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.

我们可以从两个主要方向看到撒但针对教会的策略。我们最常想到来自教会外部的迫害，包括来自周围文化和反基督教政府的迫害。新约经常评论这种威胁，并警告我们在面对苦难时需要表现出勇气。但另一种攻击来自教会内部，以错误的教导形式出现。这对上帝的子民来说是一个更加致命的威胁。因为虽然逼迫往往会增强信徒的力量，甚至扩大教会的规模，但教义的腐败却使基督的子民变得软弱、分散和混乱。如果基督徒必须在迫害和错误教导之间做出选择，圣经的观点鼓励我们对异端的恐惧胜过对所有其他瘟疫的恐惧。