What Are Satan's Schemes?

What Are Satan's Schemes? Toward a Greater Understanding of Satan's Angle of Attack.

1/3/2026

"Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be in peril." This famous quote from Sun Tzu's Art of War carries qualified application for the Christian disciple: there is value in knowing something about our enemy, Satan. Biblical authors speak of Satan's schemes and knowing something about how he operates so we are not left defenseless or unaware (e.g. 2 Cor 2:11; Eph 6:11).

To be sure, this "knowing something about" must happen within a larger context of Christian theology. This larger context of Christian theology reveals that a spiritual world exists that interacts with our world, yet cannot always be seen. Christian theology affirms that Satan is a created being; God is greater than Satan. (And it's not nor ever will be even close.) In fact, Christ has already defeated Satan through His death and resurrection (e.g. Col 2:15; Heb 2:14; 1 John 3:8). While the war has been decided, battles rage on (see 1 Pet 5:8).

In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul clearly tells believers in Jesus Christ that we are to stand against Satan's schemes (v. 11). Knowing that Satan is real and his battle against God and His ways wages on, how does Satan try and come at us? What are his "schemes" that we're to stand against?

Here are four of Satan's schemes to stand against, in the power of the gospel.

Satan wants to trick our minds.

When Satan first appears in the Bible in Gen 3, he doesn’t come out guns a-blazing to Adam and Eve. He asks a question. "Did God actually say . . .?" (Gen 3:1, ESV). He gets Eve inside of her head to ask herself, "Wait, what did God say? Can I trust what God says? Can I trust that He's good?"

Satan continues to deceive and manipulate throughout Scripture. In John 8:44, Jesus calls the devil "the Father of lies." Paul warns about Satan deceiving our minds and leading us astray from a "sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (2 Cor 11:3). The concern is distraction and idolatry.

Revelation 12:10 calls the devil the "accuser" (see also Zech 3:1). What does this accusation sound like? Perhaps it sounds like this: "God can't love you. Just think about what you've done." Or maybe it sounds like this: "You've blown it too many times. God is past tired of your confession. You might as well give in or give up." Recently I watched the super-popular Netflix show K-Pop Demon Hunters. This scheme of the Enemy to get inside our heads and trick our minds — to accuse — is one thing the movie portrays powerfully.

Satan is trying to trick our minds.

Are there ways he's working to trick your mind? What lies are you tempted to believe? What voices have primary authority in your life? What gospel-forgetting accusations against yourself are you falling prey to?

Satan wants to tempt us away.

Satan wants us to believe sin is cute not catastrophic. He tempts us to believe small sin isn’t a big deal. He steps in when walking away seems easier than working on it in a marriage.

We see this in the ways Satan tempts Jesus in Matthew 4. In Matthew 4:3 Satan is specifically called "the tempter"! He offers Jesus what seem like really great things. Only they would completely pull Jesus away from His divine mission. Satan's temptations against us work in a similar way — offering us quick pleasure or short-sighted good, only to derail us from trusting God and experiencing the full life He has for us.

One more comment on Satan's work of temptation: After Jesus overcomes Satan's threefold temptation, Luke 4:13 tells us that the devil departed from Jesus "until an opportune time." In other words, Satan would keep looking for a way in. Satan's patience and determination is not long-suffering nor is it fueled by good; Satan's patience and determination is driven by a desire to corrupt.

Satan remains determined still today, looking for an "opportune time" to come at you with temptation. Don't toy with sin. Don't let your defenses down.

Where would Satan try and tempt you away? What temptations are pulling you away from a life that honors God? What sins and distractions have become dominant in your life?

Satan wants to tear us apart.

A cursory reading of the New Testament makes it clear that unity is deeply valued among God's people (e.g., John 17; Eph 4:1-6; Phil 2:1-2). God loves unity. Satan hates the things God loves. Satan is threatened by unity. Therefore Satan hates unity. He loves division.

Satan would love nothing more than to sow division. To get you to suspect the actions of others — assuming the worst in them. To get you to refuse to forgive someone. To spread gossip.

This comes out explicitly in the New Testament when Paul spotlights Satan's work. In a context focusing on the new life of Christian community, the apostle Paul warns against unresolved anger in the community, "and give no opportunity to the devil" (Eph 4:27) To make it clear: unresolved anger in the community is what gives the devil an opportunity most directly in Ephesians 4:27. In 2 Corinthians 2, after encouraging the community at Corinth toward the reconciliation of a repentant sinner, Paul drives home the importance of forgiveness: "so that we would not be outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his designs" (2 Cor 2:11). Unforgiveness is the community — a resistance toward reconciliation — is one of Satan's designs.

Where is Satan working to tear you apart from other believers? Is busyness keeping you from Christian community? Is anger against others giving the devil a foothold? What about gossip? Lack of forgiveness?

Satan wants to trip us up.

This is the catch-all category. However he can do it, Satan wants to distract you from God and take you out of the game. Get you off mission. 1 Peter 5:8 says it powerfully: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Where is Satan trying to trip you up? Causing discouragement and self-doubt as he seeks to devour? Making you second-guess the truth of Christ, making you wonder if following Jesus is really worth it? Tempting you to throw in the towel, to give in and give up? Tempting you to throw in the towel, give in and give up?

As disciples of Jesus, there is great value in knowing something of our enemy, the devil. This knowledge helps us stand against his schemes. And that starts with knowing what his angle of attack is in our lives. The good news is, we're also given the full armor of God, an armor that is created by and coated in the gospel (see Eph 6:14-18).

Satan's schemes don't need to scare us away, but remind us daily — again and again — to stand in the good news of the gospel, so that "having done all, to stand" (Eph 6:13) by the grace and work of the one Christ Jesus has already "done all" for us.

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