TRUTH Series: Satan's Tactics In Times Past

Satan is clever. He has figured out how to discourage us, how to weaken us and how to defeat us. We are in a war, folks. Every day, whether at home, school or work, we are encountering spiritual warfare. No one enters the battle without studying the enemy, without knowing his game plan, without considering how to defend. And, yet, that is what I have found myself doing for years. I have kept my head in the sand forgetting that I am a warrior for Christ. And I have forgotten who my enemy is and I have not studied the ways of the enemy so I know what tools are needed to defend.

Might I suggest that knowing TRUTH, resting in TRUTH, clinging to TRUTH is a great defense in this spiritual warfare we are fighting.

Let's look at Isaiah 36. This passage of scripture is during the reign of King Hezekiah over Judah. We know from II Kings 18 that he was a godly king and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He went to great lengths to bring restoration to the kingdom.

In Isaiah 36 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, overtakes the "fortified cities of Judah" (36:1). He then looks to take Jerusalem and sends a messenger to King Hezekiah (36:2). Sennacharib attempts to terrify Jerusalem by his threats. He said whatever lies he could in order to cast doubt on the character and promises of God. He did whatever he could to instill fear in the people's hearts. He was doing whatever he could to defeat them in their minds before the battle even began. He was presenting the people with lies and doing whatever he could to deceive them and distract them from the truth.

Lie #1--Don't trust the spiritual leader God has placed over you. The king of Assyria asks who they are trusting in? Are they trusting in their own strength? In Egypt? And then he says that if they are trusting in the Lord, it is Hezekiah, their king, that he claims took down the altars of Jehovah. (36:4-7)

TRUTH--Hezekiah was the king who actually strengthened the worship of Jehovah. He tore down the false images and the places that worshiped other gods, not the altars of Jehovah. (II Kings 18:4)

Lie #2--False claims about the Lord's commandments/words. Sennacherib claims that the Lord sent him to go against Judah, to destroy the land. (36:10)

TRUTH--He was seeking his own ways, doing what he wanted to do, never heeding the voice of the Lord or honoring the Lord's people.

Lie #3--Casting doubts on the ability of God. Sennacherib claims that Hezekiah can't deliver them. (36:14-15) And he boasts of his own accomplishments, for surely if the gods of the other cities did not deliver the people, why would the people of Israel think that their God could deliver them? (36:18-19)

TRUTH--The Lord can accomplish whatever He wills, including taking down the King of Assyria. The children of Israel serve a LIVING God, not one that had to be propped up and was made of wood or stone.

"For I am God, and there is no other;

I am God and there is none like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning,

And from ancient times things that are not yet done,

Saying, 'My counsel shall stand,

And I will do all My pleasure,'

...Indeed I have spoken it;

I will also bring it to pass.

I have purposed it;

I will also do it."

Isaiah 46:9-11

Lie #4--Promises of Provision. The king of Assyria promises 2000 horses (if they can even find that many to ride them!) along with practical provisions of food, water and land. He offers all that is fleeting and will not truly satisfy. (36:16-17)

TRUTH--Only the Lord can satisfy. Only the Lord is our Jehovah-Jireh, the One who provides that which is lasting.

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light." Psalm 36:7-9

Sennacherib was putting fear into the hearts of the people. He was attacking the very foundation of their faith in their God, the true and living God. He used lies and deceit and his tactics worked. The people came before King Hezekiah, tearing their clothes, in obvious distress over the words of king Sennacherib. His tactics were working! (Stay tuned...in a later post we'll talk about King Hezekiah's response to these lies and I think we can learn a little something from him!)

Challenge: Is there another time in early biblical history that we've seen these same tactics of lies and deceit used? I can think of one and we'll explore that later this week in our next installment of our series on Truth!