If we use or manipulate others to get something done, it indicates that something is rotten. If we do things for appearance's sake instead of reality, we should recognize that what we are doing is not of the holy God. At best, we are doing the will of a carnal person—ourselves. At worst, we are doing the will of someone even more unscrupulous. God decries both sides of deception, commanding us not to bear false witness, which covers all forms of dishonesty, and urgently warning us not to allow ourselves to be deceived, taken in, hoodwinked, or used by others in their schemes, machinations, or manipulations. Jesus counsels us to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves, striking a balance to avoid being ensnared by evil or planting seeds that bear bitter fruit for ourselves and others.

When sitting down to eat with a ruler or supervisor, one must consider carefully what lies before him and exercise strict self-control, for the invitation often serves as a means by which the host seeks to gain advantage. The ruler may extend hospitality in a convivial setting precisely because food and drink lower defenses and render the guest more agreeable to a proposal or arrangement that would otherwise be examined more critically. At the same time the guest may entertain the thought of turning the occasion to his own profit by securing favor, promotion, or gain. Both attitudes reflect self-centered motives that God warns against, instructing His children to keep their wits about them and to represent Him through moderation rather than through manipulation or the desire to be manipulated. When the host's heart is not truly with the guest, his words of welcome mask an intent to ensnare; likewise, when the guest's heart is set on personal advancement, his pleasant conversation becomes an instrument of self-promotion. In either case the morsel eaten yields no lasting benefit and is ultimately rejected, for each party has used the meal for private ends instead of approaching it with upright intent. Such occasions therefore expose the underlying character of those involved and illustrate how ordinary acts of eating can reveal whether a person is driven by self-interest or by the self-control that glorifies God.

The theme of using others emerges as part of the broader discussion of how carnal human nature mirrors Satan's own character and rebellion against God. Just as Satan gathers and manipulates the nations for his final rebellion in Revelation 20:7-9, exploiting them to serve his own opposition to God, the old man within each person exhibits this same willingness to use people for personal ends. The old man has no problem using people for his own ends, even sacrificing them, because his ends always justify his means. This parallel is drawn directly from Satan's pattern of deception, in which he readily sacrifices the nations he deceives in his doomed campaign against God's government, showing that his professed concern is never for those he manipulates but only for his own self-exaltation. This tendency to use others is presented as evidence that carnal nature retains the spiritual image of Satan, since both operate from the same root of self-centeredness. Satan's fruits are always chaos, sin, misery, and destruction, and human nature, when released from restraint, produces the same fruits in type. The connection between Satan's manipulation of the nations and an individual's manipulation of other people underscores that the real problem is not merely external deception but an internal proclivity of the human heart to prioritize self-advantage over submission to God. The text explains that our old man bends the truth or even lies boldly for camouflage, self-preservation, or self-advantage, radiating pride, antagonism, competition, and selfish ambition—qualities that inevitably lead to treating others as mere instruments for one's own goals rather than as fellow beings deserving consideration. This pattern is tied to the larger message that Satan's release after the Millennium is not only for his own final judgment but also to reveal, in type, the unchanging nature of unconverted human character. Just as Satan wagers that he can escape the consequences of his rebellion, the old man within believers gambles that the consequences of selfish, exploitative behavior will not apply to him. The willingness to use others thus becomes a test, much like the test for the nations, revealing whether a person is yielding to God's Spirit or still governed by the self-serving impulses of the flesh. The ultimate solution presented is not merely behavioral restraint but the replacement of human nature entirely with God's nature, which will never again seek to manipulate, exploit, or sacrifice others for selfish gain, ensuring that God's creation will remain undefiled once His purpose is fully accomplished.

The Pharisee in the parable trusted in himself that he was righteous and despised others, treating them with contempt as nothing and viewing them from a position of self-elevated religious egotism. This attitude made him a proud, conceited, vain, narcissistic, self-absorbed, arrogant user of other people, extending even to his use of God by declaring his own greatness and goodness while robbing God of the honor, respect, and reverence due Him. Such pride creates war against both God and others by pushing self-concern beyond reasonable bounds, rendering a person intolerant, prejudiced, and dismissive of others' needs while assuming one can do no wrong. It leads to rationalizing lies, murder, adultery, fornication, or rebellion against parents, all justified through trust in one's own thinking and disdain for those affected. This self-centered pattern stands in direct contrast to the humility modeled by the publican, who recognized his spiritual bankruptcy before God rather than exalting himself. The same pride that fuels using others closes the door to acceptance by God, even where belief exists, because it prevents the submission required for genuine faithfulness, persistent prayer, and love expressed through keeping the commandments. In the broader instruction, this self-exaltation must be overcome by choosing humility rooted in faith, allowing one to receive the Kingdom as a little child and to persist without fainting, thereby keeping life focused on God rather than on self.

Coveting develops as a grasping inward desire that leads people to use others by treating their property, relationships, and well-being as resources for self-advancement. This begins with perceptions of beauty or abstract longings for power and prestige, then moves to deliberate actions that disregard the rights of neighbors, as seen when marketers exploit conformity pressures to urge purchases that place one ahead of others. The tenth commandment counters this by placing a sevenfold guard around the household, wife, field, servants, and possessions of another, establishing that the law protects the interests of others rather than permitting self-centered acquisition. Such using of others appears in the prosperity of ancient Judah, where the people grew fat through covetousness, ignored justice for the fatherless and needy, and dealt falsely while claiming peace. The same pattern surfaces in modern systems of credit and advertising that encourage possessing goods before they can be afforded, creating debt and economic dependence on neighbors. Jesus deepens the commandment by tracing lust and covetous thoughts to the heart, where they must be amputated before they become deeds that defile another person. Paul identifies covetousness as idolatry because it elevates self-seeking above God and neighbor, and James shows that unchecked desire draws a person away until sin against others is conceived and produces death. Throughout, the material connects this violation to the absence of peace, the choking of spiritual fruit, and the broader failure to keep the other commandments, since every sin against a neighbor springs from the inward drive to take what belongs to another rather than to give outgoing concern.

People who advance themselves through selfish ambition or conceit take advantage in the use of others, employing them as means to personal elevation and advancement. This practice forms the root of division within the congregation, as it substitutes self-exaltation for the lowliness of mind that esteems others better than oneself and looks out for their interests as well as one's own. Such conduct arises when zeal is misdirected by human nature rather than submitted to the Spirit, producing cliques and disunity even among those who otherwise exhibit genuine commitment. In contrast, the mind that was in Christ Jesus refused to grasp equality with God as a prize to be retained, instead divesting Himself of glory, power, and privilege to take the form of a servant. This choice of humility, carried through to obedient death, supplies the pattern for resolving differences: each person must deliberately set aside self-will and personal advantage, allowing the same attitude to govern relationships. The result is unity grounded in mutual submission, as the divine nature imparted by the Spirit empowers believers to will and to act according to God's good pleasure rather than exploiting others for selfish ends.