HAVE YOU MADE THE TRUTH YOUR OWN?

Satan's Crafty Tactics

One ploy that Satan uses is to plant doubts in our mind. He looks for weaknesses in our spiritual armor. In the very beginning, he used that tactic with Eve, asking: "Is it really so that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3
:1) In other words, Satan was saying: 'is it really possible that God could have placed such a prohibition on you? Would he hold back something so good from you? Why, God knows that in the very day of your eating from the tree your eyes are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad!' Satan planted a seed of doubt and waited for it to germinate. -Genesis 3:5.

How does Satan use this tactic today? If we neglect our Bible reading, our personal study, our prayers and our Christian ministry and meetings, we may leave ourselves open to doubts raised by others. For example: "How do we know that this is the truth as Jesus taught it?" "Are these really the last days? After all, we are already in the 21st century." "Are we on the threshold of Armageddon, or is it a long way off?" If such doubts should arise, what can we do to remove them?

James gave practical counsel when he wrote: ,"If any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep on asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching; and it will be given him. But let him keep on asking in faith, not doubting at all, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. In fact, let not the man suppose that he will receive anything from Jehovah; he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways." -James 1:5-8.

What, then, must we do? We should "keep on asking God" in prayer for faith and understanding and bolster our efforts in personal study regarding any questions or doubts. We can also ask for help from those who are strong in the faith, never doubting that Jehovah will give us the support we need. James also said: "Subject yourselves, therefore, to Go; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God,and he will draw close to you." Yes, our doubts will dissipate as we draw close to God, through study and prayer. -James 4:7, 8.

Take, for example, the question: How do we know that we are practicing the form of worship that Jesus taught? To answer this, what criteria must be considered? The Bible points out that authentic Christians must have true love among themselves. (John 13:34, 35) They must sanctify God's name, Jehovah. (Isaiah 12:4, 5; Matthew 6:9) And they must make known that name. -Exodus 3:15; John 17:26.

Another identifying feature of true worship is respect for God's Word, the Bible. It is the unique book that reveals God's personality and his purposes. (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17) Additionally, true Christians proclaim the Kingdom of God as man's only hope for everlasting life on a paradise earth. (Mark 13:10; Revelation 21:1-4) They keep separate from this world's corrupt politics and its defiling way of life. (John 15;19; James 1:27; 4:4) Who today have really met these criteria? The facts establish that there is only one answer -Jehovah's Witnesses.

Next time: What if Doubts Linger?

Watchtower, 2001