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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 4
Then his agents stood ready to seize upon every error, every failure,
every unbecoming act, and hold it up before the people in the most
exaggerated light, to render Adventists and their faith odious. Thus
the greater the number whom he could crowd in to make a pro-
fession of the Advent faith while his power controlled their hearts,
the greater advantage would he gain by calling attention to them as
representatives of the whole body of believers.
Satan is an accuser of the brethren, and it is his spirit which
inspires men to watch for the errors and defects of the Lord’s people,
and to hold them up to notice, while their good deeds are passed
by without a mention. He is always active when God is at work
for the salvation of souls. When the sons of God come to present
themselves before the Lord, Satan comes also among them. In every
revival he is ready to bring in those who are unsanctified in heart
and unbalanced in mind. When they have accepted some points of
truth, and gained a place with believers, he works through them to
introduce theories that will deceive the unwary. No man is proved to
be a true Christian because he is found in company with the children
of God, even in the house of worship and around the table of the
Lord. Satan is frequently there upon the most solemn occasions, in
the form of those whom he can use as his agents.
The great deceiver will profess anything, in order to gain ad-
herents. But should he claim to be converted, should he, if it were
possible, enter Heaven and associate with the angels, he would
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not be changed in character. While the true worshipers would be
bowed in adoration before their Maker, he would be plotting mis-
chief against God’s cause and people, devising means to ensnare
souls, considering the most successful method of sowing tares.
Satan contests every inch of ground over which God’s people
advance in their journey toward the heavenly city. In all the history
of the church, no reformation has been carried forward without
encountering serious obstacles. Thus it was in Paul’s day. Wherever
the apostle would raise up a church, there were some who professed
to receive the faith, but who brought in heresies, that, if received,
would eventually crowd out the love of the truth. Luther suffered
great perplexity and distress from the course of fanatical persons
who claimed that God had spoken directly through them, and who
therefore set their own ideas and opinions above the testimony of