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       #Post#: 1623--------------------------------------------------
       The schemes of Satan
       By: guest24 Date: October 16, 2018, 9:57 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I can't find it now but someone asked about my study on the
       schemes of satan.  The only way I know to put forth my studies
       is in what we call a guided bible study and since it is a long
       study, I will put a chapter on at a time.  I do encourage
       discussion.  I will also warn you that it is not an edited work
       so you might find a few mistakes.
       This study is designed to give us a kind of how to look at
       combating the schemes of satan...I hope you all enjoy the study,
       learn from it as I did, and discuss any part you like.
       #Post#: 1624--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The schemes of Satan
       By: guest24 Date: October 16, 2018, 10:00 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       II Corinthians 2:11 (HCSB)
       I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by
       Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.
       As I was studying how Love protects us I happened upon this
       verse.  Notice the end of the verse where it says, “For we are
       not ignorant of his schemes.”  This got me wondering what it is
       that we know about the schemes of Satan.  As I thought on the
       question of what the schemes of Satan were I had to confess I
       wasn’t sure how to answer the question from the standpoint of
       scripture.  Scheme is defined as...a large-scale systematic plan
       or arrangement for attaining some particular object or putting a
       particular idea into effect.  Satan’s plan is that of death.
       John 8:44 tells us that he is a murderer.  Since the wages of
       sin is death. (Romans 6:23)  Satan’s interest is in causing us
       to sin.  Thus his scheme is to draw us away from God and the
       life He offers to all men.  So now we know the goal of Satan the
       question is how does he try to achieve this goal?  He does so
       through schemes that we are supposed to according to II
       Corinthians 2:11 know.  So let’s dive in and see what schemes we
       can uncover from scripture.
       First we go to I Chronicles 21 which is a story about David,
       King of Israel calling for a census of the people which was
       against God’s will.  In fact in verse one we see that Satan
       incited David to take a census.  To incite someone to do
       something is to encourage them to follow through on the already
       bad ideas they have.  Like dangling a carrot in front of them.
       For David that carrot was the notion that David could know the
       number of fighting age men in Israel rather than simply trusting
       God.  David had an idea in his mind, the idea that he wanted to
       know how many men were in Israel.  Satan came along and
       encouraged that idea into action.  Time and time again in our
       lives we have an idea and we might even know that that idea is a
       bad thing, a sin but one way or another we are encouraged to
       follow through with the idea and often we give into that
       enticing just as David did.  Whether through justifications,
       others suggesting, like David simply having the authority to do
       so, or something else we find a way to believe we are justified
       to sin and no one will care. (I Chronicles 21:1).  One important
       element of this enticing that we should talk about is that God
       does allow it to happen.  We see that Satan has permission given
       by God to do certain things like the afflictions he brought to
       Job.  In II Samuel 24 we see the same thing it is through God’s
       permission that he is able to use our ideas against us and
       entice us to sin.
       In I Chronicles we see that Joab was not happy with David’s
       decision to sin (I Chronicles 21:6-7) now was God.  In fact, God
       was angry with David.  So as we move through the story we see
       that Joab doesn’t carry out the entire order in rebellion and
       God allows His anger to be known.  But with a scheme of Satan we
       also must have a protection and the protection for David would
       have been to stand firm against the enemy (Colossians 1:23,
       Ephesians 6:11, I Corinthians 16:13, Hebrews 3:14, Joshua 23:6,
       Philippians 1:27, Ephesians 6:13, Psalms 119:1) and in doing so
       refuse the ideas that were coming into his head.  David failed
       to take his thoughts captive and turn those thoughts to the
       things of God. (I Corinthians 10:5, Isaiah 26:3, Romans 12:2,
       John 8:31-32, Isaiah 26:3; Proverbs 1:23)  Finally David forgot
       to trust God, to simply trust the God that he knew to be
       trustworthy and faithful.  (Philippians 4:7, Ephesians 3:19,
       Philippians 4:9, I Corinthians 10:13) If David had followed
       these three guidelines he might not have sinned by ordering for
       a census however, he did sin and so he needed to reconcile with
       God.  As we go through the passage we see that David confessed
       that he was responsible for sinning.  (I Chronicles 21:8)
       Confession is truly an important part of our reconciliation with
       God and with others.  (James 5:16, Leviticus 5:5, Leviticus
       16:21, Leviticus 26:40, I Samuel 7:6, Ezra 10:1, Nehemiah 1:6,
       Psalms 32:5, Psalms 38:18, Daniel 9:4, Daniel 9:20, Acts 19:18,
       I John 1:9)  From the Old Testament law to the new testament
       Christ we are instructed to confess our sins.  Confession of our
       sins is necessary because without confession it is as if we are
       trying to hide our sins. (Joshua 7:19, Proverbs 28:13) I found
       Romans 10:10 especially interesting on the topic of confession
       for it equates belief with righteousness but confession is
       equated with our salvation.  Without doubt we need to confess
       our sins.  Confession is an act of both exposing who we are,
       accepting who we are and what we have done and seeking
       reconciliation for it.  It is part of our baptism. (Matthew 3:6,
       Mark 1:5) Nahum 5:7 tells us that when we confess our sins we
       are to pay full compensation for the wrong we have done and then
       some.  This idea of paying back is carried through to Ezra 10:11
       where we are told to separate ourselves from our sin.  This
       separation seems to be something that David forgot as we move
       through I Chronicles 21.  David was in verse 8 confessing and in
       verse 13 he finally became in anguish over the sin he committed.
       Nehemiah 9:1-3 talks about confessing with sackcloth.
       Sackcloth was how the people of the day showed a brokenness.
       David needed to confess with a brokenness over what he had done.
       Now, God was still angry with David for the sin that he had
       committed by disobedience in ordering the census and David
       apparently hadn’t done enough by confessing in brokenness.  God
       gave David three choices 1. 3 years of famine for Israel as
       punishment for the sin.  2. 3 months of Israel’s enemies
       fighting and winning battles or 3. 3 days of God’s wrath through
       the plagues that he would send.  God still needed David to learn
       something and so like a good Father God punished David.  (Job
       5:17, Job 36:10, Proverbs 1:25-26, Proverbs 1:29-30, Proverbs
       5:12, Proverbs 6:23, Proverbs 10:17, Proverbs 12:1, Proverbs
       15:5, Proverbs 15:10, Proverbs 15:12, Proverbs 15:32, Proverbs
       19:27, Proverbs 25:12, Proverbs 29:15, II Timothy 3:16, II
       Timothy 4:2)  This correction by God was one of the ways that
       God showed David that he was greatly Loved by God. (Proverbs
       3:12, Hebrews 12:6, Deuteronomy 8:5, Psalms 94:12, Proverbs
       3:11-12, Revelations 3:19)
       It is interesting that David chose God’s correction, God’s hand
       of over falling to his enemies.  Notice the reason why David
       chose God’s plagues because David knew that God was a merciful
       God. (I Chronicles 21:13) Even the very seat that He had the
       Children of Israel build for Him is called the mercy seat.
       (Exodus, Hebrews 9:5)  God is a merciful God and David would
       rather take his chances with God’s mercy than with the
       environment or his enemies and their lack of mercy. (Deuteronomy
       13:17, Matthew 5:7, Matthew 9:13, Matthew 12:7, Matthew 18:37,
       Matthew 23:23, Mark 5:19, Luke 1:54, Roman 9:16, Romans
       11:31-32, Romans 15:9, II Corinthians 4:1, Ephesians 2:4,
       Hebrews 4:16, James 2:13, James 3:17, I Peter 1:3, II John 1:3,
       Jude 1:21)  Even with this mercy 70,000 people were killed by
       the plagues that God sent before David was ready to move to the
       final step of his lessons.
       I Chronicles 21:17 shows us a David who finally takes
       responsibility for his actions.  Notice that David needed to
       first take responsibility for himself and his sin, he needed to
       be broken by that sin but he also had to own it in obedience (II
       Samuel 24:19) and fear of the Lord.  (I Chronicles 21:30) To
       repent means to turn from your sin and turn to obedience.  In
       other words true repentance is marked by obedience to God. (Acts
       2:38, Job 36:10, Psalms 7:12, Psalms 78:34, Isaiah 1:27,
       Jeremiah 15:19, Jeremiah 34:15, Ezekiel 14:6, Ezekiel 18:30,
       Ezekiel 33:14, Hosea 6:1, Hosea 14:2, Joel 2:12, Matthew 3:2,
       Matthew 3:8, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 11:20, Mark 1:4, Mark 1:15,
       Mark 6:12, Luke 3:3, Luke 3:8, Luke 5:32, Luke 13:3-10, Acts
       3:19, Acts 8:22, Acts 17:30, Acts 26:20, Romans 2:4, II
       Corinthians 7:9-10, II Peter 3:9, Revelations 2:5, Revelations
       2:16, Revelations 3:3, Revelations 3:19)  Love is the power to
       overcome the schemes of Satan but when we do fall to his schemes
       we can return to the God of mercy with confession, brokenness,
       and repentance that bears the fruit of righteousness.  Let us
       always stand firm, take our thoughts captive and trust God so
       that we do not fall to the enticing Satan tries to do in our
       thoughts.
       #Post#: 1627--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The schemes of Satan
       By: Theo102 Date: October 16, 2018, 2:14 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       The Pauline description of Satan is at odds with the description
       from the Tanach, just as his description of spiritual armour
       differs from the description that he plagiarised.
       2Sam 24:1, 1 Ch 21:1, Satan means adversary, see Gesenius:
  HTML https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7854&t=KJV
       #Post#: 1628--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The schemes of Satan
       By: patrick jane Date: October 16, 2018, 2:17 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Theo102 link=topic=183.msg1627#msg1627
       date=1539717285]
       The Pauline description of Satan is at odds with the description
       from the Tanach, just as his description of spiritual armour
       differs from the description that he plagiarised.
       2Sam 24:1, 1 Ch 21:1, Satan means adversary, see Gesenius:
  HTML https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7854&t=KJV
       [/quote]Paul plagiarized nothing and any assertion otherwise is
       heresy and needs to be proven through scripture.
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       #Post#: 1630--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The schemes of Satan
       By: Theo102 Date: October 16, 2018, 2:21 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=patrick jane link=topic=183.msg1628#msg1628
       date=1539717436]
       Paul plagiarized nothing and any assertion otherwise is heresy
       and needs to be proven through scripture.
       [/quote]
  HTML http://torah.clonehost.net/paul.html#s9
       #Post#: 1631--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The schemes of Satan
       By: guest24 Date: October 16, 2018, 2:37 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I'm confused by the accusation...If God spoke through both, why
       wouldn't we see the same or similar message?  Why would that
       suggest plagiarism?
       #Post#: 1632--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The schemes of Satan
       By: Theo102 Date: October 16, 2018, 2:46 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Lori Bolinger link=topic=183.msg1631#msg1631
       date=1539718673]
       I'm confused by the accusation...If God spoke through both, why
       wouldn't we see the same or similar message?  Why would that
       suggest plagiarism?
       [/quote]
       Sometimes a lying spirit has a role to play, eg 1 Kings 22:22.
       Plagiarism is when someone else's ideas are used without
       attribution, eg when the ideas of righteousness as a breastplate
       and the helmet of salvation from Isaiah 59:17 were used by Paul
       in Ephesians 6:14,17
       #Post#: 1633--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The schemes of Satan
       By: guest24 Date: October 16, 2018, 2:49 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I know what plagiarism is, what you haven't answered is why you
       think that Paul writing what God inspired him to is
       plagiarism....isn't that like calling God a plagiarist?
       #Post#: 1635--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The schemes of Satan
       By: patrick jane Date: October 16, 2018, 6:40 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Theo102 link=topic=183.msg1632#msg1632
       date=1539719181]
       [quote author=Lori Bolinger link=topic=183.msg1631#msg1631
       date=1539718673]
       I'm confused by the accusation...If God spoke through both, why
       wouldn't we see the same or similar message?  Why would that
       suggest plagiarism?
       [/quote]
       Sometimes a lying spirit has a role to play, eg 1 Kings 22:22.
       Plagiarism is when someone else's ideas are used without
       attribution, eg when the ideas of righteousness as a breastplate
       and the helmet of salvation from Isaiah 59:17 were used by Paul
       in Ephesians 6:14,17
       [/quote][color=yellow]So, you're a plagiarist.[/color]
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       #Post#: 1642--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The schemes of Satan
       By: guest24 Date: October 17, 2018, 9:12 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Scheme 2
       The Taker…
       Job 1:9-11 (HCSB)
       Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10
       Haven’t You placed a hedge around him, his household, and
       everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and
       his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out
       Your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely
       curse You to Your face.”
       Job was a man of God.  Scripture says that He was a man of
       integrity who feared God.  Even God recognized that Job was
       living a life that pleased him. (Job 1:8)  We as a people are
       called to live a life of integrity.  Those that live a life of
       integrity live securely. (Psalms 7:8; Psalms 25:21; Psalms 26:1;
       Psalms 41:12; Psalms 51:6; Psalms 84:11; Psalms 145:18; Proverbs
       2:7; Proverbs 2:9; Proverbs 2:21; Proverbs 10:9; Proverbs 11:3;
       Proverbs 13:6; Proverbs 14:2; Proverbs 19:1; Proverbs 20:7;
       Proverbs 28:6; Proverbs 28:18; Amos 5:10; Habakkuk 2:4; Titus
       2:7)  We are also called to live in the fear of the Lord a fear
       that brings about righteousness.  (Proverbs 1:7; Job 28:28;
       Psalms 19:9; Psalms 34:11; Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 2:1-5;
       Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 10:27; Proverbs 14:26-27; Proverbs
       15:16; Proverbs 15:33; Proverbs 16:6; Proverbs 19:23; Proverbs
       22:4; Isaiah 11:3; Isaiah 33:6; Acts 9:31; II Corinthians 5:11)
       As the treasure of Zion and the result of humility, the fear of
       the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  By all accounts Job was a
       man that God was pleased with him and in today's world we are
       often led to believe that this is enough to bring about a life
       without struggles and afflictions.  The modern church often
       teaches us that if we come to God and Love Him everything will
       be good for the rest of our days on earth.  Here we sit looking
       at a man who was without fault before God and Satan still
       attacked him in ways that few of us can even fathom.
       Job 1:7 tells us why Satan is able to inflict such grief on
       mankind, it is because he is roaming this earth looking for
       whomever he can draw away into death.  This earth is his
       temporary home. (I Peter 5:8; Mark 9:15; John 12:31; John 16:11;
       II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-3; John 12:31; Ephesians 5:6)
       His desire is to draw men from life into death, he is a murderer
       and liar (John 8:44) from the very beginning.  Satan is NOT
       above attacking a righteous man like Job.  Satan wants to draw
       even the righteous into death.  (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22)
       First let’s be clear, nothing that happened to Job was without
       God’s permission.  For whatever reason God had in His wisdom He
       saw fit to give Satan permission to attack Job.  This can be a
       very hard thing for most of us to accept and understand and yet
       it is the very lesson Job himself had to learn.  God is God and
       His ways are perfect and just.  (Job 1:12; Job 2:6; Job 38) Just
       because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and live for Him as
       best we can on a daily basis does NOT mean that our lives
       suddenly become charmed and without struggles and adversities.
       The first challenge Satan put before Job was to strip him of
       his wealth.  Job was a very wealthy man.  It is so easy to get
       our eyes on the wealth of this world.  We see what others have,
       suffer through lean times and in that justify God giving us
       wealth.  We listen to teachers who promise wealth in the name of
       God if only we will do this or that for God wants us to thrive,
       He wants only what is good for us.  But notice Isaiah 33:6 tells
       us that the fear of the Lord is the very treasure of Zion.
       Zion, our heavenly home.  Earthly wealth is not what God wants
       us to seek nor protect but rather earthly wealth is often times
       a hinderance to the man of integrity who is living in the fear
       of the Lord.  It is something that is not to be held so tightly
       that it can draw us away from God.  Rather we are to lay up our
       treasures in heaven.  (Acts 4:32-37; Matthew 19:21-22; Matthew
       6:19-20; Luke 12:33; Luke 18:22; Acts 2:45; James 1:17; Psalms
       85:12; Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 6:25; Philippians 4:19; Luke
       12:30; Matthew 6:32; Matthew 6:8; Psalms 23:1; II Corinthians
       9:8; Proverbs 3:9) Instead of being concerned about our wealth
       we need to learn to trust God to provide all that we need and in
       that discover how to be satisfied.  Job’s response was to grieve
       in worship without sin or blaming God.  He was trusting God to
       provide no matter what happened to his wealth.  (Job 1:20)
       The second challenge Satan issued to Job and his faithfulness
       to God was that of his children.  Satan is not above using our
       children against us to try to draw us away from God.  As sad as
       it is and as terrible as it might sound and be, Satan will use
       those people closest to us to try to destroy us and lead us to
       death. (Job 1:12)  Our children are a gift from God, a heritage
       given to us by God and thus they are not our own but God’s.
       (Psalms 127:3-5; Genesis 33:5) Our children are our example of
       how to come to God and simply trust Him. (Matthew 21:15-16;
       Psalms 8:2; Matthew 18:2-6; I Peter 2:2-3; Mark 10:13-16)
       Losing a child one of if not the hardest thing that we might
       ever be asked to endure.  We expect our children to outlive us.
       We spend time teaching and loving them according to scripture
       and then one day they are no more of this world.  The surreal
       feelings swirl around us and threaten to consume us and in that
       anguish it is easy to blame God.  It becomes easy to turn our
       backs on the one who gave our children to us.  But, Job a man of
       integrity and fear of the Lord worshiped God and did not blame
       Him.  In fact, look at Job 1:21, right after Job heard about his
       children being dead he said, (HCSB) “Naked I came from my
       mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives,
       and the Lord takes away.  Praise the name of Yahweh.”  He
       understood that God gave his children to him and it was God that
       could take them away.  In the middle of such horrible grief, Job
       recognized the living God who gave Him good gifts and treasures
       to embrace but he loved God more.
       Finally Satan took Job’s health and gave him boils. (Job 2:7)
       In this too Job did not sin.  He understood that healing is in
       fear of the Lord and trust in God.  Some illness is caused by
       sin but some is not.  (John 9:2-3) God wants to use our physical
       ailments to show others His glory. (John 11:4) Our healing is in
       learning to fear the Lord and in that trusting in Him alone
       through faith, not in demanding but in simple faith trusting
       that this too is in His capable hands and to His glory.
       (Proverbs 3:1-12; Psalms 38:2-4; Psalms 38:6-8; Proverbs
       4:20:27; Proverbs 16:24; Isaiah 38:16; Jeremiah 30:17; Jeremiah
       33:6; Acts 3:16; James 5:15; III John 1:2)  Job understood that
       man doesn’t live just by the food he eats and the air he breaths
       but by the very word of God man receives sustainance.
       (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4; I Corinthians 10:3;
       Matthew 16:11-18; Mark 7:19-20)   Job’s response to the loss of
       his health came when his wife challenged him to curse God and
       die.  Job 2:10 (HCSB) 10 “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,”
       he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not
       adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.
       He knew God to be just in all that He does.  (II Thessalonians
       1:6; Colossians 3:25; Hebrews 6:10; Job 36:6; Luke 18:7; I John
       1:9)
       For all the things that Job understood about God and the
       wealth, children, and health that God had granted to him, he
       still failed to really understand and grasp the magnitude,
       beauty, wonder, authority, and wisdom of God. (Job 38)  So, when
       Satan takes challenges our wealth, our children, our health how
       should we react?  As Job did, Job didn’t blame Satan or God, he
       didn’t throw a fit and cry about injustice.  Rather Job did
       three important things, 1. He worshiped God in the midst of the
       struggles.  2. He remained a man of integrity, humility,
       faithfulness, and a man who feared the Lord and 3. He allowed
       himself to be taught by God that which he didn’t yet know and
       understand.  He trusted God, defended God, and Loved God without
       fail as his world crumbled down around him.  Satan’s schemes to
       use your wealth, your children and/or your health is no excuse
       to walk away from God, to blame God or to neglect worship of the
       living God rather it is an opportunity to learn about the
       sovereignty of the Living God.
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