Ninon de Lenclos was a well-known prostitute in seventeenth century France. A man named Marquis de Sevigne went to her for advice on how to win the heart of a beautiful young countess. Ninon was 62 years old; the marquis was 22, handsome, warm, but inexperienced. Ninon decided to take the marquis under her wing and advise him on how to win the heart of the countess. She laid out a plan and every step needed to be executed with utmost attention to detail.
At first, the marquis should be distant, with an air of nonchalance. He would talk to the countess as a friend. At an upcoming festival, the marquis would show up with a different beautiful woman at his side, surrounded by a host of other pretty women. In this way, the countess would see the marquis as someone who was desired by others.
The next step was for the marquis not to show up at events where the countess was expecting him. Then he would show up at places the countess would not expect him. In that way, the countess would not be able to predict his moves. This series of actions, Ninon expected, would put the countess in a state of emotional confusion. It took a few months, but Ninon could see that the countess was falling under the marquis’ spell.
Then the marquis showed up at the countess’s home, acting differently than before, and took her hand. He confessed his love for her. She was confused, which the marquis did not expect. She excused herself and whenever the marquis tried to approach her in the future, she gave him the cold shoulder. The spell was broken.
Satan does not know what he is doing, from one perspective. He is not omniscient. The only power he has over us is the power that we give him. But, he is quite seductive. He, like the marquis, tries to keep us off balance. Trust in those around us rather than in God’s word. Paul warns that Satan operates through men speaking “smooth and flattering speech” (Rom. 16:18). In that way, he deceives the hearts of the unsuspecting. He words it in a slightly different way in 2 Corinthians 11:14, where he states that Satan disguises himself as an “angel of light.”
But God has given us His word – 66 books to illustrate Satan’s schemes – so that we will not be ignorant of his seductive power (Eph. 6:11). The less we read the Bible, the more vulnerable we are to the power of his seduction. On the other hand, the more we read the Bible, the more aware we are of his power, influence, and schemes. We don’t have to be tossed back and forth by every wind of doctrine if our minds and hearts are deeply immersed in the Truth of God (Eph. 4:14).
Paul Holland
