THE EPIC STORY OF GOD

The Bible is a grand, epic adventure. It is a mystery. It is a story of universal proportions, global politics, dark and noble characters, and supernatural powers. It is a story that crosses time zones and time itself, and through all of it is woven a love story of incredible detail and sacrifice. And there is a villain! 

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This villain is steadily working to achieve his objectives. His effort is the game of darkness. This game is neither sporadic, nonchalant, cavalier, nor happenchance. Instead, it is strategic, vicious, calculated, and ruthless. Humanity is being deceived by an enemy who understands the art or craft of deception like no other. This villain is “the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan” (Rev. 12:9). 

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From the beginning of human existence, Satan has been twisting words and truth toward his objective of destroying all God’s creation, especially his children. Satan has been so effective that Christians may think they know where they are in God’s story, but they might be wrong, and that is a concern for many reasons, including eternal ones.

Christians should know better because God warned us in the Bible to be alert, aware, and awake. Some Christians have been caught in Satan’s game, and like the proverbial frog in the kettle, they are being warmed to a not-so-pleasant ending. To better understand the situation, let’s look at another epic story.

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IT’S JUST A WOODEN HORSE

The story of the city of Troy and its people, who were called Trojans, and their fall to deception is one of the most recognizable in Greek history. Most students read it as a classic in junior high or high school. The story may not be widely read today, but it was for a long time. It has been the basis for many movies, with one of the more popular ones starring Brad Pitt as Achilles. There are few facts about the actual city and war, but the story comes from the Odyssey, written by Homer[i] in the seventh century BC. Archeological discoveries over the last thirty years[ii] reveal the great city of Troy and its battles were historical events in some form, even if we may know only some of the details accurately. 

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In the story, Troy was a large city with an extensive wall system. It was under attack by the Greeks, led by King Agamemnon. After several failed attempts to breach the walls, the Greeks decided on a plan of deception that would get them inside the city. They would build a large horse with a hollow belly and leave it as a supposed peace offering. Within it, they enclosed a group of warriors. Once they had positioned the horse with the soldiers inside, they sailed far enough away that they were not visible to Troy’s people. 

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The Trojans rejoiced in their survival and victory and took the horse within the walls for an extravagant celebration. They partied and drank to their success until all were asleep. Lulled into apathy by their celebration, they did not notice the ships had sailed back to shore and awaited a signal from the hidden warriors. While the city lay in a stupor, the warriors emerged from the horse and opened the city gates. The Greek army attacked and destroyed the city. Troy’s story ends in destruction due to deception and a lack of wisdom by the Trojan leaders. This horse has been immortalized as the Trojan Horse.

 

THE TROJAN HORSE TODAY

Trojan horses are not just a thing of history. Today, in technology, there are Trojans or Trojan viruses. This name is attached to a virus or program that hides within emails and other online documents. The fake or Trojan documents trick computer users into opening a link and launching a virus that invades their computer just as the Greek warriors invaded Troy and destroyed it. The viruses hide their true intent behind what appears to be legitimate. In truth, anything that invites you to embrace something harmful while pretending to be good is a form of Trojan horse.

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