The Masquerade

Bible Reading: Genesis 3:1-7; Philippians 1:9-11

“What is a masquerade, anyway?” asked Lindsay, holding up a flier from school.

“It’s just a fancy word for a costume party,” replied Mom as she sifted through old clothes and random items from the attic. “I’m hoping we can find some costume ideas in this heap of forgotten treasures. What would you like to dress up as?”

“Maybe a panda…or an astronaut…or a butterfly?” suggested Lindsay. “I like costume parties because you can dress up and act like someone or something you’re not.”

Just then, Lindsay’s dad burst into the room holding a plate of delicious-looking cookies. “The oven timer went off, so I pulled out your cookies. I went ahead and sprinkled on a little more sugar…” He looked at the cookies. “Okay, a lot more sugar,” he said with a grin.

“Thanks, honey!” Lindsay’s mom reached for a warm cookie and took a bite. Instantly, her face scrunched up, and she reached for a napkin to spit it out. “Sorry, dear, but I think you added salt instead of sugar on top of this batch.”

“You’re kidding!” Dad laughed. “It looked just like sugar in that clear container!”

“I guess those cookies were ‘dressed up’ as something different too,” Mom said to Lindsay. “They looked good, but they tasted bad! What we saw was not what they turned out to be. It reminds me of a verse in the Bible that says Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”

“What? He went to a masquerade party?” asked Lindsay in confusion.

“No,” Mom said, laughing. “It’s saying we need to be on guard against sin because appearances can be deceiving. Things that appear to be good can be rotten to the core. Think of how Satan tricked Eve in the garden. She knew God had said not to eat the forbidden fruit, but when Satan made her think it would be good for her, she disobeyed. That’s why we need to be careful not to fall for Satan’s tricks. He’s only pretending to be an angel of light.”

“Like he’s wearing a costume!” said Lindsay. “He makes sin look like something it’s not.”

“Exactly,” said Mom. “Sin is always bad, and Jesus has freed us from its power. We need to arm ourselves against Satan’s tricks by remembering the truth of Jesus.” • Emily Rudolph

How About You?

Do things you see in movies or online look good to you? Do things people say are okay sound harmless to you? Be careful. Anything that goes against what God says in the Bible is sin, and sin is always harmful. That’s why Jesus came to save us from it. Don’t be fooled by Satan’s tricks. Listen to Jesus and what He says in His Word, the Bible. He loves you and will guide you in the way you should go.

Today’s Key Verse:
2 Corinthians 11:14 Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Don’t be fooled