06. The Wrath of the Dragon | Chapter 06: Satan's Fundamental Strategy

In war, strategy and tactics are absolutely vital. Strategy is the planning, coordination, and general direction of military operations to meet overall political and military objectives. Tactics implement strategy by short-term decisions on the movement of troops and employment of weapons on the field of battle. The great military theorist Carl von Clausewitz said, "Tactics is the art of using troops in battle; strategy is the art of using battles to win the war."

Battle strategies require careful designs and calculated decisions to ensure victory. The first thing we have to know about the devil is what Ezekiel mentions about him: “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…” Ezekiel 28:12. Lucifer stands at the pinnacle of perfection, especially in wisdom. We can only imagine what kind of brain he has and how he uses it to plan out his attacks against his enemies. The Bible uses the symbol of a “Serpent” to identify Satan (Revelation 12:9). The first verse of Genesis 3 says, “Now the serpent was more SUBTIL than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made…” The word “subtil” is translated from a Hebrew word: “ârûwm” which means the following: nice; fine; delicate, sly; artful; cunning; crafty; insinuating.

Sun Tzu said, “…the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his head, here the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.” Sun Tzu,The Art of War, pg. 4.

We will now focus on the devil’s most basic and fundamental strategy to conquer the human race. I personally believe that this strategy has not changed since its first implementation in the Garden of Eden. All the tactics that the Devil used against the human race throughout human history implement Eden's grand strategy. To find out the ins and outs of this battle strategy, we will conduct a deep and careful study of the story of the Fall of Man.

Objectives:

Satan wanted to take over God’s throne in heaven. This is his ultimate goal – to be worshipped as God. The Bible says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14-12-14.

What was the objective of the Devil’s attack on the human race? It is so simple that many of us overlook it, leading us into the enemy’s net. God gave a simple command, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17. 

Satan’s fundamental objective for every temptation is to bring his enemies into rebellion against God. An ancient proverb says, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” All who disobey God become enemies of God and therefore, become friends with the archenemy of God, the Devil. This is the basic objective of the Devil’s government of darkness.

Angels, sons of God, animals, beasts; the Bible does not specify these creatures as made in the image and likeness of God. Man was placed in a special place in God’s heart because He created them to have a form that is like Him and gave them His Spirit in order for them to have the internal image of His person. 

The Bible says, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet…” Psalms 7:3-6. 

Upon obedience to the Devil, Adam and Eve ceded their kingdom to the enemy (Romans 6:16). The relationship that now exists between man and the Devil is not of equal partnership. Satan is now the ruler of planet Earth, and he will influence man to follow him in his war against the Throne of God. 

Along with his angels, prophecy states that during the end times, Satan will amass an army to fight against God and his people (Revelation 20). In leading men into sin, Satan is recruiting them into his army. 

The Bible says, “…sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. Sin, the opposite of love, is basically lack of faith and disobedience to God. Anyone who has sin in his heart rebels against God and automatically enlists himself in the army of the Devil.

The Devil said, “Thou shalt not surely die…” Genesis 3:4. On the other hand, the Bible says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:20 “…for the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23. Satan well knows that his fate has been decided – he will die because he sinned against God. His ultimate goal in his warfare against the human race is to bring death to men and women by leading them into sin.

So here we see the fundamental objectives of Satan’s warfare against God and the human race. Based on these broad objectives, he strategizes, plans and carries out his tactics. 

God had already defeated the Devil on Calvary. The enemy now directs his attention against God’s most precious creation – mankind. Jesus came to fight the Devil on our behalf, so that all who believes and obey Him may gain victory from sin, death and the Devil. 

The Bible says, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man…Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:9,14-15.