Why Does the Devil Wage War Against Believers?

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Why Does the Devil Wage War Against Believers?

Now that you’re a believer, you might think, I’ve got it made. I’m God’s adopted son. I have a new nature. My eternal destiny, heaven, is secure. I have one of the members of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, living inside of me. I’m all set. The Devil can’t touch me. Unfortunately, the latter statement isn’t the case.

Believe it or not, we’re the Devil’s arch-enemies here on Earth. Before we answer why this is so, a different question we should initially answer is this.



What is our purpose now that we’ve become a born-again Christian?

If we can determine what this is all about, this might help us understand why the Devil vehemently opposes us. With that said, let’s attempt to answer the following question, which will help us find out what a Christian’s purpose is.



Now that we’re Christians, what should we strive for in a godly sense?

Let’s find out by turning to the book of Romans.



Romans 8:29-30

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

God the Father knew beforehand (foreknowledge) those unbelievers who’d repent of their sins and believe in His Son in their free will for salvation during their lifetime on earth. Then, he chose (elected) them and developed a plan (called predestination) that they’d be conformed to the image of his Son.



What does it mean for a Christian to be conformed to the image of God’s Son?

This conformity relates to a process known as sanctification, whereby the saint is transformed in their inner heart life to resemble the Lord Jesus. We could also say that this is the inner change [of such which] results in a change of outward expression that reflects the beauty of the Lord Jesus.46 Therefore, a believer should strive to be transformed in their heart so that their outward expression will appear like the Lord Jesus. What else should a Christian strive for?

Please go to the book of 2 Peter.



2 Peter 3:18

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

The Apostle Peter was instructing fellow believers to grow (to continue to make progress daily) in grace (grace for daily Christian living, namely, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in the yielded saint and the Christian graces which are the product of His work47being evidenced in all circumstances) and in knowledge (by knowing Christ initially in regeneration and it continues on in one’s deepening relationship with Him48;to possess just views of Christ’s person, character, and work49). Like them, we should strive to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Don’t you agree? Is there anything else that a Christian should aim for?

Yes, there is. The book of Philippians is where we should turn to next.



Suggested Reading: Philippians 3:1-16

4-5 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

The Apostle Paul said to the believers at Philippi to watch out for those who have confidence in their flesh. Those, who he was like, at one time in his life when he was born a pure-blooded Jew, circumcised on the eighth day, of Jewish parents, of the tribe of Benjamin, having become a Pharisee of the strictest sect of Judaism that observed the formal rules of the Law, without fault, and with zeal having persecuted the church.

7, 9 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

He goes on to say that all of those things he confided in, which he considered gain in self-righteousness, he now considered loss (rubbish; food scraps or dung50) in relation to the righteousness that is of God by faith in Christ.

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

His benefit now was to know Christ more intimately by the apprehension of truth as an influencing power into the very being of him who knows them,51 and the power of his resurrection (the power which the resurrection of Christ has, for instructing, reforming, elevating, [and tranquilizing] the soul52), and the fellowship of his sufferings (an inward experience of identification with Christ in suffering for righteousness sake), being made conformable (conformity to the spirit and temper, the meekness and submissiveness of Christ; to His unselfish love and devotion, and His anguish over human sin53) unto his death (with the result of there being death to self and to the world so that his life might be a blessing for others).

As we endeavor for these spiritual realities both within and without, something remarkable begins to happen. What do you think that is? Unbelievers begin to see Christ’s spiritual qualities of character, as evidenced by us. They no longer see the person whom we used to be committing fornication, adultery, homosexual acts, repetitive lies, slandering others, etc. Not only so, but something else begins to be manifest according to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

What you ask, might this be? This is a manifestation of the gifts or spiritual endowments of the Holy Spirit. Unbelievers begin to see the supernatural as evidenced in the natural. People get healed of physical issues; miraculous events are brought forth, words of knowledge are declared, etc.

What does this open the door for? This opens the door for the presentation of the pure gospel, for the salvation of souls, for the reception of one of the members of the Trinity, for the assurance of eternal life, and the opportunity to address areas of human weakness that have plagued humanity since the fall of Adam and Eve.

Now we know why the Devil hates us so much.

And if members of the human race choose God’s life, then the Devil might surmise that his sentencing by God the Father to the Lake of Fire is warranted. Well, he’ll probably never admit it. Why not? Because he’s an angelic creature, he can be classified in the following manner, as the upcoming article articulates.



LITTLE MURDERS

How the narcissist assassinates your [character.]

If you’ve ever been in a relationship with a narcissist, it’s very likely your reputation could be under attack by what Jules Feiffer and Maya Angelou referred to as “little murders.”

Some people don’t have the courage to just walk up to you and pull the trigger. If somebody just walked up and [said,] “Boom!” — well, there you go. Bye. But when a person commits these little murders, and then you catch him or her at it, he or she might say, “Oh, I didn’t mean it.” But make no mistake: It is an assassination attempt. — Maya Angelou

If these little murders were portrayed in the mystery board game Clue, you might be surprised to discover your reputation has been murdered a little in the conservatory, a little in the library, and perhaps a lot in the kitchen. These little murders take place in every room of the house (while you were [are out of the room, of course),] but the culprit will always be the [narcissist,] and their weapon will always be lies.

Lying is the narcissist’s greatest tool. Name-calling, insults, gaslighting, [scapegoating,] and triangulation with the flying monkeys — are all fueled by lies. As my friend Amy likes to say, “What’s a narcissist — but a lying machine?”

Most victims of narcissistic abuse are surprised by the number and then shocked by the outrageousness of these lies. The narcissist uses lies to deceive you and then subtly erode your good intentions and honest reputation with [their evil surmising] and accusations to everyone you know. [It] might seem hard to discover what’s going on because most of these lies happen while your back is turned, but it’s not so hard to figure out once you wake up to the fact of who you are dealing with.

Once you discover the lies, there is [nothing more] frustrating than trying to explain yourself to everyone you know. [Often,] your only hope is that your true friends will be able to recognize the lies. But not every friend knows all the details of your story. There will be times when faced with such an onslaught of [lies] that even loyal friends might get confused. Casual acquaintances might even wonder if what the narcissist is saying is true .

Most of the narcissist’s accusations are either a projection [of their issues] or a story to make themselves look better. There’s a saying that people who live in glass houses should never throw rocks, but the narcissist doesn’t heed that warning. Narcs are insular in this way. They don’t mind if some of the manure they throw splashes back onto them because they will just blame it on the next unsuspecting victim.

The narcissist builds their life with lies upon lies. If you could see these lies, they would probably stretch around the narc like a thick web swaddling them from the truth. Many victims keep returning to the scene of the crime trying to find answers. They want to understand the logic behind the lies, but evil is a mystery. Since you can’t get inside the narc’s head, the best you can do is counteract the lies and hopefully save your sanity — if not your reputation.



5 Reasons the Narcissist Lies

For Entertainment

Yes, it’s creepy, but the narcissist gets high off of watching other people struggle. Sadism is a game [for] narcs who love to play mean practical jokes and make up crazy stories to confuse and hurt [others.] We’ve all heard about pathological liars, but most of us think of them as someone in a movie. [Pathological] means they do it because they can’t stop. In the words of many a psychologist, “If their lips are moving, they’re lying.”

The narc believes whoever can get the most people on their side [wins,] so their strategy is to find as many accomplices as possible. Once they find these people, they play them like flying monkey pawns to spread more [lies] while the strategy of their game twists and creates even more drama.

It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense. — Mark Twain

But not all of the narcissist’s lies are for entertainment — some are merely for survival.



To Protect Self

Even a narcissist wants to survive. They know if the truth comes out, their entire house of cards might [crumble, and they’ll lose power. Thus,] whenever a narcissist doesn’t want to get caught, they lie.

Lying to protect [oneself] might not sound that different from the rest of us. We’ve all lied before, but there is a big difference between the narcissist’s motivation and the reasons normal people lie. Most people lie when they either feel ashamed or are afraid of hurting someone they love. This is where narcissism deviates far from normal — the narcissist doesn’t have enough empathy to care about how their lies might affect others. Narcissists don’t get ashamed and regret what they’ve done like the rest of us. They don’t lie to spare other people’s feelings — they lie to protect themselves.

There’s a theory that suggests the narcissist has buried their shame so deep they can’t access it. This, in turn, makes them unable to empathize with the pain and shame they put on others. When a narcissist lies, they don’t lie to smooth things over — they lie to get away with stuff. Even [worse,] the narcissist purposefully distorts the facts to manipulate people.



To Manipulate People

Most narcissists would have no power if they wore a red N for [narcissists] on their sleeve. The power they wield is in direct proportion to their flock of flying monkeys. But in order to gain these flying monkeys, the narcissist [gaslights], prevaricates and manipulates them into believing those lies.

The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool. — Stephen King

The innocent flying monkey starts out by trusting the narcissist, believing their lies, and [becoming] accomplices to evil by spreading the lies. When a third party hears these blatant lies out of the mouth of a seemingly innocent flying monkey, they believe them. Other flying monkeys aren’t so innocent — they have an agreement with the narcissist. Those with a mean streak might even be narcs in training. With these people, it’s a competitive [narc-eat-narc] world where the craftiest minds compete with the meanest, and the evilest wins.

When the narc uses flying monkeys to spread lies, it’s like using trump to win a card game. Once again, nice-looking people become pawns in the hands of the narcissist, but soon, the gossip chain gets [rolling,] and even more “nice” people spread the lies — until faster than you can say, “wicked witch of the west,” the narc’s intended victim is scapegoated. As if manipulation wasn’t enough — the narcissist uses lies to gain admiration to puff up [their ego].



To Gain Admiration

The narcissist’s biggest concern is what other people think of them. Narcissists are the ultimate example of egocentricity. Most narcs require constant admiration. And they enjoy making themselves look good while making others look bad. This motivates them to tell outrageous lies — whether to save face or impress others.

Malignant narcs tell one whopper after another. These stories might appear randomly and range from how much they paid for their shoes to how much they [volunteered] at the soup kitchen. Yes, narcissistic people can do humanitarian things like volunteer — but instead of actually caring for other people — they do it to look good. Many narcs work hard to win the approval of others to give themselves greater credibility and more political alliances.

Never be fooled — the narcissist only cares about one person. And if you dare to cross the narc, there will be all hell to pay because the narc is always motivated by revenge.



To Get Revenge

It’s impossible to have an honest relationship with a narcissist because they view all relationships as a zero-sum game. People are either on their [side,] or they’re the enemy and must be conquered. Revenge might be the dirtiest reason a narcissist lies — to ruin another person’s reputation and contacts. To scapegoat their victims and shut them out of the family, church, or community.

There’s a saying the narcissist lives by, “I don’t get mad, I get even.” If you hear someone say [this,] believe them. Healthy people get mad and forgive. But narcissistic people won’t forgive. They want others to forgive them over and over, but if they feel slighted, they feel compelled to get even. In many cases of revenge, the narcissist won’t stop until they’ve destroyed relationships, gotten their ex fired, alienated their children against the other parent, [and, if possible, burn] the victim’s house down.

There might be some laws that give protection against such evil, but Dr. Henry Cloud says, “With some people, you can only protect yourself with guns, lawyers, and money.” These people should not have any access to your life, your passwords, or your children.

[So,] what can we do about all these lies? The first thing to remember is the only way to destroy lies is with the truth. To apply the [truth,] we will need to be wise and diligent.



Always Speak Up and Tell the Truth

This isn’t easy if you hate conflict, but it will only get worse if you remain silent. Truth is the only antidote to lies. And because of this, the narcissist will try to [frame, peg], and destroy you. Truth is your strongest weapon. Use it in court, [in your prayer or meditation life, in] your conversations. If your friends are not interested in hearing the truth, then don’t count on them as friends.

If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for [comfort, you will not get either comfort or truth,] only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair. -C.S. Lewis



Get the Narcissist Out of Your Head

Of course, it’s easier said than done, but one of the best moves you can make is to get the narc out of your mind. Some people leave the premises and don’t even see the narcissist anymore, but they continue to allow them to rent space in their heads. This is dangerous and completely unnecessary. The sooner you figure out how to discard [them,] the better.

One way is to fill your mind with new things. Take a class at the local college. [When your mind is filled with creative writing, or designing pottery,] or filling up with words from a new language, it will crowd out more of the negative messages you got for the narc. New people or even old friends who are true can fill your time and [life,] so you can stop thinking about the narcissist and all his lies. It’s important to listen to other survivors and hear what has helped them.

Keeping an active mind has been vital to my survival, as has been maintaining a sense of humor. — Stephen Hawking



Find Your Inner Warrior

You can’t control anyone but yourself, but [your choices] have a role in determining your future. A warrior takes responsibility for his acts, for the most trivial of acts.

An average man acts out his [thoughts] and never takes responsibility for what he does. — Carlos Castaneda

Part of thriving is taking responsibility for yourself and fighting for what is yours. Your sanity, your money, and your time. Not all this fighting will be up against the [narcissist. Sometimes,] you’ll need to fight for your mental and physical health. You can win the game of life without engaging with the narcissist. Set [your sails], find new places and faces, and say goodbye to the pain of your past. Someday, the narcissist’s lies might even make you laugh. 54

So, if someone becomes a believer, now we know who they’re up against: the narcissist. The ultimate example of such is the Devil, who’ll do everything thing in his power to prevent them from walking in the blessings they’ve received at salvation. How does he do this? We’ll find out in the next chapter.



Endnotes

46Weust.

47Weust.

48Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament, 2000, 30 March 2015˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

49Barnes.

50Bible Knowledge.

51The Pulpit.

52Thayer’s Greek Lexicon Pc Study Bible version 5, 2006, 02 April 2015˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

53Vincent’s New Testament Word Studies Pc Study Bible version 5, 2005,04 April 2015˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

54Cherilyn Christen Clough. “Little Murders,” 18 November 2023



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