We live in a world full of clouds and confusion. Some would have us believe that there is no Satan at all, that he is a myth and that we don't need to be on our guard. "The Master Deceiver" by David J. Stitt reminds us that Satan is a very real entity and is talented at his job, which is to distract us from our purpose here on the earth and to keep us so confused, we aren't able to focus on our eternal worth.

The book outlines some of the common lies we are told by the opposition, including:

A little sin is okay.

You're so spiritual, you can resist temptation.

Being obedient is too restricting.

You aren't worthy of the Atonement, so it's okay to sin. It's all hopeless anyway.

The author then proceeds to refute each of these lies, telling us the real truth.

We learn that the opposition will generally insert a piece of truth into his lie, hoping that we'll concentrate on the truth and let the lie just roll over us. Just as the master painters and musicians are the most talented at what they do, Satan is even more talented at his job and will use his influence to keep us from feeling our Heavenly Father's spirit. In fact, when we say "there is no devil," we are feeding right into one of his traps, for it is he who tells us there is no devil.

This book is filled with scripture references and quotes from general authorities that remind us that we are more powerful than the forces of evil, when we are brave enough to resist the temptations that come our way. Evil can only have influence in our lives as we let it, and we can build up our reservoirs of spiritual strength so we can withstand the buffetings of the world.

You would think that a book written about Satan would be frightening, but David J. Stitt has carefully constructed this book in such a way that you are learning about the tools of the opposition without feeling weighed down or frightened. He uses the Spirit of the Lord to teach us the things we need to know in a safe environment. I was very enlightened by this religious nonfiction book and would heartily recommend it to anyone who is feeling as though they aren't strong enough to resist the temptations in their lives.