The Master of Illusion

Bible Reading: REVELATION 12:9

He’s gone!” Jack said, staring at the screen. “I watched him the whole time, and he just disappeared from the stage.”

“That’s why he’s called an illusionist,” Dad said.

Suddenly the illusionist reappeared—in the back of the auditorium. The audience clapped and cheered. “I wonder how he did that,” Jack said.

Dad shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s a great trick. Did you know that the Army used a disappearing trick once? Toward the end of World War Two, they put together a special force they named the Ghost Army.”

“Seriously? Did they put sheets over their heads to scare the enemy army away?”

Dad laughed. “No, they were called the Ghost Army because they were there one day and gone the next.”

“You mean, it looked like they just disappeared?” Jack asked.

“Right,” said Dad. “And it made our army look bigger and stronger than it was. The Ghost Army were masters of illusion. They had many full-sized rubber tanks, trucks, and cannons they inflated to make it look like a huge army was coming to fight. Once the Ghost Army knew the enemy saw them and were coming to attack, they deflated everything, left quickly, and showed up someplace else.”

“Whoa,” Jack said. “That had to confuse the enemy.”

“Yes,” Dad said. “They sent soldiers to one place when the real battle was someplace else. They lost over twenty major battles that way, which helped us win the war.”

“They made a bad choice,” Jack said. “I wonder if the Army still does tricks like that.” “I’m not sure, but the Bible tells us Satan is a master of illusion and tries to trick us.” “What does he try to trick us about?” Jack asked.

“Satan wants us to think he’s bigger and more powerful than he is,” Dad said. “But the truth is, he has no power over Christians. Anyone who trusts in Jesus has been freed from sin and Satan’s power. He tries to confuse us, but Jesus has given us the power to resist him.”

“So we don’t have to make bad choices like our enemies did in World War Two,” Jack said. “We can know Satan’s lying and trust and obey God instead.”

Dad nodded. “Exactly.” MATT SHOEMAKER

How About You?

Have you been confused by Satan’s tricks? Has he tried to make you think God doesn’t love you or that doing something wrong is no big deal? He is a master illusionist who tries to trick us into making bad choices instead of trusting God. But Satan has no power over Christians because Jesus defeated him when He died for our sins and rose again. Through Jesus, you have the power to resist Satan and his lies.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 JOHN 4:4 YOU ARE OF GOD, LITTLE CHILDREN, AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE HE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Satan is an illusionist.