1, 2. Kuyini okumele sikuzwisise ngoSathane lamadimoni akhe?

KUZABE kumnandi ukuphila emhlabeni omutsha. Sizabe sesiphila ngendlela uJehova ayehlose ukuthi siphile ngayo. Kodwa khathesi siphila emhlabeni obuswa nguSathane lamadimoni akhe. (2 Khorinte 4:4) Lanxa singeke sibabone bakhona futhi balamandla kakhulu.

² Esahlukweni lesi sizaxoxa ngokuthi singahlala njani siseduze loJehova njalo sizivikele kuSathane. UJehova uthembisa ukuthi uzasincedisa. Kodwa kumele sizwisise indlela uSathane lamadimoni akhe abasiqila ngayo labasihlasela ngayo.

3. USathane ufuna ukwenzani?

³ USathane uthi abantu bakhonza uJehova ngoba kulokunye abakufuna kuye futhi uthi kabasoze baqhubeke bemkhonza nxa izinto zingaba nzima. (Bala uJobe 2:4, 5.) Nxa umuntu angatshengisa ukuthi ulesifiso sokufunda ngoJehova, uSathane lamadimoni akhe bayazama ukumvimba. Bazonda bafe nxa bebona umuntu ezinikela kuJehova  futhi ebhabhathizwa. IBhayibhili lithi uSathane ‘unjengesilwane esibhongayo esidinga esingamudla.’ (1 UPhetro 5:8) USathane ufuna ukuqeda ubuhlobo bethu loJehova.​—IHubo 7:1, 2; 2 KuThimothi 3:12.

4, 5. (a) Kuyini uSathane angenelisi ukukwenza? (b) Singenzani ukuze ‘senqabe uSathane’?

⁴ Akumelanga simesabe uSathane lamadimoni akhe ngoba uJehova uyasincedisa. Uthembisa ukuthi ‘ixuku elikhulukazi’ lamaKhristu eqiniso lizasinda  “ekuhluphekeni okukhulu.” (ISambulo 7:9, 14) Akulalutho uSathane angalwenza ukuthi akuvimbe lokho ngoba uJehova uyabavikela abantu bakhe.

⁵ Nxa singahlala siseduze loJehova, uSathane ngeke enelise ukuqeda ubuhlobo bethu laye. IBhayibhili lithi: “UJehova ulawe nxa wena ukuye.” (2 ImiLando 15:2; bala u-1 Khorinte 10:13.) U-Abela, u-Enoki, uNowa, uSara loMosi ngabanye abenqaba uSathane ngokuhlala beseduze loJehova. (KumaHebheru 11:4-40) Lathi singenelisa ukumenqaba. ILizwi likaNkulunkulu lithi: “Menqabeni uSathane, uzalibalekela.”​—UJakhobe 4:7.

6. USathane usihlasela njani?

⁶ Lanxa uSathane ekwazi ukuthi kulalapho amandla akhe aphelela khona, uzama ngamandla wonke ukuthi aqede ubuhlobo bethu loNkulunkulu. Usebenzisa izindlela ezitshiyeneyo futhi useleminyaka eminengi ezisebenzisa. Yiziphi ezinye zakhona?

7. Kungani uSathane ehlasela abantu bakaJehova?

⁷ Umphostoli uJohane wathi: “Umhlaba wonke ungaphansi kwamandla omubi.” (1 UJohane 5:19) USathane nguye obusa abantu bomhlaba lo futhi ufuna lezikhonzi zikaJehova zibe ngaphansi kwakhe. (UMikha 4:1; UJohane 15:19; ISambulo 12:12, 17) Uyakwazi ukuthi usalelwe yisikhathi esifitshane yikho usebenza nzima ukuze enze abantu bakaNkulunkulu bangathembeki. Kwezinye izikhathi  uSathane usebenzisa izindlela ezisegcekeni ikanti kwezinye usebenzisa ezicatshileyo.

8. Kuyini okumele sikukhumbule?

⁸ U-Efesu 6:12 uthi: “Silwa . . . lamabutho emimoya emibi emibusweni yasemazulwini.” UmKhristu ngamunye kumele ahlale ekhumbula ukuthi usempini loSathane lamadimoni akhe futhi impi le iqalisa mhla ezinikela kuJehova. Yikho umphostoli uPhawuli wakhuthaza amaKhristu ase-Efesu ukuthi ‘ame aqine.’​—Kwabase-Efesu 6:11, 13, 14.

9. USathane lamadimoni akhe bafuna ukusenzani?

⁹ USathane lamadimoni akhe basebenzisa izindlela ezinengi ukuthi basiqile. Nxa uSathane angabona ukuthi icebo elithile alisebenzi kithi uyazama ukudinga lapho esibuthakathaka khona ukuze asibambe. Kodwa akumelanga simesabe ngoba uJehova uyasilimukisa izindlela azisebenzisayo. (2 KwabaseKhorinte 2:11; khangela Amabala Asekucineni 31.) Eyinye indlela ayisebenzisayo yisidimoni.

10. (a) Sigoqelani isidimoni? (b) UJehova uthini ngesidimoni?

¹⁰ Isidimoni sigoqela izinto ezinjengokuthakatha, ukufuna ukwazi ngekusasa, ukutshaya amathambo kanye lokukhuluma labafileyo. IBhayibhili izinto ezinjalo ‘ziyisinengiso’ kuJehova futhi kafuni sizenze. (UDutheronomi 18:10-12; ISambulo 21:8) AmaKhristu kumele axwaye loba yini elobudimoni.​—KwabaseRoma 12:9.

11. Kuyingozi ngani ukufuna ukwazi ngekusasa?

 ¹¹ USathane uyakwazi ukuthi nxa sifuna ukwazi ngekusasa kuzakuba lula ukuthi asiyenge sicine sisenza izinto zesidimoni. Ukusebenzelana lamadimoni kuyaphambanisa ubuhlobo bethu loJehova.

12. Yiphi eyinye indlela uSathane ayisebenzisayo ukuze aqile abantu?

¹² USathane ufuna ukuphambanisa indlela abantu abacabanga ngayo. Uzama ukubenza bathandabuze baze bacine bebona angani ‘okubi kuhle lokuhle kubi.’ (U-Isaya 5:20) Ufuna sicabange ukuthi lokho iBhayibhili elikutshoyo akusebenzi lokuthi singathokoza nxa singayekela ukulalela uJehova.

13. USathane uzame njani ukwenza abantu bathandabuze?

¹³ Ukuthandabuza yindlela uSathane ayisebenzisa kakhulu futhi uselesikhathi eside eyisebenzisa. Ngokwesibonelo esivandeni se-Edeni wabuza u-Eva wathi: “Kambe uNkulunkulu watsho ngeqiniso wathi, ‘Lingadli noma yisiphi isihlahla esivandeni’?” (UGenesisi 3:1) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wabuza uJehova wathi: “Kambe uJobe umesaba uNkulunkulu kungelalutho na?” (UJobe 1:9) Ngemva kokuba uJesu ebhabhathiziwe uSathane wathi kuye: “Uma uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu tshela amatshe la abe yisinkwa.”​—UMathewu 4:3.

14. USathane ubaqila njani abantu ukuthi bathande izinto zesidimoni?

¹⁴ Lanamuhla uSathane ulokhu esenza ukuthi abantu bathandabuze. Ngokwesibonelo izinto  ezinengi ezikhona lamuhla zenza kukhanye angani isidimoni asisibi kangako. Okudanisayo yikuthi amanye amaKhristu lawo asekulandela lokho. (2 KwabaseKhorinte 11:3) Pho singazivikela njani? Singenzani ukuze singaqilwa nguSathane? Ake sihlole izinto ezimbili uSathane angazama ukusiqila ngazo: ezokuzilibazisa lezokwelatshwa.

15. Yiziphi izindlela umuntu angazihlanganisa ngayo lamadimoni?

¹⁵ Namuhla amafilimu amanengi, inhlelo zethelevizhini, i-inthanethi kanye lemidlalo yamakhompiyutha kugcwele amasalamusi lezinto zesidimoni. Abantu abanengi bacabanga ukuthi izinto lezi kazisiyo ngozi. Ezinye izinto zesidimoni zigoqela ukufunda izinkanyezi lemizila esesandleni ukuze umuntu akwazi ngekusasa lakhe. USathane wenza kukhanye kumnandi ukwenza izinto lezi futhi kungakubi. Omunye angacabanga ukuthi yikubukela nje kuphela, kasoze akwenze. Kungani ukucabanga okunjalo kuyingozi?​—1 KwabaseKhorinte 10:12.

16. Kungani kuyingozi ukuzilibazisa ngezinto ezilesidimoni?

¹⁶ USathane lamadimoni akhe abenelisi ukwazi esikucabangayo. Kodwa bakhangela izinto esizilibazisa ngazo ukuze babone ukuthi kuyini esikufisayo lesikucabangayo. Nxa singakhetha ukuzilibazisa ngamafilimu lomculo kumbe amabhuku alezinto zamasalamusi, ubuthakathi, amavempaya lokunye okuhambelana lalokhu, uSathane uzabona ukuthi siyazithanda izinto zesidimoni. Lokhu kuzamenza  enze konke angakwenza ukuthi asihlanganise lawo.​—Bala uGalathiya 6:7.

17. Kuyini okwenziwa ngabanye nxa sebegule kakhulu?

¹⁷ USathane uyakwazi ukuthi siyafuna ukuba lempilakahle. Kodwa namuhla abantu abanengi bayagula futhi kungenzakala ukuthi sebezame izindlela zokwelatshwa ezitshiyeneyo. (UMakho 5:25, 26) Abanye bangabe sebephelelwe lithemba futhi sebezimisele ukwelatshwa ngaloba yiphi indlela. Kodwa kumele sinanzelele ukuthi aselatshwa ngezinto ezilamasalamusi.​—U-Isaya 1:13, NW.

18. Yikuphi ukwelatshwa okumele umKhristu akuxwaye?

 ¹⁸ Endulo, amanye ama-Israyeli ayesesenza izinto zamasalamusi. UJehova wathi kuwo: “Lapho lichaya izandla zenu likhuleka, ngizalifihlela amehlo ami; loba selikhuleka imikhuleko eminengi, angiyikulalela.” (U-Isaya 1:15) UJehova wayengasoze ayilalele imithandazo yawo. Lathi kasifuni ukwenza loba yini engaphambanisa ubuhlobo bethu loNkulunkulu aze acine engasasincedi, ikakhulu nxa sigula. (IHubo 41:3) Yikho kumele sibe leqiniso lokuthi indlela esikhetha ukwelatshwa ngayo ayilasidimoni. (UMathewu 6:13) Nxa kungenzakala ukuthi ilesidimoni kumele siyixwaye.​—Khangela Amabala Asekucineni 32.

19. Kuyini okwenza abantu abanengi bamesabe uSathane?

¹⁹ Abanye abantu kabakholwa ukuthi uSathane lamadimoni bakhona sibili, kodwa abanye bayakwazi ukuthi bakhona ngenxa yezinto ezabehlelayo ekuphileni. Abantu abanengi bayawesaba amadimoni futhi balandela amasiko abenza babe yizigqili zawo. Kulabantu abesabisa abanye ngokubatshela izindaba eziphathelane lamadimoni lezinto ezimbi azenza ebantwini. Abanye bayakuthanda ukuzilalela izindaba lezi futhi bayakukholisa lokuxoxa ngazo. Izindaba ezinjalo zijayele ukwenza abantu bamesabe uSathane.

20. Kuyini okungenza sicine sisabalalisa amanga kaSathane?

²⁰ USathane ufuna abantu bamesabe. (2 KwabaseThesalonika 2:9, 10) IBhayibhili lithi ungusomangase  futhi uyenelisa ukwenza abantu abathanda isidimoni bakholwe izinto ezingamanga besebehamba bexoxela abanye lokho abacabanga ukuthi bakubona kumbe bakuzwa. Izindaba ezinjalo zicina sezisesabisa kakhulu nxa zilokhu zisabalala. Akumelanga sixoxe ngezinto ezinjalo ngoba siyabe sesincedisa uSathane ukwesabisa abantu.​—UJohane 8:44; 2 KuThimothi 2:16.

21. Kuyini okungamelanga sihambe sixoxa ngakho?

²¹ Isikhonzi sikaJehova akumelanga sihambe sixoxela abanye ngalokho okwasehlelayo okuphathelane lesidimoni. Thina akumelanga simesabe uSathane lamadimoni akhe. Kumele sicabange ngoJesu kanye lamandla awaphiwe nguJehova. (KumaHebheru 12:2) UJesu kazange axoxele abafundi bakhe ngezindaba eziphathelane lamadimoni. Kodwa wakhuluma ngoMbuso kanye ‘lezimangaliso zikaNkulunkulu.’​—ImiSebenzi 2:11; ULukha 8:1; KwabaseRoma 1:11, 12.

22. Kuyini ozimisele ukukwenza?

²² Akufanelanga sikhohlwe ukuthi uSathane ufuna ukuphambanisa ubuhlobo bethu loJehova. Usebenza gadalala ukuthi enze njalo. Kodwa siyawazi amacebo akhe futhi sizimisele ukungazihlanganisi laloba yini elokwenza lesidimoni. Asifuni ‘kunika uSathane indawo.’ (Bala u-Efesu 4:27.) Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi nxa singamenqaba uSathane asisoze sibanjwe yimijibila yakhe futhi uJehova uzasivikela.​—Kwabase-Efesu 6:11.