in
whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might
not
see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4
Satan’s Cunning Acts
Satan, a master of
deception, has “blinded the minds of the unbelievers” for thousands of years
now. (2 Corinthians 4:4) He has also been relentless in his efforts to
corrupt the thinking of God’s worshippers. Why? Satan understands that how we
think affects the way we act. He knows that if he can distort our thinking, he
can influence our actions for bad.—James
Remember Satan’s
method of misleading Eve. The apostle Paul wrote: “I am afraid that somehow, as
the serpent seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might be corrupted away from . . . the Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)
Working through a cautious serpent, Satan seduced Eve into following a
disastrous course. He sought to corrupt her mind, to warp her thinking. The
tactic worked. Because she listened, her viewpoint changed, and what was
unlawful became desirable. Once her mind was corrupted, she was easily drawn
into a sinful act.—Genesis 3:1-6; Revelation 12:9.
Satan has not
changed. His basic tenet remains the same: Corrupt the mind, and sinful actions
will follow. Satan has this system’s politics, religion, commerce, and
entertainment set up to spread his propaganda. (John 14:30) He has succeeded in
distorting the thinking of the vast majority of mankind, changing their
attitudes and viewpoints. Conduct that was once viewed as sinful—such as
practicing homosexuality, living together without marriage, and bearing
children out of wedlock—is often viewed as acceptable, even desirable. How
effective has Satan been in seducing humans? The Bible says: “The whole world
is lying in the power of the wicked one.”—1 John 5:19.
As Christians, we
are by no means immune to Satan’s methods. (1 Corinthians 10:12) Knowing
that his time is short, Satan has “great anger” and is especially intent on
misleading God’s people. (Revelation 12:12) If we are not
careful, the subtle propaganda of Satan and the many “deceivers of the mind”
that he uses can corrupt our thinking and seduce us into sin.—Titus
For example,
consider the world’s view of marriage. The Bible teaches that marriage is
sacred, involving a lasting commitment. (Matthew 19:5, 6, 9) This world’s
movies and television programs often portray marriage as a casual agreement
that can easily be abandoned. As Christians, we need to beware that this
satanic propaganda does not corrupt our thinking. Left unchecked, this
influence could distort our viewpoint, weakening our commitment to our mate.
Faced with marital problems, we might be tempted to look outside the marriage
for understanding and support. Soon another person—perhaps a coworker or a
fellow believer—might seem to offer emotional closeness. If we allow a romantic
attachment to form, we may find ourselves drawn into a sinful act.
As another example,
consider the spirit of independence that permeates Satan’s world. Many are
“headstrong, puffed up with pride.” (2 Timothy 3:4) If such a spirit were
to corrupt our thinking, our view of submission and obedience might become
distorted. Infected by this spirit, a brother might chafe at counsel from the
elders. (Hebrews 12:5) A sister might begin to question God’s arrangement of
headship.—1 Corinthians 11:3.
We can be thankful
that Jehovah warns us about Satan’s methods. (2 Corinthians 2:11) Let us
be determined never to allow satanic propaganda to make inroads into our
thinking. To remain in God’s love, we need to keep our “minds fixed on the
things above.”—Colossians 3:2.
[Box on page 194]
IS IT REALLY SPIRITISM?
Principle:
“The works of the flesh are manifest, and they are . . .
practice of spiritism, . . . divisions,
sects . . . Those who practice such things will not inherit God’s
kingdom.”—Galatians 5:19-21.
Some questions to ask yourself
▪ Is any custom that I follow associated with false religious
beliefs?—2 Corinthians
▪ Are
any objects that I use directly related to spiritistic
practices?—Acts
▪ Does
any medical treatment I seek involve some form of uncanny or magical
power?—Leviticus
[Picture on page 184]
Every time someone dedicates himself to Jehovah and is
baptized, Satan is proved wrong
[Picture on page 191]
Benefit from Jehovah’s support in times of illness