Satan is not random in his attacks. He studies the people of God. The old preachers used to say that the devil has a file on every believer. That picture is helpful. He pays attention to your habits, your temperament, your history, your relationships, your health, your finances, and your spiritual condition. He watches when you rise and when you fall. He notices what makes you discouraged and what makes you proud.

This is not paranoia. The Bible presents Satan as an active observer. In Job 1:7, Satan answered the Lord, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." He was watching. In Job 2, he returned and made another accusation based on what he had seen. Peter said the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour 1 Peter 5:8. The word "seeking" implies observation and selection. Jesus told Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" Luke 22:31-32. Satan had studied Peter. He knew Peter's weakness was self-confidence.

The good news is that Satan's study is limited. He is not omniscient. He is a creature. He can only know what he observes or what he infers. More importantly, God's knowledge of you is greater than Satan's, and God's purpose for you will prevail.

One of the first things Satan notices is your infirmities. The word includes physical weakness, emotional wounds, mental struggles, and any area of brokenness. Paul wrote about a "thorn in the flesh," which he called "the messenger of Satan" 2 Corinthians 12:7. This affliction was allowed by God for a purpose, but it was also an area where Satan could buffet Paul.

Your infirmity may be a chronic condition, a past trauma, a family wound, a tendency toward anxiety, or a besetting sin. Satan will try to use it to make you doubt God's love, to isolate you, or to drive you to false comfort. The person with a history of depression may be attacked with despair. The person with a physical limitation may be attacked with self-pity.

The answer is not denial of the infirmity but reliance on grace. Paul prayed three times for the thorn to be removed, and God answered, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:9. Satan studies your weakness so he can exploit it. God allows your weakness so He can display His strength.

Satan also watches your emotional state. He knows when you are elated, depressed, lonely, angry, bored, or anxious. Each mood presents a different temptation. When you are elated, he tempts you to pride. When you are depressed, he tempts you to despair. When you are lonely, he tempts you to false intimacy. When you are angry, he tempts you to retaliation. When you are bored, he temptes you to stimulation.

The life of David shows this pattern. When David was at rest in his palace, he fell into adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11). When he was fleeing from Absalom, he was attacked with despair. When he was victorious, he sometimes became proud. Satan knew David's moods and tailored his temptations accordingly.

The believer who understands this will guard his emotional life. He will not make major decisions in a mood. He will learn to bring every feeling to God and let truth interpret it. Psalm 42 shows the model: the psalmist talked to his own soul and directed it to hope in God.

Satan studies your position in life. Your job, your influence, your family role, your finances, your reputation, and your responsibilities all present openings. The person with money is tempted to trust it. The person with authority is tempted to abuse it. The person with a platform is tempted to love praise. The person with a hidden life is tempted to think no one sees.

The temptations of Jesus in the wilderness were related to His position as the Messiah. Satan offered Him bread because He was hungry, spectacle because He had divine power, and kingdoms because He was the rightful King. The attacks were tailored to who Jesus was.

Your position is not the problem. It is the battlefield. God has placed you where you are for His purposes. Satan wants to use that placement to corrupt you or stop you. The believer must steward position with humility and accountability.

Satan studies what you love. Your affections are the deepest part of your motivation. He knows what you desire, what you fear losing, and what you will protect at any cost. This is why 1 John 2:15 warns, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

Your affections may include family, success, comfort, recognition, knowledge, beauty, or ministry. None of these are evil in themselves. But when any affection becomes greater than your affection for God, it becomes an idol. Satan will pressure that idol because he knows it controls you.

The antidote is to keep your first love alive. Jesus told the church at Ephesus that they had left their first love and must return to their first works Revelation 2:4-5. When Christ is your supreme affection, Satan cannot hold you hostage with lesser loves.