The Scriptures give us a scouting report about the “schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). Like battle-tested warriors, we should study our Enemy’s schemes, learn from them how he attacks us, and use that knowledge to stand against the devil by the grace of God.

In war, an accurate scouting report can save your life. Knowing how your enemy will attack helps you to formulate a plan to give you the best opportunity for success.

Our struggle, however, is not against flesh and blood on the battlefield. Instead, our struggle is against the terrible power of Satan and his demonic army of spiritual forces. This is about more than life or death—this is about eternal life or death.

Thankfully, the Scriptures give us a scouting report about the “schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). Like battle-tested warriors, we should study our Enemy’s schemes, learn from them how he attacks us, and use that knowledge to stand against the devil by the grace of God.

First Principle: Sin Never Happens Spontaneously

The Scriptures reveal three fundamental principles about spiritual warfare. The first principle is that sin never happens spontaneously. Rather, Satan patiently leads us into temptation through a deliberate process:

• First, Satan leads us to see the object of temptation.
• Second, Satan encourages us to fixate on the goodness/beauty of that object.
• Third, Satan cultivates our desire/covetousness for that object.
• Fourth, Satan prods us to reach out and take the object.

This pattern of see —> good —> covet —> take appears in four passages of significant temptations. (In two passages, the word covet is only implied.) This is not merely Satan’s occasional strategy, but his regular approach for tempting God’s people. The better we understand this pattern, the faster we will recognize it when Satan uses it against us.

This pattern is a bit difficult to see in our Bibles, however, since the ESV translates the same four Hebrew terms into a variety of English words:

• The first sin of Eve in the Garden of Eden: “saw…good…desired [lit., “coveted”]…took” (Gen. 3:6 — see my exposition of Genesis 3:1–7)
• The fall of the sons of God with the daughters of men: “saw…attractive [lit., “good”]…took” (Gen. 6:2 — see my exposition of Genesis 6:1–8)
• The sin of Achan to steal from the spoils of Jericho, causing Israel’s defeat at Ai: “saw…beautiful [lit., “good”]…coveted…took” (Josh. 7:21)
• David’s sin with Bathsheba: “saw…beautiful [lit., “good”]…took” (2 Sam. 11:2–4)

Beyond these, there are at least six other passages that summarize great sin by using only the first and last words of this pattern (saw —> took):

• Pharaoh’s abduction of Sarah: “saw…was taken” (Gen. 12:15); notice also Genesis 12:13: “Please say you are my sister, in order that it may be good for me on your account…”; and Genesis 12:16: “And for Abram he [Pharaoh] caused good on her account…” (my translations)
• Esau’s marriage a third (Ishmaelite) wife: “saw…took” (Gen. 28:6, 9)
• Leah’s giving her female servant Zilpah to Jacob: “saw…took” (Gen. 30:9)
• Shechem’s rape of Dinah: “saw…seized [lit., “took”]” (Gen. 34:2); notice also Genesis 34:18: “Their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem, son of Hamor” (my translation)
• Judah’s marriage to a Canaanite woman: “saw…took” (Gen. 38:2)
• Samson’s marriage to a Philistine: “saw…get [lit., “took”]” (Judg. 14:2)

Now that we see the pattern, let’s break down Satan’s process, step-by-step.

The Fuel of Temptation: Seeing the Twisted Good (“Saw…Good”)

Satan does not begin by directly offering us temptation. Instead, he leads us to see the goodness of something that God has forbidden, whether with our eyes, our minds, or our hearts. Eve saw the good (but forbidden) fruit. The sons of God saw the attractive (but wicked) daughters of men. Achan saw the beautiful (but devoted to destruction) gold cloak from Shinar. David saw the beautiful (but married) woman named Bathsheba.

In our cases, Satan might lead us to see:

• The delicious (but excessive) food or drink
• The beautiful (but not our spouse) person
• The pleasurable (but worldly) entertainment
• The comforting (but idolatrous) possessions
• The protecting (but sinful) control
• The just (but vengeful) righting of a past wrong

Importantly, it is not wrong simply to notice that these things are good in some sense. We do not sin when we look at delicious food, notice a beautiful person, or think about the goodness of justice in relationship to a wrong we have suffered. Even Jesus recognized that avoiding the cross would have some element of attraction (Matt. 26:39, 42, 53; Mark 14:36, 39; Luke 22:42; John 12:27).

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