The Ways Satan Works

I've learned there are three main ways that Satan works to lead our souls "carefully down to hell" (2 Nephi 28:21). He's sometimes devious in the ways he uses them, but all his methods follow this same pattern.

I think Satan is important to understand because he encourages tendencies in us to follow the natural man. Since our goal in this life is to "put off the natural man and become a saint," we need to know what characteristics to avoid (Mosiah 3:19). There are three main things to avoid:

1. Anger. Instead of loving our fellow children of God and developing charity, we're acting in hatred against others and against that which is good. When I consider anger in this context, I think of any dramatic emotion that pulls us away from God's will.
2. Apathy. We know that we need to be "anxiously engaged in a good cause" (D&C 58:27). What if we aren't? If we aren't progressing than we are regressing; there is no middle ground in this life. Satan will teach people to whisper, "All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well," and when they do, "the devil cheateth their souls" (2 Nephi 28:21). We need to go to work.
3. Flattery. I like compliments just as well as the next person. However, the devil works with them a little differently--he plays on our pride, convincing us that there is no sin and that we are doing just fine. When he does that, he robs us of the chance to repent, which I think is one of the greatest tools we have.

I don't write about Satan's main weapons to spread a sense of fear. Instead, I want to encourage people to evaluate how they feel. Once we recognize a problem, we can fix it. Also, Christ overcame these same obstacles. When Satan tempted Christ at the end of his 40-day fast, he used all three (Matthew 4:1-11).

First, Satan tempted Christ with turning stone into bread; this appeals to our appetites, which I related to pride or flattery. Second, Satan wanted the angels to catch Christ; this appeals to our sense of the dramatic, which is often fueled by anger (or equally destructive emotions). Third, Satan offered Christ kingdoms and glory--a destiny that was already Christ's because of His role as Creator and Savior. I likened this to apathy, where Satan tried to convince Christ not to fulfill his role--to skip his mission and ministry and just become a ruler already.

All three times, Christ resists Satan. And how grateful we are that He did! Because Christ overcame, we can as well. Because Christ fulfilled his divine destiny, we can fulfill ours--refusing to settle for the lesser (and empty) prizes that Satan offers.