Recognizing Satans Strategic Initiative
Satan's strategy is to use our virtues, especially charity, to paralyze our resistance and lead us astray.
A.W. Tozer warns that throughout history, Christians have often surrendered to evil due to worldliness and personal ungodliness. Today, Satan employs a more insidious strategy by appealing to our virtues, particularly charity, and distorting the image of Christ as overly tolerant and soft. This manipulation leads believers to avoid confrontation and to misinterpret scriptural teachings about judgment and love, ultimately paralyzing their resistance to evil. Tozer emphasizes the danger of being lulled into complacency, where the church fails to defend itself against the enemy's advances. He calls for vigilance and discernment to recognize and resist these deceptive tactics.
Text
Many times in history the Christians in various towns, cities and even whole countries have given up their defense for reasons wholly evil. Worldliness, sinful pleasures and personal ungodliness have often been the cause of the churchs disgraceful surrender to the enemy. Today, however, Satans strategy is different. Though he still uses the old methods where he can do so with success, his more effective method is to paralyze our resistance by appealing to our virtues, especially the virtue of charity.
He first creates a maudlin and wholly inaccurate concept of Christ as soft, smiling and tolerant. He reminds us that Christ was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth, and suggests that we go and do likewise. Then if we notice his foot in the door and rise to oppose him he appeals to our desire to be Christlike. You must not practice negative thinking, he tells us. Jesus said, He that is not against Me is for Me.
Also He said Judge not, and how can you be a good Christian and pass adverse judgment on any religious talk or activity? Controversy divides the Body of Christ. Love is of God, little children, so love everybody and all will be well. Thus speaks the devil, using Holy Scripture falsely for his evil purpose; and it is nothing short of tragic how many of Gods people are taken in by his sweet talk. The shepherd becomes afraid to use his club and the wolf gets the sheep. The watchman is charmed into believing that there is no danger, and the city falls to the enemy without a shot. So Satan destroys us by appealing to our virtues.
Sermon Outline
- Satan's Strategic Initiative
- Satan's new strategy
- The consequences of Satan's strategy
- Paralyzing our resistance
- The devil's use of Holy Scripture
- The destruction of God's people
Key Quotes
“Thus speaks the devil, using Holy Scripture falsely for his evil purpose; and it is nothing short of tragic how many of God's people are taken in by his sweet talk.” — A.W. Tozer
“The shepherd becomes afraid to use his club and the wolf gets the sheep.” — A.W. Tozer
“Satan destroys us by appealing to our virtues.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must be aware of Satan's tactics and not be charmed by his sweet talk.
- We must not be afraid to use our spiritual authority to resist Satan's strategy.
- We must be careful not to let our desire to be Christlike lead us to compromise our values and principles.