I think it is safe to say that most of us are by now looking forward to the Millenium. I also think the day will come all too soon when we will be begging for it.
I remember reading years ago a dedicatory prayer of one of the American temples, offered by Elder Featherstone, in which he said that the day will come when the only place the saints will feel peace will be within the walls of the holy temples. He also said that we will long to be able to bring our children to the temple to escape the world. Imagine the desperation……
Right now the adversary reigns supreme. Why? Because the world is giving him the power. The only power he can have is the power that we give him. Seeing he has no body, he operates through us who do. He has taken possession of the minds of many who are in power to be able to control the rest of us. Hence the Lord’s warning in the scriptures about ‘the conspiring men of the last days’ (D&C 89:4).
One of my favourite passages of scripture in Isaiah are the ones that describe Satan’s eventual fall. Isaiah says he will be reduced to such nothingness that people will look upon him and ask: “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?” (Isaiah 14:12-20). We, as the body of the House of Israel, have an amazing responsibility. Mormon expressed it well when he said: “….for we have a labour to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness….” (Moroni 9:6). The conquering will result in the binding of Satan for a whole one thousand years.
When the Saviour comes and all the telestial people are destroyed, there will be no one left who will heed Satan’s call, he will no longer have anyone who will give him any power and will therefore be ‘bound’. He will lose all power……but until then it is our responsibility to build ourselves, firstly by being aware of his tactics:
HIS THREE DOCTRINES:
1. There is no punishment for sin;
2. There is nothing after death;
3. He does not exist.
HIS THREE LIES:
1. Just once won’t hurt;
2. No one will know;
3. Everybody is doing it.
HIS VALUE SYSTEM:
1. Selfishness;
2. Self-indulgence;
3. Immediate gratification.
HIS SALES TECHNIQUES:
1. Pacifying;
2. Flattering;
3. Lulling.
HIS GOAL:
1. To steal our spiritual identity;
2. To kill our faith in God;
3. To destroy our commitment to Christ.
Our only recourse to fight this foe is in Him who has already overcome and paved the way for the rest of us. By the virtue of our discipleship, we can have access to His power to overcome the enemy of all righteousness that we may meet Him at His appearing clothed in robes of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; 2 Nephi 9:14; D&C 29:12;109:76), with clean hands and pure hearts worthy to be sanctified and exalted to our rightful place…..
Grant me power God
For purity of my thoughts
The cleanliness of my lips
The righteous paths I need to walk;
Grand me power to crush each tempter’s snare
That my hands may be clean
The hem of Thy robe to touch
When I kneel before Thy throne
To enter the splendour of my celestial home.
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