Satan knows of no passion that can cripple the mind of its powers of righteous acting and clear reasoning as effectively as fear. He delights in planting diabolical, hypnotic suggestions of the unreasonableness of God, faith and Christian truth in our thoughts. Yet, we are not left defenseless--truth is more ancient than error, for error is nothing but deviation, distortion and swerving from truth,²as Peter wrote:
...which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16, NAS).
The antidote for deception is Truth; deliverance from ignorance is by knowledge. Jesus declared Himself to be the Truth and in Him "are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (John 14:6; Colossians 2:3). Through the Scriptures we acquire both truth and knowledge and the wisdom to employ them.
Satan knows that the knowledge of Christ is power and so he strives to keep his subjects from it. The results are bondage and destruction.

Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude is parched with thirst (Isaiah 5:13, NAS).
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children (Hosea 4:6, NAS)

Jesus promised if we continue in His Word we will know the truth and the truth will make us free. Knowledge of His Word brings freedom from theological intimidation by the subtle suggestions of the enemy in our minds, freedom from the accuser's cruel whip-like tongue, and freedom from chimerical conversations with the Devil. The entrance of God's Word gives light--light that dispels all darkness (Psalms 119:130).
But how do we come by truth, and how do we know that it is the truth? These are important questions of philosophy, epistemology, and religious studies which we hope to give more attention to at a later date. For the moment, this article assumes:

* That there is truth; objective, and noncontradictory.
* That God is the ultimate author and determiner of truth.
* That God has revealed truth in both general and special revelation.
* That the scriptures are inspired--God breathing out His Word.
* That the Bible is the vox Dei, the "voice of God" or the verbum Dei, the "Word of God."³
* That God's revealed truth is knowable by man even though it is neither exhaustive or comprehensive.⁴
* That truth must be pursued, loved, and obeyed.

Though truth first comes to us by God's gracious revelation, it must be purposely pursued if we are to "follow on to know the Lord." Francis Bacon compared the inquiry of truth to love-making and wooing.⁵In his article, "Romancing the Word," Bishop William C. Frey, President/Dean of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, Ambridge, Pa.,wrote,
"In short, we need to love the Scriptures and, if I dare say it, to romance them. We need a romance with the Scriptures which will lead us into a joyful dance with the Word."⁶
The Bible commends seekers after truth, but it also commands them to persist in their pursuit of truth.

Buy truth, and do not sell [it,] [get] wisdom and instruction and understanding (Proverbs 23:23, NAS).
For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice [it,] and to teach [His] statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10, NAS).
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15, NAS).