Satan is constantly working through his agents to dishearten and destroy those whom God has chosen to accomplish a great and good work. They may be ready to sacrifice even life itself for the advancement of the cause of Christ, yet the great deceiver will suggest to their brethren doubts concerning them which, if entertained, would undermine confidence in their integrity of character, and thus cripple their usefulness. Too often he succeeds in bringing upon them, through their own brethren, such sorrow of heart that God graciously interposes to give His persecuted servants rest. After the hands are folded upon the pulseless breast, when the voice of warning and encouragement is silent, then the obdurate may be aroused to see and prize the blessings they have cast from them. Their death may accomplish that which their life has failed to do.

Satan arbejder bestandig gennem sine hjælpere for at tage modet fra dem, som Gud har udvalgt til at udføre et stort og godt arbejde. Måske er de rede til at ofre selve livet for Kristi sags fremme og dog vil den store bedrager indgive deres brødre tvivl om dem; hvis denne bliver næret, kunne den undergrave tilliden til deres retskafne karakter og således lamme deres arbejdsevne. Alt for ofte lykkes det ham gennem deres egne medbrødre at påføre dem en sådan hjertesorg, at Gud i sin nåde griber ind for at skaffe sine forfulgte tjenere hvile. Når så hænderne ligger foldede over det bryst, hvor hjertet ikke banker mere, kan måske de forhærdede vækkes til at se og prise de velsignelser, de har kastet vrag på. Ved deres død opnår de måske det, som ikke lykkedes for dem i liet.