Influence is the ability to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. If you’ve ever played with magnets, you know how this works. If you bring a magnet close to ferrous metals, those metals will move wherever the magnet influences them to move. They are attracted to the magnets.Satan and his demons are highly interested in the power to influence you. Just like a magnet, they want to effect your character, your development, or your behavior. They want you to be attracted to them, and to those things which they can use to corrupt you, and drive you away from God. Consider these three ways in which demons try to corrupt you.
1) They use the world against you: When Adam and Eve became corrupted and fell because of their sin in chapter 3 of Genesis, they (and we) became part and parcel of a world now ruled by sin. Because of this, men are attracted to the world instead of to God (John 3:19). Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and he will use this world to keep us from the will of God. He and his demons will use entertainment, money, music, images, pleasures, relationships, and everything that your fallen flesh desires to lure you from the light (James 1:14). Sometimes this is very subtle — like putting what appear to be harmless distractions in front of you. For instance, you can’t stop looking at your smartphone, so you don’t read your bible. Or you watch the football game instead playing football with your child. Others are not so subtle, but often very difficult to resist, like lust, pride, greed, or envy.
2)They will get a foothold in your life through sin: In Ephesians 4:25-28, Paul names several sinful behaviors. They range from lying, to stealing, to being angry with someone without resolution before the end of the day. All of these, Paul says, give the devil a foothold. Meaning that he gets his foot between the edge of your door and the jamb of the doorway making it very difficult to close. When you sin, it desensitizes you to the devil’s efforts. And when you don’t forgive or resolve an anger issue, it gives the devil a playground of bitterness in your life.
3)They will get you to depend on them instead of God: Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in the lord and not our own understanding. And Proverbs 14:12 warns that there is a way that seems right to a person, but instead leads to death. Satan and his demons will trick you with a way that seems right to you if you lean on your own understanding, the understanding of other men, or to the persuasive voices of demons instead of to what God has already said. Just ask Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-6).
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