In politics and business, a dark but not uncommon way to get leaders to tote the party or company line is to get some dirt on them and then threaten to tell all. And if no dirt can be found, it’s sometimes manufactured or contrived by association – often with the help of the victim who caves to temptation during a weak moment.
Take the movie “The Firm,” where the protagonist played by Tom Cruise is lured into a sexual encounter with a woman feigning distress on a beach one night. Photos are taken of the incident and Cruise’s character is later threatened that his wife will receive the graphic portrayals if he doesn’t go along with the law firm’s illegal activities.
That’s one of many examples where all the usual methods – promises of money, sex, power and fame are used for entrapment. Some think this only happens in the movies. Or only every now and then in real life.
From time to time, the public hears a scandal break on the news. And when it happens, the “bad guy” is made to look so disgusting or evil that majority of people quickly join the media’s condemnation without a clue as to the real back story. The fact is, however, for every politician or business leader that’s outed, there are many more such souls shaking in the wings and voting against their consciences for fear of being exposed.
In short, they’re compromised.
Why Christians fall short of their full potential
Unfortunately, unwitting sons and daughters of God fall prey to similar stratagems of evil. Satan, knowing our weaknesses, carefully sets us up for a fall. He knows that if we are sincere and give in to the temptation, there’s a good chance – with his help – that the ensuing guilt of sin will cripple our Christian walk or make us null and void. In short, he takes us out of play.
And if he does his work very well, we will choose to sink ourselves deeper into sin because we “have nothing else to lose.”
But Satan’s crowning glory comes about when we we’re convinced that our sins are unforgivable and we need not apply to God’s fatherly love. The very fact that God loves us is hidden from our view.
What follows is, that instead of repairing our ruptured relationship with God, we focus on our reputation and maybe even worry about the effect of our shortcomings on our loved ones should our sins become public. The worse we feel about it and the more we fear public opinion, the more desperate we get and the more likely we’ll be pressured into a vicious cycle of bad decision-making.
Anatomy of a fall
Like Adam and Eve, the newest rising star in “The Firm” had it all: a beautiful wife, unlimited opportunity to develop his skills and ply his trade, and the prospect of a very bright future.
But he reached for something that wasn’t his to take. He put his desires first over obedience to what is true, noble and moral – over faithfulness to his ultimate good and God.
Self-satisfaction and pride had settled in – even if only for an instant – and that was all it took to leave his true love and true good behind.
Vigilance – always!
The Eternal Enemy of God never sleeps. As long as God and time permit, he tirelessly endeavors to drive a wedge between God and man – to separate, out of envy, man from the love of God. Satan knows that God ultimately wins, so he makes the best use of his short time to wreck and steal as many souls as he can. That is his ultimate revenge on God for ousting him.
But the Devil cannot win without our cooperation. If we want to, we can stay close to God’s side and avoid sin. Though we sometimes feel helpless in the face of certain situations, we each have a free will.
We must be vigilant to exercise free will maturely, in accordance with the truth we know and the Gospel values we have accepted for ourselves. We must stay alert and awake to make sure we are exercising free will deliberately and not following the subtle suggestions of tempters – supernatural or human – or covertly carrying out our own sinful desires.
It is not easy. But Jesus, himself, “learned obedience through suffering.” In other words, He paid the price that obedience requires.
If we’re willing to pay the price of obedience, we can avoid being compromised. A generous and good heart will make it so.