Satan is playing the game of life for every soul. He knows that practical sympathy is a test of the purity and unselfishness of the heart, and he will make every possible effort to close our hearts to the needs of others, that we may finally be unmoved by the sight of suffering. He will bring in many things to prevent the expression of love and sympathy. It is thus that he ruined Judas. Judas was constantly planning to benefit self. In this he represents a large class of professed Christians of today. Therefore we need to study his case. We are as near to Christ as he was. Yet if, as with Judas, association with Christ does not make us one with Him, if it does not cultivate within our hearts a sincere sympathy for those for whom Christ gave His life, we are in the same danger as was Judas of being outside of Christ, the sport of Satan’s temptations. {6T 264.2}

Satan deltager i spillet om livet for hver eneste sjæl. Han ved, at praktisk sympati er prøven på hjertets renhed og uegennytte og han vil gøre enhver mulig anstrengelse for at tillukke vore hjerter for andres trang, således at synet af lidelse til sidst ikke rører os. Han vil indføre mange ting for at hindre, at kærlighed og sympati kommer til udtryk. Det var på denne måde, han ødelagde Judas. Judas tænkte stadig på at gavne sig selv, I denne henseende fremstiller han en stor klasse bekendende kristne i dag. Derfor trænger vi til at betragte hans færd. Vi er Kristus lige så nær, som han var. Men dersom vi ligner Judas således, at samfundet med Kristus ikke gør os til ét med ham, dersom det ikke frembringer oprigtig medlidenhed i vore hjerter med dem, for hvem (265) Kristus gav sit liv, står vi ligesom Judas i fare for at være uden Kristus, et bytte for Satans fristelser.