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However, Satan has one further card to play. The frontal attack may fail, but Satan can use cunning and, if he cannot harm us himself, he can try to persuade us to harm ourselves. So, he tells us how very good we are. He congratulates us on our steadfast faith and good works. He tells us to listen to the praise and the applause of the people around us, as they recognise and appreciate our merits. We may delight in the world's good opinion of us, but this is dangerous. It may encourage to believe, not just that we are righteous, but that it is our own doing. We may come to believe that we deserve to be recognised and applauded. Of course no credit and no glory belong to us, it all belongs to God. We do nothing righteous in our own strength, but only as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Imagine that you are holding high your shield. On the outer side is the symbol or word which denotes you belong to the Lord. This is what Satan sees and what he will fear. On the inside of the shield is a word that we can see. This tells us to be humble, It reminds us who we are, and particularly who we are in Christ. This quality that was in him must be in us. Pride is a trap into which some great men have fallen, and as a consequence their work of ministry has been brought low. Therefore we must not seek the acclaim of men, but rather close our ears to their praises. We have nothing to boast about. In your time of subtle testing, tell Satan to be gone, and affirm that you live only to give glory to God.

Many of the references in this part of the journey have been from the book of Acts. It would be good now to read this as a whole. It is a very aptly named book because it is full of activity. It is all about how the early Christians put into practice in their lives the truths that they were being taught. It is an account of action and happenings which serve as a model for us. We read of the establishment of the early church, and of its evangelism and the missionary ventures. We see how means of care and social activity were fostered in the church, as provision was made for the poor and needy. It tells of the positive effect the life-style of believers had on the people around them. There are the accounts of miracles performed by Peter, John and Paul. Also it tells honestly of the persecution suffered by the early church. Stephen the deacon and James the apostle were both put to death. John and Peter were put in prison. Paul, who had in his early career, persecuted believers, later endured great suffering for his faith. Church history shows us that trials and hardship have been the lot of many Christians. The successes and exhilaration, and the testing and persecution recorded in Acts go hand in hand. They are a timely reminder of life as a believer today.

The important issue in this section has been putting our faith into practice. We can have great knowledge concerning many issues, and we can have understanding about what we ought to do in any situation. However we may still fail to take the appropriate action in the event, especially if we are taken by surprise. This is why belonging to a fellowship is important since we have help and encouragement when perplexed, and support when we make mistakes. It is also why our prayer life is so important. We need this constant contact with the Father so that we know his will at all times. It is also why an openness to the Holy Spirit and his empowering is essential, because in our own strength we can accomplish nothing. The Acts of the Apostles really means the acts of the Holy Spirit working through the apostles. It is as well to regard all that we do in the name of Christ as the actions of the Holy Spirit working through us. Not only is this true, but the praise goes to whom it is due.