“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” – Proverbs 4:23
A Computer
A computer is an electronic device that performs tasks or calculations based on a set of instructions, also called programs. This is done through the interaction of hardware and software; hardware refers to computer parts you can see and touch such as the case and everything inside it; whereas software refers to the programs that tell the hardware what to do. Some of the most important hardware components of a computer are the Central Processing Unit (CPU), Random Access Memory (RAM), and the Hard drive or Hard disk. The CPU is the brain of a Computer—It does the processing of data and instructions, RAM works hand in glove with the CPU by acting as the Primary memory for the computer. All instructions and data to be processed are loaded into RAM. The internal Hard drive serves as the main secondary storage where all programs such as a Music Player, a Word Processor, etc. are installed, and data such as pictures, documents, videos, etc. are stored. Every operational computer has one most important system program called the Operating System (OS) which manages the computer and everything connected to it. The operating system also resides on the Hard drive.
A Human
In the human body we can think of the brain as physically being the CPU, the RAM and the Hard drive, however the logical separation still exists. The brain has the reasoning component (CPU), the short term memory (RAM), and the long term memory, which we can think of as the Hard drive; but this is not a one to one mapping; it is merely given here to illustrate a concept. The Bible creates this distinction as well when Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Luke 10:27. Notice here that even though we may often refer to the heart as implying the mind, the Bible still creates the distinction between the mind and the heart. The mind is used to refer to the intellect, the reasoning part, while the heart is used to refer to the part where habits and character are formed, the moral nature, and the seat of emotions or affections of the being. This is why it is possible that one could have all the intellectual knowledge about Jesus and still have a heart far from GOD (see Matthew 15:8-9). However, it is worth mentioning that sometimes the distinction is not very important as the mind has a direct bearing on the state of the heart. In this text, we shall think of the heart as the Hard drive of a computer which stores everything needed for a computer to function. This is why the Preacher says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23
A Virus
What is a computer virus? Well, many people know what a biological virus is such as the HIV virus which causes AIDS or the H5N1 virus that causes bird flu. Computer viruses work in a manner similar to biological viruses; that is, by the process of attachment to host cells, replication and internal damage takes place. A computer virus is a computer program—(i.e. a set of instructions) that reproduces itself by attaching itself to some other program and does some damage on your computer. This damage varies depending on the intention of the creator of the virus; it can range from files being deleted or stolen, programs stopping to function, to the entire computer crashing. For a computer virus to work, it has to first gain access to a computer and be stored somewhere on the hard drive and then carry out its malicious intents, sometimes using operating system features.
Having looked at how a computer virus and briefly how a biological virus works, we would expect that a spiritual virus would also work in like manner. It must first find its way to the Heart-drive, be stored there, and then carry out its ill purpose as stated by Jesus in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” How would we define a spiritual virus? That is open to discussion but let us define it based on its purpose. A spiritual virus is any activity of human life which, if entertained or hosted, would kill your love for and trust in God, steal your allegiance and heart from Him, and destroy your religious life and sometimes your physical life.
Virus Sources
As stated previously, computer viruses are computer programs, hence they are written by some people somewhere on this globe. Where do “spiritual viruses” come from?
“Oh, if these youth would but be firm and bold in the practice of virtue; if they would frown down the base advances of the agents of Satan, what a victory might be gained over the world, the flesh, and the devil! God calls upon the youth of today to love and serve Him with the whole heart. They need a daily connection with Heaven to keep them unsullied by the corruptions of the last days.” —The Signs of the Times, February 16, 1882 (emphasis supplied).
The three main sources of spiritual viruses are given above as the world, the flesh and the devil. In the Spirit of Prophecy these three terms are used together 114 times and are always given in that same order. I tend to think this is because the greatest enemy we have to fight against is not exactly the devil but ourselves. Satan uses the attractions of the world and our own sinful desires to gain control over us.
“The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness.” —Steps to Christ, p. 43
Avenues of the Heart-drive
In what ways can a computer get infected by a virus? Through connection to the Internet, local network, or infected disks connected to the computer, hence antivirus programs always watch these avenues. On my computer, every USB storage device or optical disk that gets connected is scanned by the antivirus before its contents are made accessible. What are the avenues of the heart-drive? The servant of the Lord writes thus:
“All should guard the senses, lest Satan gain victory over them; for these are the avenues of the soul. You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul. The power of grace alone can accomplish this most desirable work. Satan and his angels are busy creating a paralyzed condition of the senses so that cautions, warnings, and reproofs shall not be heard; or, if heard, that they shall not take effect upon the heart and reform the life.” —Counsels for the Church, p. 166
This is a clear admonishment to guard our sight, hearing, taste, feelings and sense of smell to prevent, or fight against, viruses.
A Trojan horse
Many categories of viruses and malicious software exist today, such as internet worms, adware and malware; but one kind of virus I would like to focus on is called the Trojan horse. How does this virus work? We can understand how it works by learning how it got its name.
When the Greeks were fighting against the people of Troy during the Trojan War they found it hard to defeat them because, apart from physical prowess and strength in numbers, Troy was a highly fenced city. Being known for wisdom, the Greeks decided to outthink the Trojans; as always, the battle is not only about brawn but brains also; with skill and tact, numbers count for nothing! The Greeks made a giant wooden horse in which they concealed some soldiers and left it outside the city and then withdrew. When the Trojans perceived the horse and the absence of the Greeks, they took the horse inside their city, thinking it was a gift—a sign of defeat by the Greeks. However, when the horse was inside the city, the soldiers concealed within came out and began their work of destruction, which led to the entire Greek army gaining access to the city and later destroying it.
The virus called Trojan horse works in this same way. It is usually concealed in a seemingly useful program such as a game or music player, which, to the unsuspecting user appears very good and useful, but alas, once the program is installed or run, the virus works its ill purpose in the background.
This principle is similar to how a fisherman’s hook works. The fisherman does not use a naked hook but always conceals it within bait, something nice and useful to the fish; when the fish see the bait, they scramble for it, only to discover too late that there is a hook within it.
Satan does not present things that we do not like in order to attract us; he knows that we will not be attracted by them. He brings us things that appear good, things that we feel we need, things that seem like when we have them they will solve a number of our problems, but alas, those things come with deadly hooks that lead us as willing captives to Satan. Consider the things you enjoy doing, the people you interact with, the thoughts you like to entertain, the conversations you engage in, the music you like listening to, the clothes you put on, the food you eat, the books you read and see if there is nothing there with Satan’s hook to pull you to him. Rat poison is often 99% food and 1% poison but it is the 1% that kills the rat! Poison is poison; no matter how much food it may have, it will still kill. You may say, I see nothing wrong with this food, I see nothing wrong with this kind of dressing, I see nothing wrong with this movie, or song or TV show, I see nothing wrong with this brother or sister, but that is because you may be seeing those things in the light that Satan would like you to see them, for “many behold things in a perverted light, in the light in which Satan would have them see.” —The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 961
Two great tactics of viruses
Most viruses work using two great tactics; attraction and intimidation. Most viruses infect computers of users that get attracted to things like games, love messages, and pornography, or other seemingly useful programs. Others could intimidate the user with a false message that their computer has several viruses and needs to download a special program to scan the subject computer, but it is actually the act of downloading and installing that so-called “solution” which would infect the computer.
We have already covered how Satan works, using the tactic of attraction by appealing to our senses, such as the sense of taste, sight, and hearing. How does he use the second tactic of intimidation?
Imagine what would happen if a lion came nearby a pen of cattle at night and roared? What would happen to the animals inside the pen? The roaring of the lion would strike fear and panic leading to some (if not all) of the animals jumping out of the pen to flee for their lives, not knowing that actually by jumping out of the pen, they are going to where the danger lies; the lion divides and conquers. The Apostle Peter tells us that Satan is as a roaring lion, walking about, looking for whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). If he fails to attract us, he intimidates us with problems, challenges and even persecutions that would strike fear in our hearts and make us panic and then jump out of God’s protecting care. Sometimes he may roar with a financial crisis in your life and you panic and then decide not to return tithe, not knowing that by so doing, you are actually taking yourself to the lion. Other times he may roar with a threat of you being fired if you do not work on the Sabbath!
The Antivirus (AV)
An anti-virus is a computer program that works to prevent and eliminate computer viruses. What is the antivirus for the Heart-drive? Before we understand the antivirus, we must understand the problem with the heart.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” Matthew 12:33–35
So, what is the antivirus for the Heart-drive? The wise man admonishes us thus, “My son, attend to My words; incline thine ear unto My sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:20–22. Job says, “Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from His mouth, and lay up His words in thine heart.” Job 22:21–22. The Psalmist asks and answers his own question, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy word. With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalms 119:9–11. And Jesus says, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” John 17:17. So, there you have it! The precious word of God is the antivirus for our heart-drives.
Why does wickedness abound then?
But, if the word of God is the antivirus, why do we have so much wickedness in an era when the word of God abounds and yet there was seemingly more piety in the days of the “dark ages”? Jesus in Matthew 24:12 says that “because iniquity will abound the love of many shall wax cold. ” What makes iniquity to abound? The Lord further states that the last days shall be as the days of Noah were (Matthew 24:37). What led to so much wickedness that the world had to be destroyed by a flood? Sin or wickedness is compared to darkness, while righteousness is compared to light. It is the absence of light that brings darkness. Jesus says that the children of God are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14) and also the salt that preserves good in the earth (Matthew 5:13). In the antediluvian world, it was when the sons of God, the righteous descendants of Seth began to join and marry with the wicked descendants of Cain that iniquity abounded to such an extent that God “regretted” that He had made man (Genesis 6:6). Similarly, in our generation, sin abounds because many of God’s professed followers are conforming to the world, to its pleasures and practices. Instead of being light bearers, many are sunless professors who are shadows of darkness!
In the dark ages, Satan kept the Bible away from people; in our time, he keeps the people away from the Bible. In our day people have the Bible in print, mobile devices, and even on their computers but are too busy to read it; some that read it, do it to support their own preconceived ideas that misinterpret the word and misrepresent the will of God stated therein. Some that profess to accept the teachings of the word only want to obey it to some degree but not completely; they fail to surrender all to Jesus. We have many professed Christians who eat like the world, drink like the world, dress like the world, worship like the world, claiming to love God, but living as servants of sin. Indecency, irreverence, immorality, lying, and indifference abound among God’s professed people. Many are content with little sporadic improvements but not an entire transformation of their lives. Many church members that could work for the salvation of their fellow men only concern themselves with their own worldly affairs, leaving the work to a few overburdened workers; all this is a sign that they are not concerned with their own salvation as well.
When a lion catches its prey, it first bites on the throat because that’s where the animal breathes from. Any wonder why we have many prayerless and powerless Christians who are strangers to the word and promises of God? The Servant of the LORD says, “We should pray in the family circle, and above all we must not neglect secret prayer, for this is the life of the soul. It is impossible for the soul to flourish while prayer is neglected.”—Steps to Christ, p. 98
How does an antivirus work?
The antivirus must be installed on the computer’s hard drive and integrated with the operating system. It must have control over the programs that run on the computer, it must scan all files on the computer, it must clean the memory and all external devices connected to the computer. You can have an antivirus on a CD, or even downloaded onto the hard drive, but unless you install it, it will be of no use to you.
Similarly, it does not matter how many spiritual books you posses, how many Bible versions you have, which Bible colleges you have been to, how many church meetings you attend or even how melodiously you may sing, all these are important in their own right and serve a purpose, but will not protect you from viruses. What matters is that the word of God is in you and becomes part of your life. The word of God shapes your words and actions, the word of God is in all you do and say, in all you see and hear, in all you touch and feel, in all you smell and taste—then and only then will you keep your heart with all diligence.
“Study His word prayerfully. Lay it not aside for any other book. This book convinces of sin. It plainly reveals the way of salvation. It brings to view a bright and glorious reward. It reveals to you a complete Saviour, and teaches you that through His boundless mercy alone can you expect salvation.” –Messages to Young People, p. 268
“The truths of the Bible, received, will uplift the mind from its earthliness and debasement. If the word of God were appreciated as it should be, both young and old would possess an inward rectitude, a strength of principle, that would enable them to resist temptation.” —Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 319
Mukelabai Mukelabai