The Slippery Slope
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue
righteousness godliness faith, love endurance and gentleness. Fight the good
fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to wh.ch you were called when
you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I Tim. 6:11, 12. NIV.
Have you ever watched an insect scurrying around on
a pitcher plant? Hundreds of species of
pitcher plants belong to a half dozen different families all over the world. All
of them have some part of the plant formed into a rain catcher to make a pool
of water in which they can trap and drown insects for food. The plants attract
insects to the water with lures of nectar and bright markings pointing the way.
In its explorations for some tasty morsel, the insect encounters stiff hairs
that point downward toward the good stuff. The slope gets steeper, so the insect
naturally turns around to go up to higher ground to get a better look at the
situation, but it’s too late. Loose waxy scales that make for a very slippery
footing cover the slope. Trying to scramble uphill on the loose scree simply
doesn't work. Imagine yourself trying to
climb up a very steep slope with nothing solid to stand on. All you have
underfoot are loose waxy plates. And thousands of sharp spears all pointed down
slope block your way. No wonder the insect suddenly loses its footing and falls
into the trap. Before it even stops struggling, other denizens of the dark
watery pit start chewing on and burrowing into the insect's body. Plant enzymes
begin digesting the plant s victim. Bacteria
break down high-energy insect chemicals for use by the plant. For an insect the only hope is to flee at
once. Exploration is certain doom. The trap of the pitcher plant is that good.
Eve went down a slippery slope. From what we read in Genesis 3 we see that
subtly and gradually the devil lured her into coming into coming closer and
closer, making the nectar of Sin very attractive, appetizing, and promising
great rewards if partaken. Little did
she know that by the time it was over she would be the one figuratively eaten
up. He appealed to her human needs. As with the insects exploration was certain
doom. The devil’s trap was that
good.
We read in Matthew 4 that the devil tried to do the
same with Jesus. The devil appealed to
Jesus human needs. But, Jesus refused to
go down. Immediately, Christ quoted from
scripture. No need to explore that
scene. Christ figuratively flew away at
once. When food did not work as it did
with Eve, then the devil tried to appeal to other human needs. But, Christ again quoted scripture. He kept Himself figuratively flying from the
trap.
The Devil sets trap for us just as He did for Eve
and Jesus. Ellen White comments on this,
Satan is watching his
chance. He will come to men in human form, and will speak to them most
entrancing words. He will bring against them the same temptations that he
brought against Christ. Unless their minds and hearts are filled with the pure,
unselfish, sanctified love that Christ revealed, they will fall under Satan's
power, and will do and say and write strange things, to deceive, if it were
possible, the very elect. . . . {UL
295.7} … . But none who wish to know the
truth need be deceived. God has promised to give to his people the Spirit of
truth, to guide them into all truth.
{RH, November 5, 1889 par. 9}
In and of ourselves we have no power to overcome the
trap. But, through the power of the Holy
Spirit dwelling in us we shall have the victory.