The great controversy between Christ and Satan will close soon, and the wicked one is increasing his efforts to defeat the work of Christ for humanity. His aim is to hold people in darkness and rebellion until the Savior’s sanctuary ministry is over. When people
in the church are indifferent, Satan is not concerned. But when hearts
inquire, “What must I do to be saved?” he is there to match his power
against Christ and to counteract the Holy Spirit’s influence.
On one occasion, when the angels came to present themselves
before the Lord, Satan also came among them, not to bow before
the Eternal King, but to carry forward his evil plans against the
righteous (see Job 1:6). He is present when Christians gather for
worship, working diligently to control the minds of the worshipers.
As he sees the messenger of God studying the Scriptures, he notices
the subject to be presented. Then he uses his subtle skills and
shrewdness so 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 or will be prevented in
some other way from hearing the word.
Satan sees the Lord’s servants burdened because of the darkness
that surrounds the people. He hears their prayers for divine grace
and power to break the spell of indifference and laziness. Then with
renewed zeal Satan tempts people to indulge their appetites or gratify
themselves, and in this way he dulls their perceptions so that they
fail to hear the very things they most need to learn.
Satan knows that all who neglect to pray and read the Bible will
be overcome by his attacks. So he invents every possible diversion to
occupy the mind. His right-hand helpers are always active when God
is at work. They will describe the most earnest, self-denying servants
of Christ as deceived or deceivers. Their work is to misrepresent the
motives of every noble deed, to spread doubts, and arouse suspicion
in the minds of the inexperienced. But we can easily see whose
children they are, whose example they follow, and whose work they do. “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16; also see
Revelation 12:10).
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Source: Ellen G. White, The Great Hope, pp. 22-23