By Which Ye Are Bound.

For the first time in my life, I went fishing.  I found that it was something I immensely enjoyed, and wish such an activity had been engaged in far sooner than my twenty-seventh year of life.  It will be something I will return to regularly going onward.  The night before our exciting adventure, my dear husband assembled our necessities.  I am intensely intrigued in new opportunities to learn, and for this event, I wanted to be included in every portion.  From preparation, to catching, to cleaning, I desired to be an active participant.   As he piled each item that would be required, I sat anxiously on the chair aside him, watching and waiting for his instruction.  At last, he seemed finalized and his eyes met my own.  Being at my side for over eight years, he instantly recognized what I was hoping for.  That sweet man sat down and explained each step.  I observed as he assembled the poles, he taught me techniques for casting, and together we watched videos on the best methods for cleaning a fish.  At the finalization of my tutorial, my confidence was secure.  I envisioned catching a multitude of fish, the biggest on the lake, gutting them all effortlessly, and arriving home for a fantastic fried fish dinner.  Surely, my ability would be perfected from attending my twenty minute lesson.  Do I even need to acknowledge the amplitude of creativity that exists inside the walls of my brain?  There is no absence of imaginative abilities within it.  However as I lay in bed that night, my reverie was broken, and my thoughts were turned to a moment during my instruction which distinctly demonstrated the capturing power of a snare. 

As my husband was concluding the fishing line on my pole, he added a small hook.  With every inch of my inexperience, I sent him a distressing look and   declared, Darling, you’ve purchased the wrong size of hook!  I am planning on catching the largest fish that exist within the lake, certainly this tiny hook cannot support such an achievement.  He smiled silently, a common reaction to my overenthusiastic concerns.  As he described the composition of the hook, I was astounded to learn that such a tiny device could sustain the weight of even a large fish.  As he described the functionality, I was consumed by the parallelism that existed between it and the methods Satan utilizes in capturing us.  The depth of symbolism was remarkable, the similarities were outstanding.  As I pondered on it in the silent moments of my darkened room, I found clarity regarding the procedures of Satan that I had not initially grasped.

We must understand Satan’s main objective: to bind us.  He seeks to hold us captive in chains that oppress and restrict.  Satan is a master of control.  This element of who he is can be traced backward to far-reaching moments within premortal existence.  We were there with him when he vehemently opposed our Heavenly Father’s perfected plan.  He ferociously fought against it until he was condemned to eternal separation from our heavenly home.  As we recall his objectives during this battle, we become aware of the depth of his yearning for power.  He sought to have control of our actions, our endeavors, our behaviors.  He desired to direct the way we thought, the words we released, the choices we selected.  This continued forward extending down to our very formation by sustaining authority over our attributes, preferences, and habits.  His proposal was that we be brought to earth to be manipulated as pawns, hauled through previously routed pathways home.  Individuality, entirely forbidden.  Free agency, thoroughly eliminated.  We would be his puppets, all returning to our Father, but the achievement would not be ours, for it would be smeared with his name.  Even his efforts to produce a strategy of worthy testing, became suffocated by dictatorial dominance.  Can you imagine the way this need has intensified by his inability to constrain the agency our Father supplied us with as we entered his self-proclaimed “kingdom”?  His desires have been fiercely enhanced as he desperately attempts to secure our destiny to his side.  That is why he utilizes chains.  His need to imprison us requires rigid binding that will confine us so firmly, we may never find escape. 

Satan does not deploy these chains vacuously.  His craftiness and guile should never be misinterpreted.  He recognizes the need of enticements and lures, and has become skilled in employing them.  This is the exact reason my mind was able to find comparability between his techniques and the tactics of a fishing hook.  Three specific areas of resemblance were embedded in my mind as I reflected that night.

The bait.

If we assume that Satan will come pummeling towards us, roaring like a lion with all of his dominion and power, we are wrong.  He is much more astute than this.   Satan does not advance as an enemy we should fear, but as a friend we long to be around.  He utilizes charm, appeal, and desirability for his companionship.  I believe that he approaches quietly, sometimes even discreetly.  He realizes that the first step is having his presence accepted in our atmosphere.  Sometimes this is allowed quickly, other times it requires effort to produce desensitization that open portals which permit him closer.  He is patient.  He will wait.  Next comes the decoy.  His attractions towards sin most commonly present themselves as thrilling opportunities. They are eye-catching and come disguised.   They are originally perceived as exciting and fun.  These enticements appeal to the deficiencies of our natural man instincts.  They can be difficult to discern because of his remarkable ability to disfigure them in a way that pulls at our interests and fascinations.  Satan is not a novice at seizing souls, he is a master.  He knows that he cannot throw out a bare hook hoping we will come to pursue it, especially not in these last days.  He comprehends the need for magnetic bait, which targets our weaknesses, and seduces our curiosities, and he exploits it.  

Perhaps we are deceived by his talent of producing multitudes of followers attached to the temptation attracting us.  It seems that we tend to become weakened in the presence of others engaging in acts that contradict what we know to be right.  This is fabricated by Satan because he knows our need to belong.  We want to be accepted, we want to fit.  He knows that if the possibility of rejection exists, we may more easily comply to the corrupted customs that surround us.  We cannot be afraid to stand alone.  The Lord’s people have always been contrary to the worldly definition of acceptance.  If popularity is what you seek, it will not be found with Him.  It is not easy, but we must have the courage that is required, which will always be supplied by the Lord, if we but ask.  And we must never forget that the great and spacious building was filled to the brim with people.  The presence of others participating in acts that are sinful does not adapt the interpretation of what we know to be virtuous. 

The hook.

Once we have taken his bait, we are hooked rapidly.  Prior to grasping us, he ensures we are perfectly positioned so that when we partake, we will descend to his command.  Although it is all he hungers for, Satan has no rush in capturing us.  His entire existence and purpose of life is to ensnare his Father’s children.  It’s all he thinks about, all he labors towards, it is everything that consumes who he is and what he does.  His goal is to own your soul.  He is willing to persevere and endure even extended periods of time, if that is what is required to obtain you.  That is why we have to be continually observant and energetic in fortifying ourselves against temptations.  He is waiting for us to falter.  He will never give up.  Neither should we. 

Once hooked, Satan’s amiable camouflage begins to deteriorate.  Within those moments, as our once clouded perspective becomes unobstructed, we begin to see who he is and what he offers.  The reality is bitter to withstand.  We learn quickly how incompletely he cares for us, for nothing exists.  All promises are broken.  All exhilaration is depleted.  We are left with nothing but the deepest sense of misery that can crowd a soul.  Just as a fish, who has been snagged, squirms with every ounce of strength to be set free, we, too, may violently flail to escape his chains.  But Satan was prepared for our actions towards objection.

The barb.

The barbs upon the fishing hook were the most intriguing portion of my examination.  Tiny pieces of metal, situated perfectly, to clutch on tightly to the prey, penetrating it deeper into the hook each time it sought for freedom.  Satan mimics this strategy.  Each time we seek for release, he clutches more tightly, his chains secure and we find ourselves crippled under their weight.  We become exhaustively entangled.  At this point he is thrilled with his capture, but he is not a beginner.  He knows that he must persistently fortify his shackles, or we may escape under a moment of decreased focus.  He utilizes two recurrent approaches in ensuring we remain under his dominance.  The first, producing spiritual obstructions under which our testimony of truth decays.  The second, distorting our perception of the ability of liberation by creating feelings of unworthiness to be released. 

The Spirit does not linger when we engage in acts that violate the commandments of our Father.  As He departs we may originally perceive His loss.  The hollowness inside may shriek for attention, for our souls need His presence to be whole.  Because He is the one that teaches us of truth, that reminds us of innate pieces of our creation, and allows us to discern our Father and Savior’s existence, His companionship is imperative.  When we suffer the loss of Him, we should promptly rectify our errors, and reassemble our surroundings that He may be restored.  When we permit ourselves to be divided from Him for any length of time, we begin losing spiritual sensation.  The more extensive this separation becomes, the more we lose connection to what we once knew and how we once felt.  Indeed, our recollection of righteous living perishes.  Instead of struggling for freedom, we find a familiar residence within the chains that bind us. 

The fiercest weapon that Satan uses is in diminishing our perspective of personal worthiness.  It is one of his repetitive strategies.  He heightens it when it comes to moments of obtaining deliverance from his control.  How could you ever go back after the choices you have made?  Who would save a wretch such as you?  God has turned His back, you are not deserving of His grace.  Perhaps, such a phrase has been tossed through your heart before.  The moment such a lie enters our thoughts we should instantaneously recognize Satan’s deception, and bend to our knees.  Truth will be found there.  We are never too lost, never too fallen, never too tarnished, never unworthy for the grace of our Savior.  His Atonement is an infinite one by design.  He suffered in every aspect that he could cleanse every sin.  There are not limitations to His mercy.  He is the one that will come hastening through our darkened surroundings, dashing to our sides, with strength and power to shatter the chains that hold us captive.  He has been searching for His lost sheep, leaving behind the flock, that He may rescue you and bring you home.  Because you are that treasured.  Satan, who once appeared mighty, debilitates under His presence. 

Because sin is so enveloping, time is needed to rehabilitate.  Throughout our  involvement with Satan we may have acquired deformed perceptions, destructive habits, and poisonous dependencies.  The forgiveness and restorative process is not uncomplicated, in fact, it can be quite strenuous.  Satan will continually be aching for reclaim on your soul with attractions towards former practices.  He so enjoyed having authority over you; he wants it back.  There will be moments, days, or extended lengths of time were we feel submerged by weight.  But there is nothing that we cannot conquer with Him at our sides.  We need never fear in His arms.  His power triumphs over Satan in every aspect.  He will provide you the strength that you lack, and continually labor to build your current weaknesses.  Nothing is impossible with Him.

An unfortunate thing about being bound in Satan’s chains: at times they leave permanent imprints.  These impressions exist as temporal consequences from our sins.  Going through the forgiveness process does not release us from all the ramifications of our decisions.  Spiritually we can follow a way to full redemption, but temporally we may have to withstand lasting aftereffects from our choices.  Our responsibility is to endure and experience them faithfully and patiently.  We may have hurt others who have forevermore turned from us.  We may have produced physical alterations that cannot be restored.  We may have lost possessions that will take time to regain.  We may feel lonesome because our friends, or perhaps even family relations, continue to exist in the boundaries of Satan’s chains.  These repercussions are difficult to a heart.  But lift your eyes.  You’re never alone, you’re not without, you’re not in a pile without a shape.  Your Master is fastened to you.  Life is brilliant alongside Him.  You will find that as you follow after Him, all will be given, nothing will be absent. 

Satan seeks to bind us, that he may tear us down to his agonizing fate, to suffer just as he does.  Truly, his misery aches for our company.  But we must heed to the counsel that Lehi supplied to us all in these last days:

…Awake, awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe. 

Seek after Christ.  He will demolish the chains by which you are bound, and will deliver you from Satan’s dominion.  You are worth saving to Him.  You always have been, you forever will be.  Courage is required, exertion is ahead, but salvation will be your reward.  Shake off your chains.