We may see Satan’s strategies against the church in two main directions. We most often think of persecution from outside the church, both from the surrounding culture and from anti-Christian governments. The New Testament often remarks on this threat and warns of our need to show courage in the face of suffering. But the other attack arises from within the church in the form of false teaching. This is an even more deadly threat to God’s people. For while persecution has the tendency to strengthen believers and even increase the size of the church, doctrinal corruption leaves Christ’s people weak, scattered, and confused. If Christians ever have to choose between persecution and false teaching, the perspective of the Bible encourages us to dread heresy above all other plagues.

我們可以從兩個主要方向看到撒但針對教會的策略。我們最常想到來自教會外部的迫害，包括來自周圍文化和反基督教政府的迫害。新約經常評論這種威脅，並警告我們在面對苦難時需要表現出勇氣。但另一種攻擊來自教會內部，以錯誤的教導形式出現。這對上帝的子民來說是一個更加致命的威脅。因為雖然逼迫往往會增強信徒的力量，甚至擴大教會的規模，但教義的腐敗卻使基督的子民變得軟弱、分散和混亂。如果基督徒必須在迫害和錯誤教導之間做出選擇，聖經的觀點鼓勵我們對異端的恐懼勝過對所有其他瘟疫的恐懼。