Spiritual Warfare

"The devil always sends errors into the world in pairs of opposites... He relies on your dislike of one to draw you into the opposite one." - C.S. Lewis

In context C.S. Lewis was talking about Individualism and Totalitarianism, but it can applied this way too (though many of C.S. Lewis's quotes are taken out of context, especially on social media).

The Devil's greatest trick is to convince the world he does not exist (Charles Baudelaire). Think about it. If Satan were to appear in public, say Times Square in a Loki-esque fashion, and announce to the world that he is evil and everyone should worship him, that would be the fastest way to send people to Heaven. Honestly it would be faster than if Jesus were to (re)appear (prior to the 2nd coming revealed in all His glory, Philippians 2, Revelations 1:7), because we see in the Bible how that turned out, miracles and all. That is why he and other demons do not make their presence known (though it is a possibility they still directly afflict people in cultures where the supernatural is more widely accepted, read Christian history).

The Devil uses pain and pleasure to lead us away from the Gospel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA3HDlM-FcY (12:55 mark)

In places explicitly hostile to the Gospel, the Devil uses pain to deter seekers into not trusting in Jesus. Think about it. In those places when you believe, you can no longer get a job. You can no longer get married. You are disowned by your family. You are ostracized in the community. You are persecuted to the point of death by the government and religious extremists. So the physical risk is higher. The lost of lifelong dreams is greater (who doesn't want to get married right?).

But God teaches through pain also. Through our deepest pain we learn how to call upon God and rely on Him. Contrary to the popular saying "God helps those who helps themselves" (which is actually found in the Quran), the reality is that God helps those who realize they cannot help themselves. We can find God through suffering.

Historically the Devil has used what we would think as the most blissful situations in his favor. In the early church, when the Roman Empire persecuted Christians reverently, the global church actually exploded in number under this pressure. But when the Romans finally adopted Christianity and made it their official religion, you see a huge stagnancy within the Church that lasted quite a while. Why did this happen? Because when you are persecuted, the testing of your faith will prove it to be genuine, and the world will see (1 Peter 1:7,2:12).

"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth of falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn't you then first discover how much you really trusted it?” - C.S. Lewis

Now in modern times, you also see this stagnancy arising in places where Christianity is the predominant religion. You see Christians indulging in worldly ways and convince themselves they are blessed because they are not suffering. You see Christians setting up idols for themselves and not calling them idols. The nations considered most "strongly Christian," such as South Korea and the United States, are counted as countries heavily steeped in materialism, physicalism, and idolatry of prosperity. (There is still persecution in these nations, just of a difference sense. Also not bashing on these countries. They are the forerunners in mission and faith, and that is something to be praised.)

"Prosperity knits a man to the world. He feels that he is finding his place in it, while really it is finding its place in him" - C.S. Lewis

Here we see how the Devil uses pleasure to lead us away from God. Not saying God doesn't use pleasure and prosperity to bless us. He does (see Job 42, the life of Abraham or Joseph). But these forefathers did not seek pleasure and idols. They sought only God and walked by faith (Hebrews 11, James 5:11, Galatians 3:9, Stephen's speech). We just need to Abide in Him (John 15:4-5).

Satan's stronghold in the East may be built upon pain, but his plan in the West is to wreck our lives through pleasure and comfort. We forget that God has given Satan dominion over the world (1 John 5:19, Matt 4:8, Ephesians 2:2, John 12:31). Note that the world doesn't include believers (Colossians 1:13, John 17:14, John 15:19).

"I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity." - C.S. Lewis
“And all the time the joke is that the word 'Mine' in its fully possessive sense cannot be uttered by a human being about anything. In the long run either Our Father or the Enemy will say 'Mine' of each thing that exists, and specially of each man. They will find out in the end, never fear, to whom their time, their souls, and their bodies really belong-certainly not to them, whatever happens.” - C.S. Lewis

Both God and the Devil are engaged in a tug of war for our hearts. God uses both pain and pleasure to challenge and cultivate us, but we must not allow the Devil to manipulate these and convincing us to blame or forget God. 

"Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world." - C.S. Lewis

From VS:

If you dwell in Him, you will become like Him.
Do not suffer for your sin.
Do not suffer to hear God, to love Him, or to become like Him.
We say we do it out of Love, but do we even have Love?
That is why we just obey and believe in Jesus. Everything else will come naturally.

Trust and obey, there is no other way. - John H. Sammis