The enemy is guided by Satan, who is and always has been subservient to God our Father.
As the enemy chose to be connected to darkness through Satan, their "golden" strings dictate their every move, and so they can't even see that they're being guided straight off a cliff. Or if they can see it, they can't stop it.
They really do follow all the commands of their Slave Master. The story that they would receive both material riches int his world and at the same time be freed in some way through their allegiance to darkness was a great lie sung by Father of Lies.
They've become helpless puppets and so [they] will do all that their Dark Father commands. Without turning back to God, they really have to choice. That they would eventually be able to say that "there are no strings on me" was a big, fat con. True freedom is to be found only through the Light of the loving God. Because this world as we knew it is fading away, and something glorious is coming.