A Kingdom Divided

It’s ironic to me that one of the tools of the adversary is to convince people that divine miraculous events and righteous people are inspired by him.  In essence he is telling people to trust his classification of good and evil while at the same time implicitly saying that he is indeed bad since using his name as a label for others is a worthy insult.  For example, after the incredible signs of the coming of Christ were seen by all of the Nephites, the adversary “got possession of the hearts of the people again,” convincing them that the miracles were “wrought by men and by the power of the devil” (3 Nephi 2:2).  The people of Ammonihah said after Amulek preached to them, “Now we know that this man is a child of the devil” (Alma 10:28).  After Alma and Amulek had miraculously escaped from the prison and the walls rent in twain, the more wicked part “remained a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins, ascribing all of the power of Alma and Amulek to the devil” (Alma 15:15).  When Jesus walked among the Pharisees, accusing Him of having a devil was their default insult when they couldn’t really respond to His powerful teaching and miracles.  When He accused them correctly of trying to kill Him, they said, “Thou hast a devil” (John 7:20).  On another occasion, they said to Him, “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” (John 8:48)  They repeated it again a few verses later when they didn’t understand Him: “Now we know that thou has a devil” (John 8:52).  After His teaching about being the Good Shepherd, “Many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad” (John 10:20).  The fact that the devil would inspire others to believe that the good is bad and comes from him reminds me of the Savior’s teaching, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation” (Matt. 12:25).  Indeed the kingdom of the adversary will one day be brought to desolation, and we should be on guard to not see good for evil or believe the world when it labels righteousness as wickedness.