By Degrees...

Amalickiah is quite the evil man, in fact, he might even trump volde-- I mean he who must not be named.

His whole plan is to be king over the Lamanites so he can conquer the Nephites.

At one point he finds himself with a small army camping for the night at the bottom of a hill. (Alma 47:9)

He is preparing them to go to battle on the morrow but has another scheme in the background.

The whole time he is trying to meet with the leader of the other army, Lehonti. 

He tried to get him to come down and conference with him, and he refused.

He tried again only to get refused once more.

Refused on the third, once more.

On the fourth try he said that he would meet him and that Lehonti could "come down, and that he would bring his guards with him." (47:12)

Lehonti knew he shouldn't even mess with Amalickiah let alone meet with him, but Amalickiah made him feel safe and allowed him to come down from his stronghold with his guards.

Through trickery Amalickiah manipulates Lehonti into combining armies and putting him second in charge.

Amalickiah then poisons Lehonti "by degrees..." (47:18) and becomes leader over the Army.

We are in our strongholds as we read and pray. Satan does not necessarily attack our strong holds but makes us feel safe enough to leave them and meet him half way.

Never does Satan make it obvious his plans, and never are they easily detected.

He will poison us by degrees every time we leave our stronghold.

Do not leave your stronghold, continue to pray and read the words of God. They will always protect you. Never go down, never even give Satan the time of day, because when we do, that is when he can begin to administer the poison. 

With the Lord anything is possible, and he will always be our song and  our Joy as long as we come closer to him. "Great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." (2 Nephi 22)