As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1 Timothy 1:3-5
In the early days of World War I, both the British and German navies converted merchant ships and cruise liners into military vessels. The Germans refitted the Cap Trafalgar as an armed raider, even altering its appearance to closely resemble the British ship HMS Carmania. The goal was deception—to approach enemy vessels without raising suspicion and then strike at close range. But the plan failed. The real Carmania encountered the disguised ship, and after a fierce battle in which both vessels were heavily damaged, the Cap Trafalgar was sunk.
The world and the devil often attempt to disguise something that is false and evil as something that is good. By painting the warnings of God as incorrect and describing the outcome of sin as a good thing, Satan wants to get inside our guard so his attacks are more effective. “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).Â
It is vital that we know the truth because the more fully we know the truth the more easily we recognize error. True faith and love and obedience to God are powerful weapons that allow us to overcome the attacks of the enemy and win the victory in the daily battles of life.
