Predicazioni/Genesi/Le sette astuzie del grande maestro di guerra psicologica/The Seven Tricks of the Great Master of Psychological Warfare
The Seven Tricks of the Great Master of Psychological Warfare
War strategy manuals not only theorize how to use armies and weapons, but also include targeted psychological operations to confuse, deceive, and overwhelm adversaries. Nothing new! Even the spiritual forces of evil have made extensive use of them to wage war against God and His people since the dawn of humanity. The biblical text of Genesis 3:1-6 tells us of seven wiles used by Satan, which are still very effective today. Today we will discover how to recognize and resist them.
Psychological warfare operations
Wars have always been fought not only with the use of brute force, but also through psychological operations aimed at deceiving and demoralizing the adversary with skillful cognitive manipulations. These are the tools of psychological warfare [1], a consolidated and insidious strategy. It operates in various ways. For example: through the dissemination of false or misleading information aimed at confusing, dividing or manipulating public opinion; with actions aimed at influencing the emotions, motives and behavior of governments, organizations, groups and individuals; with the use of digital platforms to spread specific narratives and influence public opinion globally; with cyber attacks aimed at compromising critical infrastructures, stealing sensitive information or sowing chaos. In this regard, we also speak of "neuromarketing", that is, the application of neuroscientific knowledge to design messages and advertising campaigns that are more effective in changing perceptions and behaviors. The objectives of cognitive warfare range from reducing the enemy's determination to resist; fueling discord within the enemy's population or armed forces; to erode public confidence in their own authorities; as well as to influence national and international public opinion to diplomatically isolate the enemy.
In the Bible itself, in the account of the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, recounted in 2 Kings 18–19 and Isaiah 36–37, we find a clear example of psychological warfare. The Assyrian ambassador Rabshakeh, speaking purposely in Hebrew to the people on the walls, seeks to undermine their trust in King Hezekiah and, above all, in God. He mocks faith in the Lord, compares the God of Israel to the impotent gods of other defeated peoples, and promises prosperity to those who surrender, insinuating that resistance would be futile. His speech aims to intimidate, confuse, and divide God's people, playing on fear, human pride, and distrust of divine promises. This episode demonstrates how, even in antiquity, spiritual battle and the manipulation of consciences were an integral part of the strategy of the powerful.
The biblical text
There is, however, one whom we might consider a great master of psychological warfare, who was already active at the dawn of humanity to undermine humankind's trust in God and thus ruin and destroy them. This is found in the story of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and is one of the most well-known texts in the Bible. It tells us about the "serpent," the tree, the forbidden fruit, and we see the dialogue between Eve and the tempter, whom the Bible calls a liar, a seducer, and a murderer. This text, however, does not simply tell us about an event that occurred in the distant past, much less can it be considered "mythological" and therefore ignorable. It shows us a permanent dynamic : it reveals how the spiritual forces of evil continue, in fact, to operate and deceive, how they still seduce the human heart today, even in new, modern, cultured, and sophisticated ways. Let's listen to the text:
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘How is it? God has said to you, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?’” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” And the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die; for God does know that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes will be opened, and you will be as God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and also gave to her husband with her; and he ate” (Genesis 3:1-6).
In the 17th century, Puritan theologian William Ames , author of a widely read theology textbook called The Marrow of Divinity , astutely analyzed this very passage. He identified seven wiles —seven steps, seven strategies—that Satan used in the original temptation. [2] These seven wiles, though described centuries ago, have hardly aged . Today we see them resurfacing in culture, philosophy, the media, even in certain religious circles . Our goal today is to lay bare these strategies , however briefly, so that we can resist the tempter with the truth of God's Word.
1. Using seemingly harmless tools
“Now the serpent was more crafty…” (v. 1). Satan does not present himself with frightening appearances, but chooses fascinating, respectable, culturally attractive instruments . The serpent was then among the animals most esteemed for its cunning and beauty; nothing in it inspired fear or suspicion, but rather, admiration and wonder. So, even today, the most dangerous ideas and influences enter through what appears harmless or even desirable : sophisticated media content, “modern” educational projects, captivating voices that seem to promote freedom and progress.
Spiritual seduction rarely comes directly. It often passes through seemingly neutral channels : a television series, a viral post, a well-made documentary, a charismatic influencer. These vehicles insinuate values contrary to the Gospel, but cloaked in humanity, intelligence, or compassion . It's the age-old method: disguising poison in the guise of beauty , using means that don't seem hostile to God, but which slowly undermine trust in His Word.
2. Undermine the authority of God's Word
“Did God really say…?” (v. 1). The first sentence uttered by the serpent does not deny the Word of God, but rather questions its clarity and reliability . It is a subtle attack: it does not say that God is wrong, but that perhaps He did not speak so clearly. Today, this strategy is repeated when it is claimed that the Bible is merely a human text, ambiguous, subject to cultural interpretation . It insinuates that no one can truly say what God wants, and that all truth is fluid.
Thus the authority of Scripture is deactivated. A climate is created where moral certainty is seen as presumption , and any clear statement of truth as fundamentalism. The Word is not openly denied, but subtly discredited , until it becomes inoffensive. And the result is devastating: a Christianity that no longer has any foundation , in which everyone believes what they prefer, and where the voice of God is put on the same level as human opinions .
3. Reversing good and evil
“You will not surely die…” (verse 4). Here Satan openly denies what God had said. He transforms the threat into an illusion, reversing the distinction between good and evil . Not only does he say that there will be no death, but he implies that obedience to God deprives human beings of something good . It is a form of moral propaganda: what God calls evil is presented as liberating good. And today this reversal is everywhere.
Just think of how central values of faith (holiness, chastity, truth, fear of God) are mocked, while sin is normalized and even celebrated . Infidelity is "self-seeking," pride is "self-affirmation," disobedience is "authenticity." It's the ancient game of the snake: confusing good with evil, making transgression attractive , and presenting obedience as a loss. And many fall, because they no longer discern the difference between the voice of God and that of lies .
4. Instrumentalizing religious language
“For God knows that in the day you eat of it…” (verse 5). Satan not only names God, but uses His name to support a lie . He manipulates theological discourse: he speaks of “knowledge,” of “becoming like God,” as if it were all part of the divine plan. It is the ancient trick of semantic manipulation : using real words, but with distorted meanings , to justify rebellion. And this still happens today.
Many heresies and anti-Christian ideologies disguise themselves with evangelical terms : love, justice, mercy, acceptance. But behind them lies a reversed meaning , in which sin is excused, holiness is shunned, and the Gospel is watered down. Even the name of Jesus is used to support doctrines he would never have approved . It is religious language devoid of the power of God , useful only to seduce consciences and blind them to the truth.
5. Discredit the seriousness of divine judgment
“You will not surely die…” (verse 4). The most dangerous lie is the one that denies the consequences of sin . Satan confidently claims that there will be no death, directly contradicting the Word of God. In doing so, he strips divine law of its force , and presents God as someone who threatens but does not act. This same deception is widespread today: it is claimed that God does not judge, that hell is a myth, that guilt is a psychological construct.
Contemporary culture has numbed the fear of the Lord. Even many Christians speak only of grace, but no longer of justice ; of forgiveness, but no longer of repentance. But a Gospel that fails to warn of judgment is not faithful to the truth . Satan knows that by denying the consequences, he makes sin more accessible , more tolerable, more normal. And those who believe this delude themselves into thinking they are free, while they are heading toward ruin.
6. Feeding suspicion towards God
“God knows that… and you will be like God…” (verse 5). Here the serpent insinuates that God wants to withhold something good , that He is jealous of human freedom and power. It is a blow to trust. Satan doesn't just say that God has forbidden the fruit: he says that God did it for self-interest, to limit man . This is the poison of suspicion, which transforms God from a good Father into an envious tyrant.
It is the suspicion we see in many contemporary forms of "alternative" spirituality and even in certain attacks on traditional Christianity: the idea that God does not want our good , that His laws are oppressive, that freedom consists in freeing oneself from Him. But if God is suspected, He is no longer loved or obeyed . Satan wants precisely this: to distort the image of God , and lead creatures to believe that they are better off without Him .
7. Exploiting human complicity
“The woman… ate it, and gave some to her husband also” (verse 6). Temptation culminates in the complicity between human beings . Eve no longer acts merely as the tempted one, but becomes the temptress . Satan now has an ally in his hands. It is a tragic but real dynamic: sin spreads more easily when it is shared, justified, and normalized by others . Instead of correcting one another, human beings often drag each other into evil .
Today, social pressure is one of the main means by which sin spreads: no one wants to be "different ," "moralist," or "bigoted." Thus, evil is collectively approved, and individual conscience is extinguished . Satan has no need to appear when there are already so many willing collaborators . But the Christian faith calls for personal and communal resistance , which rejects complicity in evil, even at the cost of unpopularity.
Conclusion
We began today by considering the psychological warfare operations that the world's powerful use both against their adversaries and to influence public opinion in the countries they dominate. We must become aware of this and resist it. Even more important, however, is our awareness of and resistance to the constant wiles of the spiritual forces of evil that wage war against the true and living God and His people. As the Apostle says, "Lest Satan should outwit us; for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11). "Machinations" here translates into Greek: νοήματα – thoughts, intentions, plots. This is not "conspiracy theory," but reality!
This is why the ancient story of the fall is not a myth of the past, but a window into the present . The wiles of the tempter described in Genesis 3—doubt about God's Word, moral confusion, manipulation of sacred language, suspicion of divine character, and human complicity in sin— are still at work today , though they appear in new and more sophisticated forms. Satan has not changed his strategy, because he works with the naive and unwary.
In these confusing times, a critical spirit is a necessity , but it must be directed in the right direction . Not to question the truths revealed by God in his Word, but to unmask the lies disguised as truth , the seductive discourses of the world, the ideologies that distort good and normalize evil . It is not blind faith, but lucid spiritual discernment . For this reason, it is urgent that our children and grandchildren also be educated in this form of vigilance , learning to recognize the cultural voices that want to seduce them and to compare them with what God has revealed. It is not enough to protect them: we must form them, educate them. Only in this way will they grow as free people, not susceptible to manipulation, rooted in the truth that saves.
May the Lord give us, today more than ever, eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts steadfast in his Word , because, as the apostle John writes, “the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).
Final Prayer
Lord our God, Father of truth and light, we thank you for your Word that instructs, admonishes, and protects us. You are the faithful God who did not abandon humanity to the deception of sin, but sent your Son to free us from lies and reconcile us with you. Grant us discernment, Lord, to recognize the wiles of the tempter who even today sows doubt, disguises evil as good, and seeks to distance us from your will. Keep our hearts firm in your truth, and open our eyes to see what the world tries to hide. Help us to educate our children and grandchildren with love and firmness, so that they may grow in the knowledge of your Word and learn to resist the seductions of the culture of sin. May our homes be places of truth, light, and fidelity to your name. Keep us, O Lord, in your grace, and grant that, strengthened by your promise, we may walk in the light every day, until the day when every lie will be exposed and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
(Paolo Castellina, July 10, 2025)
Notes
[1] https://www.tempodiriforma.it/mw/index.php?title=Teopedia/Guerra_cognitiva
[2] Literature/Sacred Marrow Theology/11 The apostasy or fall of man
[3] The third trick is ambiguity about the meaning of the commandment. The devil does not say that God is wrong, but that perhaps we have not explained ourselves well. And today? People say: "That passage of Scripture must be read in a historical key"; "That rule was for another time", "What counts is the principle, not the letter". It is a way to neutralize God's authority under the pretext of interpretation.