The Battle for Faith

UPDATE ADDED BELOW
Here is a small article that is a transcript for a segment of the 'Understand the Times Radio Commentary' with Roger Oakland, called 'The Battle for Faith.'
I had saved this some time ago and as I am going through my saved drafts to finalize and publish some of them, I felt this one would be helpful; it is always good to remember that we have an enemy who is constantly seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Roger has a good testimony, which he briefly mentions here, of being deceived by Satan but then realizing this and coming out of the false way and back to the Truth of Christ again. Now he has a testimony to share with others of how easy it is to be deceived. God worked everything for the good, so others might be shown the way back to the Truth as well, or hopefully avoid the deception altogether. I had a reader here a while back who couldn't fathom that God would allow a sincere person who is seeking the truth to be deceived, yet it happens all the time. Most of us have stories of falling for deception of some kind or at some level. Praise God that He leads many out and lets them be lights for others.
Update:
After I went to bed last night I thought of something to add to this post, but didn't feel like getting back up to add it then. While thinking about why God would allow someone to be deceived, it came to me that God allowed Eve to be deceived. You'd think this would be obvious, but we tend to think of ourselves as some special case that God would never allow to fall. God surely saw what was happening to Eve, and we can be sure that He loved her as her creator and that she loved God, who walked with her in the garden every day; yet He didn't come rushing in to rescue her and remind her of His command when the serpent began speaking lies. He allowed it to happen, according to His plan, and it brought death and misery upon her, her husband, and all their children. Why then should we assume that God will not allow us, to whom He has revealed His word just as He did to Eve, to fall into sin and be deceived if we listen to the serpent and ignore His commands? Scary isn't it, but 'the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.'