The Great
Controversy - Chapter XXXII-Snares of
Satan
The great
controversy between Christ and Satan, that has been carried forward for nearly
six thousand years, is soon to close; and the wicked one redoubles his efforts
to defeat the work of Christ in man’s behalf, and to fasten souls in his
snares. To hold the people in darkness and impenitence till the Saviour’s
mediation is ended, and there is no longer a sacrifice for sin, is the object
which he seeks to accomplish.
When there is no
special effort made to resist his power,
when indifference prevails in the church and the world, Satan is not concerned;
for he is in no danger of losing those whom he is leading captive at his will.
But when the attention is called to eternal things, and souls are inquiring,
“What must I do to be saved?” he is on the ground, seeking to match his power
against the power of Christ, and to counter act the influence of the Holy
Spirit.
The Scriptures
declare that upon one occasion, when the angels of God came to present
themselves before the Lord, Satan came also among them, [Job 1:6.] not to bow
before the Eternal King, but to further his own malicious designs against the
righteous. With the same object he is in attendance when men assemble for the
worship of God. Though hidden from sight, he is working with all diligence to
control the minds of the worshipers. Like a skillful general, he lays his plans
beforehand. As he sees the messenger of God searching the Scriptures, he takes
note of the subject to be presented to the people. Then he employs all his
cunning and shrewdness to so control circumstances that the message may not
reach those whom he is deceiving on that
very point.
The one who most
needs the warning will be urged into some business transaction which requires
his presence, or will by some other means be prevented from hearing the words
that might prove to him a savor of life unto life. Again, Satan sees the Lord’s
servants burdened because of the spiritual darkness that enshrouds the people.
He hears their earnest prayers for divine grace and power to break the spell of
indifference, carelessness, and indolence. Then with renewed zeal he plies his
arts. He tempts men to the indulgence of appetite or to some other form of
self-gratification, and thus benumbs their sensibilities, so that they fail to
hear the very things which they most need to learn.
Satan well knows
that all whom he can lead to neglect prayer and the searching of the Scriptures
will be overcome by his attacks. Therefore he invents every possible device to
engross the mind. There has ever been a class professing godliness, who, instead
of following on to know the truth, make it their religion to seek some fault of
character or error of faith in those with whom they do not agree. Such are
Satan’s right-hand helpers. Accusers of the brethren are not few; and they are
always active when God is at work, and his servants are rendering him true
homage. They will put a false coloring upon the words and acts of those who
love and obey the truth. They will represent the most earnest, zealous,
self-denying servants of Christ as deceived or deceivers. It is their work to
misrepresent the motives of every true and noble deed, to circulate
insinuations, and arouse suspicion in the minds of the inexperienced. In every
conceivable manner they will seek to cause that which is pure and righteous to
be regarded as foul and deceptive. But none need be deceived concerning them.
It may be readily seen whose children they are, whose example they follow, and
whose work they do. “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” [Matthew 7:16.]
Their course
resembles that of Satan, the envenomed slanderer, “the accuser of our
brethren.” [Revelation 12:10.] The great deceiver has many agents ready to
present any and every kind of error to ensnare souls,—heresies prepared to suit
the varied tastes and capacities of those whom he would ruin. It is his plan to
bring into the church insincere, unregenerate elements that will encourage
doubt and unbelief, and hinder all who desire to see the work of God advance,
and to advance with it. Many who have no real faith in God or in his Word,
assent to some principles of truth, and pass as Christians; and thus they are
enabled to introduce their errors as scriptural doctrines. The position that it
is of no consequence what men believe, is one of Satan’s most successful
deceptions. He knows that the truth, received in the love of it, sanctifies the
soul of the receiver; therefore he is constantly seeking to substitute false
theories, fables, another gospel.
From the beginning,
the servants of God have contended against false teachers, not merely as
vicious men, but as inculcators of falsehoods that were fatal to the soul.
Elijah, Jeremiah, Paul, firmly and fearlessly opposed those who were turning men
from the Word of God. That liberality which regards a correct religious faith
as unimportant, found no favor with these holy defenders of the truth. The
vague and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, and the many conflicting
theories concerning religious faith, that are found in the Christian world, are
the work of our great adversary to so confuse minds that they shall not discern
the truth.
And the discord and
division which exist among the churches of Christendom are in a great measure
due to the prevailing custom of wresting the Scriptures to support a favorite
theory. Instead of carefully studying God’s Word with humility of heart to obtain
a knowledge of his will, many seek only to discover something odd or original.
In order to sustain erroneous doctrines or unchristian
practices, some will
seize upon passages of Scripture separated from the context, perhaps quoting
half of a single verse as proving their point, when the remaining portion would
show the meaning to be quite the opposite.
With the cunning of
the serpent, they entrench themselves behind disconnected utterances construed
to suit their carnal desires. Thus do many willfully pervert the Word of God.
Others, who have an active imagination, seize upon the figures and symbols of Holy
Writ, interpret to suit their fancy, with little regard to the testimony of
Scripture as its own interpreter, and then they present their vagaries as the
teachings of the Bible.
Whenever the study
of the Scriptures is entered upon without a prayerful, humble, teachable
spirit, the plainest and simplest as well as the most difficult passages will be
wrested from their true meaning. The papal leaders select such portions of
Scripture as best serve their purpose, interpret to suit themselves, and then
present these to the people, while they deny them the privilege of studying the
Bible, and understanding its sacred truths for themselves. The whole Bible
should be given to the people just as it reads. It would be better for them not
to have Bible instruction at all than to have the teaching of the Scriptures
thus grossly misrepresented. The Bible was designed to be a guide to all who
wish to become acquainted with the will of their Maker. God gave to men the
sure word of prophecy; angels and even Christ himself came to make known to
Daniel and John the things that must shortly come to pass.
Those important
matters that concern our salvation were not left involved in mystery. They were
not revealed in such a way as to perplex and mislead the honest seeker after
truth.
Said the Lord by the
prophet Habakkuk, “Write the vision , and make it plain, ... that he may run
that readeth it.” [Habakkuk 2:2.] The Word of God is plain to all who study it
with a prayerful heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth.
“Light is sown for the righteous.” [Psalm 97:11.] And no church can advance in
holiness unless its members are earnestly seeking for truth as for hid
treasure.
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