Satan's Viruses, Types

This is first in a series about malware. Click here for the introduction and here for the followup.

The reason I sometimes use the term "malware" instead of "virus" is simply because there are several kinds of malware, only one of which is viruses. The most common is actually Trojan horses, named after the famous horse that led to the defeat of Troy. These bits of software are programs that are designed to look enticing, helpful,or sometimes just innocent, but in reality are terrible for your computer. This is perhaps the most striking similarity I've found while thinking about my grand analogy. So many sins are dressed up to look appealing, fun, helpful, innocent, or any number of adjectives that aren't bad. However, once activated or used they begin to afflict your life in  myriad of ways, from simply blocking the influence of the Holy Ghost to terrible consequences from the sin itself. Sometimes sin that looks appealing also opens us up to the influence of more sin (gateway sins, if you may), which is exactly like a Trojan horse subsequently downloading other malware without your permission (or opening the gate for the Greek army). Temptation is by far the most common way we are attacked by Satan, and also the kind that we have the greatest responsibility to avoid.

In addition to these traps for our souls or our computers, there is also malware that attacks before we do anything. Things like computer viruses don't necessarily need you to activate it before it starts wreacking havoc with your computer. Sometimes in our lives we are afflicted by the agency of others, by bad luck, or by accident. Very rarely are we rewarded in this life exactly according to our works and our desires (D&C 137:9). Instead we have opportunities to adapt to a variety of circumstances, to grow and become better. It is only Satan that wants us to suffer, and at times he'll instigate our suffering or try to persuade us to give up because of it. We cannot let him win. At times that we are tempted to give in to anger or misery because of our circumstances, we should instead seek to do our best and use the opportunity to come closer to the Lord.