Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

II Thessalonians 3:1-3 NKJV

There are crooks, charlatans, cheats, thieves, abusers, fraudsters, who take advantage of others’ kindness, trust and generosity. They have mastered the art of taking advantage of others. They have trained and programmed their minds to lie, cheat and take advantage of others. Their existence suggests the suffering of others. Since we cannot exterminate them nor stop them from living out their behavior, how then do we prevent ourselves from being victims of such characters?

Prayer: the first line of defense is prayer. Jesus prayed for us, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15 NKJV). We’re all headed to heaven, most certainly, but we’re going to live on this earth in the meantime in order to accomplish God’s intent and thus, we must pray so we do not fall victims to the evil ones. “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13 NKJV).

Be cautious: “Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 AMP). If you’re a believer on a mission to live a life that honors God, you can be sure that the devil is on your tail. And so, if you must survive the onslaught of the enemy, you must be like a vigilant watchman, alert and cautious at all times. Even Jesus, with all his spiritual muscles applied caution and alertness when the religious leaders sort to kill him when it wasn’t yet his time to die. “And rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way” (Luke 4:29-30 NKJV).

Other but equally important things that will help prevent you from being victims of the evil one are as follows, although summarized. Be led by the Spirit of God, don’t live life in the flesh like the natural man. Lucky for you, God has already adopted you and you now bear the seal of the Holy Spirit. Don’t waste the privilege of your new parentage. Yield to the Spirit of God to lead you in all you do and you can be sure He’ll lead you out of evil’s way.

Walk in wisdom, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,” (Ephesians 5:15 NKJV). Rely on the supernatural intervention. Stop trying to figure everything out by yourself and with your human strength. The supernatural power of God is available to help you in and with all things, so learn to rely on this. It can’t hurt, if anything, it can only help.

Like it or not, the evil one and his minions exist. You can’t bury your head in the sand and expect them not to come at you. What you need to do is fortify yourself and the tools above are what will help you.