For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
(2Co 11:13-14)

Most of you know how RASNS (revilers, abusers, sociopaths, and narcissists) wear disguises. They do so for a number of reasons, one of which is that they lust for praise and, after all, who they really are will not evoke praise, rather it will bring rejection. A full-blown tyrant who possesses the power and resources to carry out whatever they desire perhaps need not be so concerned with a disguise. But most RASNs do not have a complete tyrannical power, and therefore they use deception to hide what they are and to gain power and control.

Now, when a person wears a disguise, to be really effective – they need to be able to compartmentalize their personhood. That is, they need to be able to divide who they are into at least two persons. The real and the false. Let me give an illustration.

Back in the cold war days when all kinds of espionage and spy intrigue were going on between, for instance, the United States and the Soviet Union, one soviet spy “became” a Roman Catholic priest. He studied laboriously for a long time under the tutelage of a one-time priest who had turned communist, learning the ins and outs of the Roman priesthood. The KGB filed all kinds of false documentation with various agencies so that this fellow passed and the real thing. Ultimately the RC church actually assigned him as priest to a church in New York. For over a decade he played out this role, all the while gathering intelligence data for the Soviets via connections he was able to make as a priest.

But my point is this – when the CIA finally discovered him and put electronic surveillance (bugs) in his room and searched through his files without his knowledge, they were amazed. Why? Because this man was able to actually “become” a priest, actually caring for the people in his church, delivering genuine eulogies and sermons. After his arrest, he reported that he really enjoyed his role as priest and that his own identify had become rather mixed up. Who was he? A priest? Or a Soviet spy?

But people like this, and RASNs included, are able to pull off such an effective disguise because they can compartmentalize their lives. They can step in and out of multiple roles. And this is why their disguise is soooo effective. A domestic abuser, for instance, who claims to be a Christian, easily assumes the persona of a fine saint when he or she is in a particular setting. At home, he reverts to what he really is. Unless we understand this dynamic. we will continue to be confused and deceived by the RASN.