Posts by Robert Spinney

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Satan’s Strategy #12: Faithless Friends

Robert Spinney
Sep 10, 2020
Satan persuades us to cultivate close friendships with ungodly peers. Even unbelievers know that bad company corrupts good morals. The Bible bristles with instructions to avoid close relationships with ungodly men ( e.g. Proverbs 1:10-15; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Thessalonians...

Satan’s Strategy #11: Stay in the Dark

Robert Spinney
Aug 10, 2020
Satan encourages spiritual ignorance. Unbiblical thinking frequently results in unbiblical living. "Gross errors make the heart foolish, and render the life loose," writes Thomas Brooks. “Error spreads and frets like a gangrene, and renders the soul a leper in the sight of God." We are more likely...

Satan’s Strategy #10: He's Worse

Robert Spinney
Jun 9, 2020
Satan tempts us to compare ourselves to men whom we think are worse than we are. "You do so much better than Brother Ralph," Satan says: "Compare yourself to Ralph. You know more theology than he does. You serve God more zealously than he does. You are a lit­tle sloppy with your holiness sometimes...

Satan’s Strategy #9: Saints Suffer

Robert Spinney
Mar 24, 2020
Satan shows us the disappointments and difficulties that godly men face. Following the Lord Jesus Christ means that you will share (to some measure) in Christ's experience of hardship and difficulty. God's people are not immune to affliction. Some godly men are financially distressed, others are in...

Satan’s Strategy #8: Be Happy

Robert Spinney
Feb 18, 2020
​Satan shows us the happiness and comfort that flagrant sinners seem to enjoy. Some non-Christians scoff at God, indulge in spectacular sins, and yet still seem to thrive. The Evil One shines the spotlight on these men when they are healthy, wealthy, happy, and carefree to ensure that believers...

Satan’s Strategy #7: What’s to Fear?

Robert Spinney
Jan 18, 2020
Satan tempts us to not fear sin, so that we will not keep a safe distance from it. Brooks characterized this strategy as “making the soul bold to venture upon the occasions of sin." Like many of the devil's lies, it distorts a truth, namely that temptation is not sin. The Christian who is tempted...

Satan’s Strategy #6: Just Say Sorry

Robert Spinney
Dec 4, 2019
Satan tells us that repentance is easy and forgiveness is available, so yielding to temptation is not serious. We are tempted to think that we'll only commit a sin a few times and then claim God's forgiveness. “Correcting the situation after you sin is easy,” the Tempter tells us. But this is...

Satan’s Strategy #5: God Doesn't Judge

Robert Spinney
Nov 6, 2019
Satan tempts us to think that God is so indulgent that we need not fear punishment for our sins. Few of Satan's lies are more widespread and more dangerous today, "God is a God of love. He does not punish. He never judges. God expects people to sin and simply overlooks our sin, much as would a...

Satan’s Strategy #4: Great Men Sin

Robert Spinney
Oct 21, 2019
Sometimes Satan tempts us to excuse or ignore our sin by showing us the sins of great men. There's no need to turn to tabloid newspapers to see such sins; the Bible will suffice. Noah got drunk. Abraham lied. Jacob deceived his father and cheated his brother. David committed adultery and murder...

Satan’s Strategy #3: Downplay the Danger

Robert Spinney
Sep 23, 2019
Satan downplays the seriousness of sin so that we think it poses no danger to our soul. “But it's such a harmless sin," he tells us, “It's so small. No one will be hurt. It's just a little pride, a little worldliness, a little compromise, a little sexual immorality. Only you and God will know, and...

Satan’s Strategy #2: Sin That Seems Virtuous

Robert Spinney
Sep 3, 2019
Scripture reports that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). Understand that Satan's deception extends beyond disguising his person; he also disguises his activities. Especially when Satan tempts Christians, he presents sins as things that are not so bad, and sometimes even...

Satan’s Strategy #1: Bait and Hook

Robert Spinney
Aug 19, 2019
T his is Satan's most common scheme: He presents the bait and hides the hook. Satan presents sin as fun, satisfying, profitable, and pleasurable, while concealing the miseries and pain that always accompany sin. Surely this is part of what Scripture calls the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). We...

Peeking Into the Devil’s Playbook

Robert Spinney
Aug 7, 2019
Temptation is an issue that Christians rarely talk about these days. Even the word itself has quietly slipped out of religious use, becoming instead a term used to boost sales of perfume and chocolates. Attempting to create an electrifying name that would attract big audiences, television producers...