Setting out to rescue someone from a cult is serious business. It should not be approached lightly. Not only can a poorly planned attempt leave the cultist more hopelessly entrenched, but it can also put the would-be rescuer at risk.

“Who, me?” some readers may be scoffing to themselves. “Why, I would never become a Jehovah’s Witness!” And I am sure that they are sincere and fully convinced in that confidence. But, so was I when I spoke those identical words early in 1968. A few months later I went on to study with the Witnesses, was baptized as a full-fledged member the following spring, and remained in the organization for thirteen years.

“For false Christs and false prophets will arise,” Jesus warned, “and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24 rsv). Overconfidence has no place in dealing with such powerful forces. I have known personally a number of people who had originally set out to expose the Watchtower’s deceptions, only to end up fully deceived themselves. Some of these were husbands seeking to liberate their wives from the sect, but even trained cult fighters are not immune. One such individual who represented himself as a “born-again, spirit-filled Christian” was on the staff of a counter-cult ministry when he allowed Jehovah’s Witnesses to start a study with him, so that he could lead them to Christ. Instead, he was led into the Watchtower, publicly renouncing his Christian faith and becoming fully involved at Kingdom Hall. (He eventually came to his senses again and left the group, but only after many months of misery.)

In another case a Baptist deacon sat in on a study two JW ladies had started with his wife.  The deacon’s aim was to prove the JWs wrong, but instead he ended up following his wife out of the church and into the Watchtower organization. He remained in it until his death, years later.

One of the dozens of individuals I personally led into the sect was a Lutheran Sunday-school teacher and treasurer of the local Lutheran church. This man was skeptical at first, but soon became convinced I was teaching him “the Truth.” He resigned his position and membership in the Lutheran church and began attending Kingdom Hall.

So it is not wise to boast, as I myself once did, that “it could never happen to me.” Recognizing your own vulnerability will be a good first step toward safeguarding yourself. The second step should be to enlist the aid of others—preferably someone knowledgeable and experienced. But if such an expert is not available, at least get some friends to be prayer partners with you. Share your research with them. Let them know when you plan to meet with your JW friend and what you plan to discuss. Then immediately after the encounter, regardless of whether it turns out to be a success or a disappointment, see your friends again to discuss with them what happened. Keep them fully informed of your efforts. Should you start to fall for some deceptive cultic argument, they will be able to discuss it with you right away and give you a different perspective.

Recognizing that there is strength in numbers, be sure not to fall into a trap where the odds are stacked against you—such as a discussion with a Witness friend or loved one who “just happens” to be accompanied by an elder or two, a circuit overseer, or another more experienced JW. Although you may have been practicing swordplay in the backyard, that does not mean that you are ready to take on the Three Musketeers. Yet that is exactly the sort of match you would be up against in such an encounter. If you find yourself unexpectedly facing such overwhelming odds, simply excuse yourself, saying that you will be happy to meet with your Witness friend alone on another occasion.

Be sure, too, that you yourself are strong enough for the challenge. This involves more than simply being fully prepared to speak on the Witnesses; the strength of your own faith must be capable of sustaining you under test. Besides knowing what is wrong with Watchtower doctrine, you must also know what you believe, and why. The tactic JWs are taught to use when under attack is a strong counterattack, aimed at what they perceive to be your weakest spot.

Counterfeit money can not stand up to a comparison with the real thing, but someone who spends all his time looking at phony bills and never sees real ones could be fooled by a good fake. Likewise with religion: if you are going to do battle with a cult, it is vital that you spend time sharing in worship and fellowship with real Christians. Also draw close to God in prayer. Counterfeit Christianity is pale and flimsy in comparison with the real thing. If your faith is solidly founded on biblical knowledge, and you know God personally through a close, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will be able to march into this or any other battle fearing nothing.