Praying in tongues is a beautiful gift. One of the biggest advantages of praying in tongues is the ability to pray for things you may not even be aware of.
For a long time in my life, I never realized that the devil had elaborate schemes working against me. Luckily, when I began praying in tongues, the Holy Spirit slowly but surely began to expose these deceptive schemes.
Over time, I have learned a lot about the devil’s tactics and how to stay safe from them. Today, I want to share what the Holy Spirit has taught me about the deceptive schemes of the enemy.
Master deceiver
Let me begin by quoting Revelation 12:7–9. In this scripture, one thing is very clear. The devil managed to convince a third of the angels in heaven to leave and follow him. In other words, he deceived a third of the angels in the very presence of God. That alone shows how elaborate the schemes of the devil can be.
The Bible also acknowledges that the devil has the power to lead the whole world astray. If he can deceive intelligent angels in God’s presence, how much easier is it for him to deceive mortals away from the presence of God?
Another important scripture is Matthew 24:22–24. This passage confirms that the devil’s deceptive schemes can even mislead the elect. That is why God has shortened the time available for the devil to deceive people. With less time, his deception cannot sweep away everyone.
Guard your precious time
This brings me to the first lesson the Holy Spirit taught me: Don’t give the devil time.
If you give the devil time, he will surely deceive you. Here is an example of how people give Him time.
In the early days of my salvation, I spent a lot of my prayer time fighting works of darkness. I thought I was doing the right thing as a soldier of Jesus Christ. I blamed my addictions on the devil, and I would fervently pray against those evil powers. Little did I know, I was giving him time, allowing his deception to work against me.
The truth is that the devil knows that time is what he doesn’t have. So he steals it from people, keeping them from having a fruitful relationship with God.
He does this by inciting believers to pick a fight against him, trapping them in endless cycles of chasing after him. They pray against him, he retreats, they stop, he returns, and before they know it, all their prayer time is consumed fighting against the enemy instead of drawing closer to God.
This explains Matthew 7:22, where people tell Jesus they cast out demons in His name, only for Him to reply, “I never knew you.” Why? Because these people fell into the trap of chasing away demons instead of building their relationship with Christ.
So, what is the right response when the devil incites you to fight him?
Resisting the devil
Simple! Declare your stand in Christ and apply James 4:7, which says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Remind him that you are a new creation in Christ Jesus according to 2 Corinthians 5:17. You won’t have to fight him, and you won’t have made room for him in your life
The devil may try to convince you that you are not a new creation or come back with another scheme. Whatever he chooses, it’s none of your business.
If he comes back with another scheme, be prepared to counter his schemes with the right affirmations, just as Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness. There is nothing more you can do to the devil other than to resist him.
The devil’s trident
The second lesson the Holy Spirit taught me is what I call the devil’s trident. Like a fork with three prongs, each prong represents a tactic he uses.
1.Intimidation
The devil uses this tactic on believers he cannot deceive. The aim is to instill fear in them to shake up their faith.
He might send disturbing dreams, discouraging whispers, or even physical threats through people.
If you are being threatened, it’s a good sign. The enemy is struggling to deceive you. Your role is to hold your ground in Christ.
2.Deception
The second tactic is Deception itself.
If a believer succumbs to intimidation and begins doubting themselves, the devil can plant false ideas and lead them astray. Because the believer is unsure of themself, they are likely to fall for the suggestions of the devil.
For example, a woman praying for a husband might hear stories from the devil about how wicked men are. If she believes them, she develops a negative view of men and may reject her God-ordained husband. That is how the devil manages to hold many ladies captive so that they don’t get married.
To survive this, ignore the negative information and feed yourself with positive truths until your confidence in God is restored.
3.Oppression
The last tactic is Oppression. This occurs when the devil successfully deceives someone until they become helpless. As a result, the devil torments the person as he pleases.
Let’s take the example of the lady praying for a husband. Oppression begins when the devil starts to mock her for praying for a husband and not getting one. He then goes ahead to point her to sinful women who got married anyway, suggesting that she follow the route of wickedness as well.
To overcome this tactic of oppression, pray for God to reveal the deception you have fallen for and give you the grace to accept that you have been deceived. Humble yourself, learn from it, regain confidence in Christ, and affirm your stand in Him.
God bless you.