Both Allah and his Rasul, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, have provided repeated warnings about Shaitan's countless machinations.

Allah tells us in the Qur'an that Shaitan is an open and declared enemy: 'Aduwwun Mubeen.

In Surah al-Baqarah Allah tells us to keep a single-minded focus on our chosen path -- the path of Working for Allah. Because that is why Allah created us in the first place: to work for him.

And then, in the same Aayat Karimah, Allah warns us clearly not to succumb to Shaitan's many tricks and machinations (2:208):

Wa Laa Tattabi'oo Khutuwatish Shaitan.
Innahu Lakum 'Aduwwun Mubeen.

Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, tells us Shaitan is running through our veins like our own blood.

Now, you take your pick how you want to deal with him, Shaitan I mean, and his vast supply of deceits and lies and false "steps," as the Qur'an calls them: Khutuwaatish Shaitan.

The thing to realize is that Shaitan has a virtually limitless arsenal of tricks up his sleeve. And he seems to inpidualize and personalize his approach to people depending on who will fall for what.

Evidently, those whom he cannot directly and openly mislead, and put on the wrong path, he allures with lesser evils. 

And some he distracts with alternatives that seem fairly benign or harmless or even "good" on face value.

END