"And behold I say unto you all that this was a snare of the adversary, which he has laid to catch this people, that he might bring you into subjection unto him, that he might encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction, according to the power of his captivity."
Alma 12:6
I like the symbolism here. Talking about snaring and catching makes me think of hunting, and then talking about subjection and chains makes me think of slavery... and Slaver might be too soft an image for what Satan is, but I think maybe it also helps us to take him more seriously than we usually do. He is out there trying to trap us and harm us, and capture us so that we can never get home. That's serious, and something that we should work to avoid, rather than embracing him in return for some extremely short-term high, of whatever kind.
The other thing that I thought of here is that Satan is trying to encircle us with his chains, whereas Lehi talks about the Lord, saying "I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love." (2 Nephi 1:15). What a vast difference, and a simple choice when we can see the truth behind what we are offered.
Today, let's choose Christ over Satan. Let's not risk the chains for something that we think we want short-term, but let's talk to God about who we want to be long-term instead. Let's not embrace slavery and bondage, and the lies that Satan tells to get us to think that his chains are actually any sick kind of freedom. Let's find the true freedom of love and possibility with God rather than exercising our freedom to destroy our lives, and our souls.
Alma 12:6
I like the symbolism here. Talking about snaring and catching makes me think of hunting, and then talking about subjection and chains makes me think of slavery... and Slaver might be too soft an image for what Satan is, but I think maybe it also helps us to take him more seriously than we usually do. He is out there trying to trap us and harm us, and capture us so that we can never get home. That's serious, and something that we should work to avoid, rather than embracing him in return for some extremely short-term high, of whatever kind.
The other thing that I thought of here is that Satan is trying to encircle us with his chains, whereas Lehi talks about the Lord, saying "I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love." (2 Nephi 1:15). What a vast difference, and a simple choice when we can see the truth behind what we are offered.
Today, let's choose Christ over Satan. Let's not risk the chains for something that we think we want short-term, but let's talk to God about who we want to be long-term instead. Let's not embrace slavery and bondage, and the lies that Satan tells to get us to think that his chains are actually any sick kind of freedom. Let's find the true freedom of love and possibility with God rather than exercising our freedom to destroy our lives, and our souls.
Great post.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of snares, I think of one of those deadfall things where the animal goes after some sort of treat that looks attractive and then gets caught--yanked up by a leg or enmeshed in a net.
My patriarchal blessing warns me of Satan's snares, and it has made me think about what sort of treat Satan tries to use to entice me. I hope I can detect and reject them all!
I like that... we have to be careful of the things that really appeal to us, and make sure that they are appealing to our spiritual side rather than our "natural man" side. :)
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