The Devil’s Tactics: Distract, Deceive, and Dull

The devil’s tactics are simple yet deadly: to distract us with noise, deceive us with illusions, and lull us into a dull sleep so we forget God, forget who we are, and forget the battle we’re in.

In every age, Satan has recycled the same strategy. He does not need to reinvent his weapons because distraction, deception, and dullness are enough to ruin souls. Today, his tools are more polished and more addictive than ever. Movies, endless entertainment, political drama, the obsession with sports, and now the never-ending scroll of TikTok, Instagram, and social media feeds—all serve to fill our hours, crowd our thoughts, and saturate our affections until the eternal fades into the background. What was once clear—the reality of God, the seriousness of sin, the urgency of the battle—becomes blurred.

First, he distracts. He floods our lives with noise so that the voice of God is drowned out. Notifications, updates, and new content every second keep our eyes glued to glowing screens while our souls starve.

Then, he deceives. He makes the temporary look permanent and the shallow look profound. He offers counterfeits of joy and peace—likes, followers, fleeting attention—until people trade the living water of Christ for broken cisterns that hold no water.

Finally, he dulls. This may be the most dangerous step of all, because once dulled, the soul no longer resists. We are lulled to sleep, scrolling our way into numbness, blind to the fact that a battle is raging all around us. This is why Scripture warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

The enemy’s ultimate goal is forgetfulness: that we forget God, forget our true identity in Christ, and forget the battle for our souls. But the call of Scripture is the opposite: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14).

To resist these tactics, we must remember who we are, fix our eyes on Jesus, and stay awake in the fight. Prayer, Scripture, worship, and fellowship are not luxuries; they are weapons. The devil may distract, deceive, and dull—but he cannot destroy the believer who stays anchored in Christ.