Perhaps it may turn out a sang,
Perhaps turn out a sermon.

-- R. Burns Epistle to a Young Friend

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Traps and Snares



And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  -- 2 Corinthians 11:14


If we saw the devil for what he is, or if he told us the whole truth of what he is doing, we would reject him without a thought. 

The lies that entrap us always have a false front of truth and beauty.  Even those of us who have fallen prey to the deceiver are not immune.  The old lines and the old lies have a certain comfort and reassurance.  We manage to convince ourselves that it will be different this time.  MacDonald depicts it well by way of his “Maid of the Alder “ in Phantastes.  Even after the protagonist had seen the hollow, empty ugliness within, he still acknowledged the beauty of her face when she turned toward him. 

Despite being an old cynic and knowing that there is a valid reason for something sounding too good to be true, my heart may still jump just a little when I hear the pitch or glimpse the lure.  I’ve gotten off that hook before with just a sore jaw.  I mean, if there really is a hook this time.  It could be what it seems to be. 

Paul, of course, was talking about false brethren and religious error.  The flock would flee the predator if they saw him as a wolf.  Red Riding Hood would not have conversed long with the fiend who had devoured her grandmother if she had seen through his guise.  If Elmer Gantry confessed that he was just in the game for the money who would listen to his hypocritical sermons?  There are always some, who, even after their noses have been buried in the gross reality, will defend the devil.  I have seen it in person.  

Bob Tilton was still making a living the last I heard.  Jim Bakker is prospering and in health not far down the road from me.  Barack Obama’s approval rating is right around forty percent.  There are still people who think that government is the solution rather than the problem and that we have a free market economy.  And so on. 

We always have to be on guard.  Watch and pray.  We have to understand that the wolf always hides behind a sheepskin.  Sometimes he hangs it on his wall.  The trap is always baited.  The lure always looks so sweet. 


The lady glided round by the wall from behind me, still keeping her face towards me, and seated herself in the furthest corner, with her back to the lamp, which she hid completely from my view. I then saw indeed a form of perfect loveliness before me.Phantastes, MacDonald

5 comments:

John Lien said...

Despite being an old cynic and knowing that there is a valid reason for something sounding too good to be true, my heart may still jump just a little when I hear the pitch or glimpse the lure.

Agreed. I'll probably never get over that initial reaction.

But as some wise fungus taught me, it's ok to feel the pull. Just don't follow through.

mushroom said...

See how this works? Now you've got me praying that I won't be a bad influence. :)

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

If you are a bad influence, Mush I'm in bigger trouble than I thought. :)

Speakin' of deception, I wish more influential conservatives would drive this point repeatedly how those on the left are deceiving them (and often, they could do it with their own words).

Because I don't just see this as a political problem but a metaphysical one as well, since liberty and truth are required to battle the deception of evil.

John Lien said...

Don't sweat it Bro. I take full responsibility for my F-ups.

There's some saying I saw on the internet once about lights and baskets or somthin... I'll Google it later.

mushroom said...

Thanks, guys.