In Alma 55, Captain Moroni regains the prisoners in the city of Gid by offering the Lamanite guards wine by one of their own.  We prefer to consider everything Captain Moroni does as good, but I can’t help but point out some things about this strategy that echoes what Satan does.  If it helps us made better choices, I think it’s worth pointing out.

First, I notice the Lamanite guards saw these tricksters coming, and yet Laman and his small group of men still managed to lull them into a false sense of security.  How often do we actually see temptation coming, and yet when we initially refuse, the temptation (or those who present it) push back and try to convince us that we are wrong and it isn’t dangerous?  We have to stick to our guns there and not give in.  It can be particularly difficult if we’re presented with something we like. In the Lamanites' case, it was wine.  It's worth thinking about what things we individually like that might be used to lure us into temptation.

Next insight comes from a later part of this story. Once the Lamanite guards found out there was wine immediately available, they say, “We are weary, and by and by we shall receive wine for our rations, which will strengthen us to go against the Nephites.”

They are tired now, and they anticipate being stronger later.  But there isn’t going to be any opportunity to fight later if they can’t be strong now. 

To me this shows that sometimes we give in to temptation now when we’re tired, thinking that we’ll be stronger later. But that’s a lie.  If we can’t be strong now to resist temptation, how will we get the strength later?   Our strength accumulates with good choices and dissipates with bad ones.  It dissipates incredibly fast and actually give Satan the advantage over us that he wouldn’t have had otherwise.

So, lessons from this story are:

--Keep refusing the temptation, even when it tries to push back.

--Giving in now will make it even harder to be strong later.  (So be strong now to stay strong later.)