SATAN works in devious ways to ensnare and trap us. His deceptions are varied and they are numerous. His first delusion after his banishment from heaven centered upon the question of whether a man who sinned would really die. When Satan said to Eve, "Ye shall not surely die," he was really saying that God doesn't mean this. Use your own reasoning power. Why would God create man and then turn around and destroy him? Satan has been using this method ever since—to get man to substitute his own reasoning for the clear word of God.
We see it in many areas. Christendom at large takes the reason-it-out-for-yourself approach as far as baptism is concerned. Baptism by immersion is inconvenient, not practical, meaningless—and a substitution becomes the generally accepted procedure. The Sabbath requirement is met by human reasoning—any day in seven, a holiday rather than a holy day, a celebration rather than an acknowledgment, a memorial of the resurrection rather than a memorial of Creation. In our own church human reasoning is applied to the tithing plan, which is God-given and a basic tenet of the faith. One begins to reason that the tithe can be used for this and that, that there is a better way than the procedure followed for a century, one which has enabled us to expand our activities into a unified and worldwide endeavor. Notice this striking statement by Ellen G. White:
God wants all His stewards to be exact in following divine arrangements. They are not to offset the Lord's plans with some deed of charity, some gift, or some offering, done or given when and how they, the human agents, shall see fit. God has made His plan known, and all who cooperate with Him will carry out His plan instead of daring to attempt to improve on it by their own arrangements. . . . It is a very poor policy for men to seek to improve on God's plan and invent a makeshift, averaging up their good impulses in this and that instance and offsetting them against all that is required by God. —That I May Know Him, p. 221.
We could go on and on and refer to Creation, salvation by faith or by works, the miracles performed by the Master, and see how human reasoning has defiled these truths.
Human Reasoning Satan's Method
A writer in a recent issue of Christianity Today tells of his years spent in a church-related college. He transferred from a State college to a church-related one because of a desire to study the Bible and liberal arts in a Christian atmosphere. After completing his college work he continued in a seminary. He tells how recorded Bible events were discarded, how basic Christian dogma was diluted, and how even such essential truths as the crucifixion and the resurrection were undermined. When he left the seminary he did not believe in the Bible, he did not believe that the blood of Jesus cleansed from sin, he did not believe that the church is a divine institution—in fact, lie did not believe in anything that could not be supported by human reasoning.
"Don't believe anything that can't be supported by human reasoning." This is Satan's method and the number one weapon in his arsenal.
We see a classic example of this in Cain's life when a spirit of resentment and rebellion prompted him to meet the claims of God in a manner of his own choosing rather than to follow the ordained plan of God. We see much of this reasoning today and, unfortunately, some of it finds its way into the church.
No Flood—Flood!
We also see this reasoning in the record of the tower builders. People who before the flood used their own reasoning to prove there could never be a flood used the same kind of reasoning after the deluge to prove there would be another.
The world today is full of people who build on their own theories, who say in their hearts, "God doesn't really mean this or that," who make of noneffect the requirements of God, who depend on human reason. These people have been deceived by Satan. Satan's deceptions follow many routes.
He is making the world believe that the Bible is uninspired, no better than a storybook, while he holds out something to take its place; namely, spiritual manifestations!—Early Writings, p. 91.
When a high church official in the Episcopal Church denies the Virgin birth, when a high official in the Baptist Church says that the first chapters of Genesis are not essential to the Christian faith, when others explain the miracle-working power of Christ in human terms, and on and on, the inspired Word of God is reduced to the level of a storybook.
I was shown that by the rapping and mesmerism these modern magicians would yet account for all the miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ, and that many would believe that all the mighty works of the Son of God when on earth were accomplished by this same power.—Ibid., p. 59.
And again:
The Scriptures declare that upon one occasion, when the angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan came also among them . . . 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. —The Great Controversy, p. 518.
He and his helpers make it their work "to misrepresent the motives of every true and noble deed."—Ibid., p. 519. How easily and how often we get caught in this trap.
He presents
heresies prepared to suit the varied tastes and capacities of those whom he would ruin. .. . The position that it is of no consequence what men believe is one of Satan's most successful deceptions.—Ibid., p. 520.
It is a masterpiece of Satan's deceptions to keep the minds of men searching and conjecturing in regard to that which God has not made known, and which He does not intend that we shall understand. —Ibid., p. 523.
And we could go on and on. Sometimes these things creep into the church, and they show up in such ways as questioning the movement, the organization, the leadership, the Spirit of Prophecy, the commission of the church, and the standards of the church.
The "Very Elect" Next on the List
Just before the end of time Satan will make a determined effort to deceive everyone. He has already deceived a large number, but he is still concerned about this group of fundamental Christians referred to by the prophet John as the remnant—these people who are looking for the return of Christ and who are planning to dwell with Him.
Up to this time Satan has been only partially successful, and now he puts forth such a determined effort that Christ Himself says, "If it were possible, . . . [he] shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24).
The implication is that these signs could be almost, but not entirely, convincing to the "very elect"—the "picked out" or "chosen" ones. This group has followed the counsel of John and anointed their eyes with eyesalve and are, therefore, able to distinguish between the true and the false.
The form of the sentence in the Greek implies that it is actually impossible for Satan to deceive those who love and serve God with sincerity. . . . A genuine love for the truth and diligence in obeying all the instructions God has given for these last days will prove to be the only protection against the delusions of the enemy, the seducing spirits, and the doctrines of devils.—The SDA Bible Commentary, on Matt. 24:24.
We must be continually on the alert, well grounded in the truth, and fully acquainted with the Scriptures. "Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept His Father's commandments, and there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble."—The Great Controversy, p. 623.
