Expectations: The enemy completely understands the power of disappointment. He uses this to plant ideas in our heads as to what we can expect in certain situations. For example, if a friend or someone you respect and care about were to recommend a certain restaurant to you. They tell you how good the food is, so you go there with great expectations, only to discover that the food is average at best, and the service could be better. If you would have found this restaurant on your own, you may have found it pleasing to you, because you went in without an expectation. You might have been the party guilty of setting great expectations for your friends. So how does the enemy use expectations to destroy us, he is very cunning and he plans. 

He may start when you are very young. You may grow up in a home where everything looks so perfect. Your parents never have an argument in front of the children, thinking they are protecting you. The truth is, they are setting you up for disappointment by giving you false hope. Don't be mad at mom or dad, they did this out of good motives, they did what they thought was best for you. You now grow up with this expectation, only to find reality in your own home. You see, you didn't know mom and dad to argue, because they didn't let you see it. Now you get married and think that your life is falling apart because you and your spouse had a disagreement. You should have expected this to happen, but your expectations were different. It took years for the enemy to put this weapon in place, but be sure, he is patient. By the way, he could have used your parents to set disappointing expectations, even if they did argue in your presence. In this situation, he would convince you that this is a way of expressing love.

Patience: I mentioned that the enemy is patient and be sure, he is. The bible speaks of him as a lion seeking to devour whom ever he can. Think of that, how does a lion behave when he is after his prey? The lion will patiently wait for the right opportunity before he attacks and destroys. Some people expect to see the lion (enemy) coming at them. Look for a sheep, not a lion. The bible states that the enemy is in disguise, he looks like a sheep (harmless). The fact is that we can and should be aware of those around us. I am not suggesting you be completely paranoid. I am suggesting that you be a bit paranoid and be aware of those around you. After all, mom and dad never intended to do you harm by setting the wrong expectation about marriage. There are many people around us that have great intentions. The fact is, we are all sinful people and this is something the enemy uses to his advantage. With that in mind, please understand that yes, the enemy can and often does use people who are close to us, to harm us. This does not make these people part of his army, not anymore than someone who makes kitchen tools, make knives to use to cut you. Good people with great intentions can be used as tools to harm us. This is why it is so very important to keep our eyes fixed on truth. Watch for the enemy in people close to you, but don't confuse the enemies intentions with these good intentioned people. Remember, the enemy is very sly and works without rules.

Restraint: If you have ever read the book of Job, you know the story. ( if you haven't, you should ). Satan asked God for permission to do harm to Job. He told God that Job was a good servant because God had a hedge (protection) around Job. God gave some space to Satan, allowing him to attack Job. When Job complained to God, God told Job that this was his purpose for Job. This story of Job gives us a better understanding of our enemy and the restraint he is confined to. The good news for us is that God does put a hedge around us and allows the enemy a limited space to work with when attacking us.

Temptation: This is a powerful tool indeed. The enemy has it easy with this one, he uses temptations that are common to men. He uses lust, our own lust that is, to lure us into his trap. Basically, he uses poison, but wraps it in what looks like good food. Many men and women have been lured away from their marriage vows because of lust for other people. Our eyes are used by the enemy to destroy us and other people we care about. Good to know that God provides a way out of every temptation.

Discouragement: I have heard that this is the enemies favorite tool. When using this tool effectively, he can get much accomplished. Once you are discouraged, beating you down is much easier. He uses people around us to bring us down. Causing pain in our relationships, the enemy can now move to discourage you. He causes you to have very unhealthy thoughts. You start thinking of how this friend or loved one has taken advantage of you, or used you to get what they wanted. The enemy wants you to get to the point where you shield yourself from all other people and discouragement is very effective in accomplishing this. If he can cause you to not trust others, he can get you alone, once he has you alone, you are an easy target. If he can get you mad at your church family and keep you from going to church, now he can beat you, and you won't have the encouragement others can give to help you through this battle with the enemy.

These are just a few thoughts I felt compelled to write today. Keep your eye on the enemy who would like nothing more than to destroy you and has many tools in his tool box to get the job done. Fight the good fight, run the good race because someday the battles will all be behind you and the enemy will no longer have access to your life.