The War on Agency

Satan's original plan to eliminate agency is still his main agenda. Addiction is so rampant in our society that there is hardly a person or family who is not afflicted in some way. Civil and social norms lean more towards entitlement than personal responsibility. But perhaps the most damaging of all is the view that our actions have no bearing on our personal worthiness. If there is no consequence for our actions, then the law is rendered inert. Without law, there can be no blessings for obeying it. Without blessings, there is no God to grant them. Without God, there is no purpose in this life. (2 Ne 2:13) Thus, agency becomes meaningless and Satan's plan to eliminate it has succeeded. Satan wants to take away our ability to choose, and he will do it any way he can, even if it means getting us to do it ourselves. The minute we discount the meaning of good works and consequence for sin, we play right into the adversary's hands. We have to be ever-conscious of our standing before God, obtained directly from Him, if we are to make any headway in this war for the souls of men.

The Best Defense

Armor is practically useless unless you plan to fight back in the first place. The best warriors need very little armor because they know how to defend themselves with their sword. We cannot idly sit by and expect the enemy to leave us alone. If we are not fighting, we are vulnerable. Fighting means actively seeking to keep the commandments. The minute we become idle and let our guard down, the adversary will have us in his sights. And recovering your wits from an ambush is hard. It's not impossible, but it is always better to pay attention and protect ourselves from any situation where an ambush is possible. But if we are standing in holy places and keeping the commandments, they can't touch us. Because when we are doing those things, we are not fighting alone. The Savior fights for us.