SATAN’S DEVICES TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN

1. By presenting the bait and hiding the hook [4 remedies]
2. By painting sin with virtue’s colors [4remedies]
3. By the extenuating and lessening of sin [7 remedies]
4. By showing to the soul the best men’s sins and by hiding from the soul their virtues, their sorrows, and their repentance [3 remedies]
5. By presenting God to the soul as One made up all of mercy [5 remedies]
6. By persuading the soul that repentance is easy and that therefore the soul need not scruple about sinning [6 remedies]
7. By making the soul bold to venture upon the occasions of sin [2 remedies]
8. By representing to the soul the outward mercies enjoyed by men walking in sin, and their freedom from outward miseries [8 remedies]
9. By presenting to the soul the crosses, losses, sorrows and sufferings that daily attend those who walk in the ways of holiness [7 remedies]
10. By causing saints to compare themselves and their ways with those reputed to be worse than themselves [3 remedies]
11. By polluting the souls and judgments of men with dangerous errors that lead to looseness and wickedness [7 remedies]
12. By leading men to choose wicked company [4 remedies]

SATAN’S DEVICES TO KEEP SOULS FROM HOLY DUTIES, TO HINDER SOULS IN HOLY SERVICES, TO KEEP THEM OFF FROM RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCES

1. By presenting the world in such a garb as to ensnare the soul [7 remedies]
2. By presenting to the soul the dangers, losses and sufferings that accompany the performance of certain religious duties [5 remedies]
3. By presenting to the soul the difficulty of performing religious duties [5 remedies]
4. By causing saints to draw false inferences from the blessed and glorious things that Christ has done [5 remedies]
5. By presenting to view the fewness and poverty of those who hold to religious practices [6 remedies]
6. By showing saints that the majority of men make light of God’s ways and walk in the ways of their own hearts [3 remedies]
7. By casting in vain thoughts while the soul is seeking God or waiting on God [7 remedies]
8. By tempting Christians to rest in their performances [4 remedies]

SATAN’S DEVICES TO KEEP SAINTS IN A SAD, DOUBTING, QUESTIONING AND UNCOMFORTABLE CONDITION

1. By causing saints to remember their sins more than their Savior, yes, even to forget and neglect their Savior [6 remedies]
2. By causing saints to make false definitions of their graces [4 remedies]
3. By causing saints to make false inferences from the cross actings of Providence [4 remedies]
4. By suggesting to saints that their graces are not true, but counterfeit [2 remedies]
5. By suggesting to saints that the conflict that is in them is found also in hypocrites and profane souls [6 remedies]
6. By suggesting to the saint who has lost joy and comfort that his state is not good [5 remedies]
7. By reminding the saint of his frequent relapses into sin formerly repented of and prayed against [6 remedies]
8. By persuading saints that their state is not good nor their graces sound [3 remedies]

SATAN’S DEVICES TO DESTROY AND ENSNARE ALL SORTS AND RANKS OF MEN IN THE WORLD DEVICES AGAINST THE GREAT AND HONORABLE OF THE EARTH


1. By causing them to seek greatness, position, riches and security [6 remedies]
2. By causing them to act against the people of the Most High [5 remedies]

DEVICE AGAINST THE LEARNED AND THE WISE

By moving them to pride themselves on their parts and abilities, and to despise men of greater grace but inferior abilities [4 remedies]

DEVICE AGAINST THE SAINTS

By dividing them and causing them to ‘bite and devour one another.’ [12 remedies]

DEVICE AGAINST POOR AND IGNORANT SOULS

By causing them to affect ignorance and to neglect and despise the means of knowledge [4 remedies]

FIVE MORE OF SATAN’S DEVICES

1. 
By suggesting to men the greatness and vileness of their sins [8 Remedies]
2. By suggesting to sinners their unworthiness [4 Remedies]
3. By suggesting to sinners their want of certain preparations and qualifications [3 Remedies]
4. By suggesting to sinners that Christ Is unwilling to save them [6 Remedies]
5. By causing sinners to give more attention to the secret decrees and counsels of God than to their own duty [2 Remedies]

Adapted from Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks. [download PDF] It’s time to read a classic book. There is nothing like an old Puritan book from the 1600’s!.