Recognizing the Player and the Game

By Alexandra Copeland

In the Old Testament, Job 1:6(NLT) tells us, “6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.” God makes it very clear in this verse that there are legal proceedings in heaven, and we can be assured that He is the only and most holy Righteous Judge. During this meeting of the heavenly court, the devil, an evil intruder, came in among the members as they assembled themselves before Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ made it very plain to us in John 10:10 that satan is a deceiver, thief, and murderer; he was also once an angel of light, and it is not a stretch to assume that he knows the place and proceedings of the heavenly court very well. The good angels came to give an account of their work on earth and to receive new instructions, but satan’s intention was evil and manipulative, and his game has not changed at all. 

In Job 1:7, God posed a question of which He already knew the answer. He asked satan where he had come from. His reply was that he had been patrolling the earth, watching all the action. In the New Testament, in 1Peter 5:8(NKJV), Heavenly Father gives us a stern warning. He said, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” God has not kept us in the dark about the occupation of the enemy. We know that satan watches us, the body of Christ in particular, and that he is looking for an opportunity to ferociously snuff out our lights, like a lion devours its prey.  

There’s an old saying that goes, “when you know better you can do better.” I’m personally on board with that, and I believe the Lord is too. In Proverbs 4:7 (NLT), He tells us, “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!” God does not want us to be ignorant of the devil’s devices, because when we are, we stand to lose time, stamina, and momentum on this Christian journey. Stamina and momentum, we can regain if we remain in Christ, but time is lost forever. 

When we juxtapose the destiny that God has planned for us against the temporary pleasure of satan’s tricks, we should be able to see that there is an eternity between them. What the devil offers is counterfeit, and it cannot compare to the eternal treasures that God has prepared for us through the Lord Jesus Christ. 2Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) tells us, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” This is why it is so incredibly important to set our sights on pleasing God, because when we draw near to Him, not only can we hear and heed His warnings, but the Holy Spirit will help us to become skilled at recognizing when we’re being duped. 

We can’t get it twisted, it is not always obvious when we are being tricked. Friends, as well as fri-enemies, are unsuspectingly used by the devil against us. Women and men seeking a quality relationship with someone are sometimes very susceptible to masterful manipulators that prey on their vulnerabilities. When we don’t recognize a temptation from the pit of hell, we can end up thinking that a trick is a blessing and vice versa. And when it’s all over, and we’re heartbroken or in a tight spot, our ignorance about the trickster-player and his devices leaves us depleted and bewildered. This is not God’s Will, and He wants us to recognize the game and refuse to play. 

Heavenly Father wants us to be blessed at all times, and in Ephesians 6:10-12 The Message (MSG), He tells us exactly how to recognize the player and the game. This passage tells us, “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”  Through Christ, God has equipped us with everything that we need to win in life. Let’s put on every piece of armor that He’s provided so that we will not be played, but we’ll be wise, strong, and well-prepared through Christ. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.