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which have persuaded you that God doesn’t love you. You couldn’t be a more obvious spiritual target if you painted a bull’s-eye on your chest.
S ATAN ’ S S TRATEGIES
    Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), which means that he is not easily noticed. But the apostle Paul assures us that God has revealed enough to make us aware of his schemes and tactics (2 Cor. 2:11). To identify them, we should be thinking about the common and ordinary more than the bizarre. Overt demon possession, with its frightening manifestations, is one of Satan’s tactics, but it also doubles as a ploy to have us think that his strategies are always accompanied by signs that draw attention to him. The truth is that, for his day-to-day business, he prefers not to alarm. He works more subtly in the following ways.
    Lies. Is there anything more common and ordinary than lies? They certainly don’t capture our attention anymore because they come so naturally to us. Young children lie without being taught. Politicians lie and we expect it. The variations are endless: white lies, whoppers, self-justifications, exaggerations, minimizing, changing the subject.
    Behind these deceptions is something more than an attempt to duck personal responsibility for wrongdoing. Behind them is the father of lies, Satan himself. “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
    You too are vulnerable. You might be loyal to beliefs that are wrong but highly resistant to change. For example, since you feel like you are a burden to your family and you feel like they would be better off without you, you believe that is the truth. All their protests and expressions of love will not persuade you to change your mind. If you feel that God has abandoned you, then you believe that he actually has. Nothing will persuade you otherwise. In other words, feelings can lie.
    Do you see the progression?
    You are spiritually vulnerable → your emotions are so powerful that they skew your interpretations → Satan attacks → you swear allegiance to your most pessimistic interpretation no matter what others say.
    There are no incantations, spinning heads, strange voices, or obvious satanic rituals involved here. It all seems very natural. But this is knock-down, drag-out spiritual warfare.
    Lies about Us. Satan’s lies are calculated and strategic. They are directed at the spiritual jugular—the most important issues of life.
    Do you believe that some things you have done are too bad to be forgiven? If so, you are believing Satan’s lie that the blood of Jesus can only handle little or unintentional sins. The truth is that, through the cross, the judgment for sin has been taken by Christ for those who believe, including yourself if you have claimed faith in Jesus.
    Do you believe that it is impossible for the Holy God to love you and even delight in you? If so, you are believing Satan’s lie that God loves you because of what you do. The truth is that he loves you because he is the God who loves, and the sacrifice of Jesus proves it. The cross of Christ expresses God’s delight in all who believe, and if you believe that Jesus is the risen Lord, he delights in and loves you.
    Do you believe that you have no reason to live? If so, you are believing Satan’s lie that you belong only to yourself. The truth is that you belong to God and you have a God-given purpose. Furthermore, the cross of Christ reveals that God’s purposes for your life are good.
    Do you believe that these questions are unimportant? If so, you are believing Satan’s lie that our relationship with God is unrelated to our struggle with depression. The truth is that your relationship with God is absolutely necessary, especially now. Your life depends on it.
    Waver on these questions and you will be experiencing the battle.
    Don’t think that these lies are automatically downloaded into our minds where we robotically replay them. Lies don’t