With vivid imagery, the apostle John described the war in heaven that transpired during our pre-mortal existence:

"Michael [Adam] and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

"And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:7:9.)

From the revelation given to Moses, we learn of the ideological nature of that war. (See Moses 3:1-4.)

We learn also from the above-cited passages that the war begun in heaven has not ended yet; rather the battlefield has shifted to this mortal sphere. Wrote John: "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Revelation 12:12.) Also, the devil makes war with those who "keep the the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 12:17.)

Military strategists understand that a fundamental principle of warfare is to know one's adversary. That is no less true in the conflict being waged for the eternal souls of mankind by Satan and his minions. From the teachings of God's servants through the ages, we can learn something of the strategies employed by the devil and be thus fortified.

Above all, we need to understand that the devil is a liar. Moroni taught, in fact, that he is "the father of all lies" and that by means of his lies, he has "caused man to commit murder from the beginning," that by hardening the hearts of men, he causes them to persecute and murder the prophets. (See Ether 8:25.)

Stemming from the understanding that the devil is an enemy of truth, some corollaries may be drawn regarding his tactics:

He opposes truth overtly with falsehood. Moroni warned that Satan's manner is to persuade "men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him and serve not God," that he "persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him." (Moroni 7:17.)

He seeks to blunt the effect of truth. To accomplish this, he might blend truth with falsehood so as to blur the distinction. He may distort, mischaracterize or caricature truth to make it seem outlandish or ridiculous. Zeezrom, the anti-Christ, employed this sort of sophistry in contending against Amulek. (See Alma 11:35-36.) Or he might sever truth from its proper background and doctrinal context, thus choking hearers with meat before they have had a chance to receive milk. (See 1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12-14; Doctrine and Covenants 19:22.)

He makes good seem evil and evil seem good. In his prophecies, Isaiah denounced "them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (2 Nephi 15:20.) In thus opposing God, Satan occasionally sets up false dichotomies between principles of righteousness and popular or cherished values. For example, those who teach against immorality and pornography might be falsely depicted as opposing choice or free speech.

He convinces people that he does not exist. Nephi warned that Satan "telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none — and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance." (2 Nephi 28:22.) What better way for Satan to lure victims into fatal complacency? Yet many today consider belief that the devil is an actual being to be a relic of dark-ages thinking. Some use such a belief as a rationale for discrediting the restored gospel.

Ultimately, of course, Satan will fail. Good will triumph over evil. That will come about through the instrumentality of followers of righteousness. The growth of God's kingdom in these latter days preceding the Second Coming of Christ is commensurate with the efforts of those who would follow Christ. Every act of godly service or devotion, every truth taught, every effort to obey the commandments of God, every evil impulse resisted, every diligent exertion to fulfill our callings in the Church, each endeavor to share the gospel or to patiently correct misconceptions regarding its doctrine serves to thwart the devil and advance the cause of righteousness. "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:4.)