SATAN'S STRATAGEM

 

By A. W. Tozer

 

 

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables.

                                                         - 2 Peter 1:16

 

  It is amazing that Satan's wiliest stratagem against

Christian believers is to use our virtues against us!

Perhaps it is more amazing that he often does this with

great success.

 

  By means of temptation to sin he strikes at our personal

lives; by working through our virtues he gets at the whole

community of believers and unfits it for its own defense.

 

  To capture a city an enemy must first weaken or destroy

its resistance. The Church will never fall as long as she

resists. This the devil knows; consequently he uses any

stratagem to neutralize her resistance.

 

  Satan first creates a maudlin, inaccurate concept of

Christ as soft, smiling and tolerant. He reminds us that

when Christ, as a lamb brought to slaughter, opened not

His mouth-and suggests that we do likewise. Then if we

notice his foot in the door and rise to oppose him, he

appeals to our desire to be Christlike. "Love everybody

and all will be well," he urges.

 

  The shepherd, taken in by this sweet talk, is afraid to

use his club, and the wolf gets the sheep! 

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Yours in Christ,

Paul N. F.