Heresies as a Snare for the Devil

Just as a snare is a device, so the heresies—both those among the Greeks and those among the Christians—are to the devil. Just as a snare, when it tightens and captures its intended prey, causes the device to be taken away while only the hard snare remains, so the devil has set down many heresies and the paths of error in place of a device. He does this as preparing a great snare for his own worship, so that when he comes to avenge all heresies, he himself may destroy men by bringing them into his own naked worship. In imitation of the Savior, Satan comes in a complete human form.

The Holy Spirit restrains and prevents the presence of the lawless one. Therefore, he says, when this departs from the midst because of the wickedness of men, the lawless one will have much space to be revealed and to stand up with no one preventing him. He said this because the mystery of lawlessness has already taken hold, since schisms and heresies have come to be even during the apostolic ages, and from that time the devil has been practicing the unbelief of men. For the mystery is already being worked out in impiety. For the Manichaeans have already said that the devil is the god of the law, and Marcion said that it is not the Father who is Christ's, but the god of the law, and some say they revere him as greater than all. Mani says that he himself is Christ and that he himself is the Paraclete. Only that which restrains until it comes from the midst remains, and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Holy Spirit restrains and prevents the presence of the lawless one, just as he has already said. And now you know the one that restrains. He says the one restrains for the sake of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah also foretold this; for remembering the root of Jesse, he said that he will tread upon the earth by the word of...