Persecution has never suppressed the church. In fact, persecution has only ever driven Christians to greater resolve. So, persecution is not the favourite tool of the devil. His favourite tool is temptation wielded with the utmost subtlety. Back in their nomadic days Israel faced an enemy king who paid a prophet called Balaam to curse Israel outright. The prophet found, however, that whenever he opened his mouth, only blessing would come out (Numbers 22-24). So, the prophet, eager for his wages, advised the king to use the old ‘honey trap’ tactic and send Moabite women to seduce the men of Israel and then lead them into idolatry (Numbers 25:1-2 & 31:16). This tactic worked. Now again, in first century Pergamum, outright persecution had failed to undermine God’s people. So, yet again, the devil turned to subtle temptation. One thing always leads to another when you compromise. You tell yourself there’s nothing wrong with this or that but it’s the small compromises that give the devil a foot-in-the-door and which then allows him to gradually pry the door open. He does it slowly and quietly so that we won’t notice. The only time you notice it is in retrospect because you never notice it while it’s happening. One day the door was closed and then after a while you realise that it is wide open; one day you are going well and then ‘suddenly’ you are shocked to find yourself defeated and laid waste. It never happens suddenly. It happens gradually through small compromises, which you don’t allow yourself to acknowledge. That’s the way it works.
Reflect on where you have compromised.
Read Revelation 2:14-17.
