I came across a story recently about a man who had been cursed by a witch. He did not know at the time that this is what had happened, but he did realize it afterwards. He was completely blindsided by her actions because she fully deceived him. Because she was attractive to him, and acted kindly, he presumed she was telling him the truth. The witch did not say she was a witch; she did not tell him she was going to put a curse on him; she did not tell him she was going to take him away from his family; she did not let him know that she was going to say whatever he wanted to hear that would make him obey her every wish. Yet, that is exactly what did happen. The devil is far too sneaky to let himself be known in situations like that. He also has been at this a lot longer than any of us have been on this earth and he knows how to destroy a soul. Satan does not announce his coming like he used to; today it is more effective for him to make people deny him, or just ignore him. This means we have to be on our guard, because he knows how to get you, and he knows your weaknesses. Who are your friends? Are they people who lead you to greater commitment to Christ? Or do they make you question God and all the things of God? Do your friends help make your faith stronger, or do they weaken it? Do they tell you what you want to hear, or are they true friends who will tell you what you need to hear? A witch (or other servant of the evil one) will always look nice; they will always sound like they are there to help you, but in reality they are taking control of you. The man in the story above was cursed by an outright spell that the witch had done on him after his faith was damaged and his resistance destroyed. Then he was hooked and could not even see the horrible things that he was falling into. As someone once said, whenever someone is sliding down the greased pole to Hell, they always smile. Are you being deceived right now? Are you giving in to someone who is attacking your faith (with a smile on his or her face!)? Be discerning, and ask the Lord Jesus for an extra measure of grace to protect yourself as well as your family and loved ones.