"Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light!"
2 Corinthians 11:14
Sin, crawling out of the ditch of poverty and shame,
has but few temptations. Poets and painters have portrayed Satan as a hideous
creature--with horns and hoofs. If I were a poet, I
would describe him with . . .
Manners polished to the last perfection;
Hair flowing in graceful ringlets;
Eye glistening with splendor;
Hands soft and diamonded;
Step light and graceful;
Voice mellow as a flute;
Conversation articulate and eloquent;
Breath perfumed until it would seem that nothing had ever touched his lips, but balm and myrrh.
But I would simultaneously unmask his heart; I would describe its encasement with the scales
of a monster, filled with . . .
Pride;
Beastliness of lust;
Recklessness;
Hypocrisy;
Death;
Damnation!
But, until unmasked, I would describe him as nothing but
myrrh, and balm, and ringlet, and diamond, and flute-like
voice, with pleasant and mirthful conversation.
"So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very
familiar with his evil schemes." 2 Corinthians 2:11
