world:

"Form many deceivers are entered into the
world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."
(2 John 7)

Satan also opposes the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. One of
the purposes of the Holy Spirit is to guide men and women into the truth
of the Word of God. Satan tries to keep the Word of God from influencing
the hearts and lives of men and women:

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded
the minds of them which believe not, lest the light
of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine unto them."
(2 Corinthians 4:4)

Satan afflicts and tempts believers in the world:

"For this cause, when I could no longer forbear,
I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the
tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain."
(1 Thessalonians 3:5)

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that
he hath is in thy power..."
(Job 1:12)

Satan deceives the world through "spiritual wickedness in high places."
This is how he works in the religious structure of the world. He
deceives through false doctrine, ministers, teachers, apostles, and
religions.

Satan also wages warfare against believers who are in, but not of, the
world. You can read about this warfare in Ephesians 6:10-18. Satan
accuses and slanders believers:

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth
the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, andd
his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and
the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren
is cast down, which accused them before our God day and
night." Revelation 12:9-10)

He plants doubt in the minds of believers. This was part of the first
temptation of man in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:1-5).

Satan incites persecution of believers by the world:

"Fear none of those things which thu shalt suffer:
behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison,
that ye may be tried..." (Revelation 2:10)

Satan tries to prevent the believers from effective Christian service:

"Wherefore we would have come unto you, even
I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us."
(1 Thessalonians 2:18)

Satan uses the appeal of the world to entice believers to sin. He tempts
through the worldly atmosphere, environment, and system around you. He
encourages a love of the world in your heart:

"Love not the world, neither the things that are
in the world. If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is
not of the Father, but is of the world."
(1 John 2:15-16)

Satan was against the mind, the tongue, the spirit, the body, and the
spiritual walls of believers. He attacks through family and associates,
finances, and circumstances. You will learn more about each of these
specific areas of attack in other chapters.

The names of Satan also reveal his strategies in the world. You studied
the names of Satan in Chapter Five of this course. Review these and think
about how each name reflects strategies of Satan in the world today.

SATAN WORKS THROUGH THE FLESH:

The body, soul, and spirit of man are closely related. Because of this,
Satan accesses the soul and spirit through the flesh. This strategy is
evident in the first temptation of man. Eve "SAW the tree was good for
food (TASTE), and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be
DESIRED to make one wise" she took of it and gave it to her husband
> also (Genesis 3:6). Satan used fleshly senses and desires to gain access
to Eve's soul and spirit.

If Satan cannot "blind your mind" and keep you from accepting the truth of
of the Gospel, then he tries to keep you in bondage to the flesh after you
receive the Gospel. Fleshly lusts war against the soul:

"...Abstain from fleshly lusts which war
against the soul." (1 Peter 2:11)

Satan used the flesh to affect the mind:

"But I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
(Romans 7:23)

"My members" refers to the flesh. Satan uses the flesh to affect the
spirit:

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the
flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
(2 Corinthians 7:1)

Satan uses the flesh to cause you to reap corruption (rottenness,
perversion) in your life:

"For he that soweth to his flesh shall of
the fleash reap corruption >"
(Galatians 6:8)

In Ephesians 4 where Paul deals with the sins of the flesh in the context
of the old man and the new man, he inserts this warning:

"Neither give place to the Devil."
(Ephesians 4:27)

This warning indicates that when you commit these fleshly sins, you give
place (literally a claim) to Satan in your life. Continued willful
indulgence in fleshly sins can result in bondage to Satan:

"And that they may recover themselves out
of the snare of the Devil, who are taken captive
by him at his will." (2 Timothy 2:26)

SATAN WORKS THROUGH DEMONS:

As you will learn later in this course, a born-again believer cannot be
"possessed" by Satan as long as he remainss a true believer. Possession
by Satan involes control of body, soul, spirit, conduct, and thought.
But if a believer continues to practice fleshly sins there comes a time
where the practice may move from a sin of the flesh to a sin controlled
by Satanic, demonic zctivity.


HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER

The world, the flesh, and the Devil with his demonx combine their evil
forces to war against believers. Each froce can operate independently
against the believer, but these forces of evil are most often combined
in their attack upon believers.

Satan uses the world, with its illusions, charms, philosophies, and
ungodly systems, to pass access to the flesh. He uses the flesh to gain
access to the soul, mind, and spirit. Then he tries to conform you to
the world rather than to God.


SPIRITUAL COUNTERSTRATEGIES: OVERCOMING THE FLESH

The world, the flesh, and the Devil certainly create a threatening
combat zone! But there are some powerful scriptural counterstrategies
for overcoming these forces:

PRESENT YOUR BODY AS A SACRIFICE:

In the military forces of the natural world, a man who enlists for servce
comes under the complete control of his superiors. They give him
instructions on how to combat himself, how to dress, and how to combat
the enemy. To be effective in spiritual warfare the same type of control
must be put into action:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye
may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect
will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)

You must present yourself to God as an act of your own will. In the Old
Testament when a sacrifice was given to God, the person who offered it had
no further control over rit. It was given totally to the Lord. Instead
of cocnforming to the world and the flesh, you must be transformed
(changed) by the renewing of your mind. You will study more about the
battle in the mind in Chapter Fifteen.

ARM YOURSELF WITH THE MIND OF CHRIST:

The renewing of your mind is done by "arming" yourself with the same
mind as Jesus:

"Foras much then as Christ hath suffered for us
in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:
for He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin:

That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the
flesh, to the hosts of men, but to the will of God."
(1 Peter 4:1-2)

DEVELOP THE PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARDS YOUR FLESH:

We are told that we should "hate even the garment spotted by the flesh"
(Jude 23). You should understand that the lust of the flesh is not of
the Father but of the world:

"For all that is in the world, the lust
of the eys, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world."
(1 John 2:16)

You should have no confidence in the flesh:

"...and have no confidence in the flesh...<" (Philippians 3:3)

You must understand that life in the flesh brings corruption, while life
in the spirit brings life:

"For he that soweth to his flesh shall of
the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to
the spirit shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting." (Galatians 6:8)

REALIZE YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE IN BONDAGE TO THE FLESH:

In times past, you were in bondage to the flesh when you were a sinner:

"Among whom also we all had our conversation
in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were
by nature the children of wrath even as others.
(Ephesians 2:3)

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins,
which were by the law, did work in our members to
bring forth fruit unto death.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead
wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of
spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."
(Romans 7:5-6)

Study Ephesians Chapter 2 and Romans 8. You will discover you no longer
have to be in bondage to the flesh. Your freedom comes through Jesus
Christ:

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
(Romans 8:2)