TESTED ON LOYALTY TO GOD

7. (a) How does the Devil seek to make persons break God’s laws? (b) What is one law of God that Satan has often endeavored to get persons to break?

⁷ It is in connection with obedience to God’s laws that our faith will be tested. Satan the Devil endeavors to create circumstances that constitute a severe test, making it very difficult for us to obey God. One of Jehovah God’s laws or commands that Satan frequently attempts to get God’s servants to break is this: “You must not have any other gods against my face. . . . You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them, because I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion.” (Ex. 20:3-5) Jesus stated the command this way: “It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.” (Matt. 4:10) God’s servants frequently have undergone severe trials that have tested whether they would remain faithful to this requirement to give God exclusive devotion.

9. To what image or symbol have nations in modern times often required that service be paid?

⁹ The Devil’s methods have not changed. He still maneuvers God’s servants into similar trying situations. For example, just as nations did in the days of ancient Babylon, so nations today set up emblems and command their citizens to salute, bow or perform other worshipful honors toward these. Regarding a prominent symbol of the nations in modern times, Catholic historian Carlton Hayes observes: “Nationalism’s chief symbol of faith and central object of worship is the flag, and curious liturgical forms have been devised for ‘saluting’ the flag, for ‘dipping’ the flag, for ‘lowering’ the flag, and for ‘hoisting’ the flag. Men bare their heads when the flag passes by; and in praise of the flag poets write odes and children sing hymns.”a And just as obligation was laid upon citizens of ancient Babylon to bow before the image of the State, so in modern times nations often require that service or worship be paid to some State emblem or some human representative of the State.

10, 11. How have God’s servants in modern times been tested in connection with idolizing a man or rendering allegiance to an emblem of the State?

¹⁰ In Nazi Germany people were commanded to heil Hitler and raise their arm to the swastika. Failure to comply with this idolatrous practice was punishable by brutal treatment and the horrors of a concentration camp. What a severe test of faith this was for true Christians! Would they heil a man and render worshipful honors to an emblem of the State? Or would they obey God? What would you have done? Thousands of Christian witnesses of Jehovah obeyed God and refused to render devotion to Hitler or an emblem of the State. True, they were sent off to concentration camps and suffered horrible treatment, but the majority of them came out rejoicing that the trialsome experience had produced in them endurance.

¹¹ More recently, persons in the United Arab Republic were commanded to shout such patriotic cries as: “Long live the president Gamal Abdel Nasser!” How happy were those who loyally refused to share in such idolatrous practices toward a man who has since died​—in 1970. Although they received beatings, they were conscious of Jehovah’s help during this trialsome experience. The Washington Post, reporting on another African country, said: “Hundreds of children from Witnesses’ families have been expelled from school. They refused to sing the anthem and salute the flag.”b Despite the Scriptural precedent and the conscientious objections of these children who were put under much pressure to break God’s law, the High Court ruled that there was sufficient basis to deny them an education.

12. To what test are schoolchildren frequently subjected?

¹² We can be certain that Satan the Devil will continue in his efforts to pressure Christians to pay worshipful honors to persons or emblems of the State. He does not want anyone to remain loyal to God by giving God exclusive devotion. In many countries schoolchildren are regularly called upon to salute the flag, repeat an oath of allegiance to it, and in some places even to kneel before it and kiss it with their lips. Ridicule and in some cases physical harm have been meted out to those who have not complied with such requirements. This may soon become the practice where you live, if it is not already. What will you do? Will you endure such deliberate attempts of the Devil to cause you to become disloyal to God? Will you pass this test of your faith?