30
Confrontation
But his most successful scheme in deceiving man has been to
conceal his real purposes and his true character by representing himself
to be man’s friend—a benefactor of the race. He flatters men with the
pleasing fable that there is no rebellious foe, no deadly enemy that
they need to guard against, and that the existence of a personal devil
[36]
is all a fiction; and while he thus hides his existence, he is gathering
thousands under his control. He is deceiving many as he tried to
deceive Christ, telling them that he is an angel from heaven, doing a
good work for humanity. And the masses are so blinded by sin that
they cannot discern the devices of Satan, and they honor him as they
would a heavenly angel while he is working their eternal ruin.