{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_12586/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_12586","id":"gutenberg_12586","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12586","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Religion/Spirituality","Devil -- Christianity","Spiritual life -- Christianity"],"text":"SATAN\n\nBy\n\nLEWIS SPERRY CHAFER\n\n1909\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nContents\n\n\nForeword, by Dr. C. I. Scofield\n\nAuthor's Introduction\n\n   I. The Career of Satan\n  II. The Ages\n III. The Course of This Age\n  IV. This Age and the Satanic System\n   V. The Satanic Host\n  VI. Satan's Motive\n VII. Satan's Methods\nVIII. The Man of Sin\n  IX. The Fatal Omission\n   X. Modern Devices\n  XI. The Believer's Present Position\n XII. The Believer's Present Victory\n\n\n\n\nForeword.\n\n\nIf any word of mine shall add to the number of the readers of this book\nI shall be glad to have written it; and I sincerely wish that all\nbelievers, and especially all ministers and Christian workers, might in\nsome way be led to read it.\n\nThe subject is vital to any right understanding of the age in which we\nlive, and of the personal conflict which we wage; for the existence,\npersonality, and power of Satan are awful facts and of immense present\nsignificance.\n\nWe walk in the midst of his snares, hear on every hand his doctrines\nproclaimed by men of blameless lives \"transformed as the ministers of\nrighteousness,\" and are allured by the pleasure, place and power of his\nperfectly organized world-system.\n\nI know of no other book on Satan in which the dispensational aspects of\nthe subject are so clearly stated, nor any other so severely Biblical.\n\nC. I. Scofield.\n\n\n\n\nIntroduction.\n\n\nThe world has been willing to comply with the wishes and projects of\nSatan to the extent of ceasing to believe that he really exists; this\nunbelief being most advantageous to his present undertakings. Yet the\nopinions of men have never changed the facts of revelation, and,\naccording to Scripture, Satan exists; still possessed with great power\nand influence over the affairs of men--a power and influence to be\nincreasingly dreaded as this present age advances.\n\nThe teachings of Scripture on this important subject are but little\nunderstood by Christians and seem to be entirely outside the thought of\nthe world. It is, therefore, to be expected that any attempt to present\nthis truth will seem, to many, mere folly and fiction.\n\nThe name Satan has by no means been lost. It has, however, been\nassociated with a most unscriptural fancy. Without reference to\nrevelation, the world has imagined a grotesque being, fitted with\nstrange trappings, who has been made the central character in theatrical\nperformances; and by this relation to the unreality of the theatre, the\nreal character of Satan has come to be only one of the myths of a bygone\nage.\n\nScripture reveals a detailed description of the person and career of\nSatan; beginning with his creation; his original condition; his fall,\nand on to his kingdom with all its developments, and his final defeat\nand banishment. It presents a personage so mighty and so prominent in\nthe world to-day that the Christian heart would fail, were it not for\nfaith in the One who has triumphed over all principalities and powers.\n\nThis attempt to outline the Scripture teaching on this character will be\nundertaken under certain general conditions:\n\nFirst--The authority of the Scriptures of both the Old and the New\nTestaments will be accepted without question.\n\nSecond--Evidence will be drawn from the Word of God alone, since no\nfinal light can be found on this subject other than it has pleased God\nto reveal in the Bible.\n\nThird--There will be no discussion as to the actual existence of Satan;\nthis being both assumed and taught from Genesis to Revelation.\n\nThese pages are prepared especially for believers; knowing that this\nbody of truth will be wholly unnoticed or rejected by the Satan-blinded\nworld (2 Cor. 4:4).\n\nThere has also been a deep sense of the seriousness of the undertaking:\nboth because Satan, by his present direct power, would, if possible,\nhinder any larger understanding of his projects and purposes; and\nbecause so great a warning has fallen from the lips of Christ against\nthe sin of ascribing to Satan the things which are really of God (Matt.\n12:22-32). The work has, therefore, been undertaken with some degree of\nreliance upon the keeping and guiding power of the Spirit of God, and is\npresented with the prayer that believers may have a clearer\nunderstanding of this important body of truth and be able to say with\nPaul, \"We are not ignorant of his devices.\" It is also desired that\nsome clearer vision of this mighty foe may be had which will cause the\nchild of God to realize the overwhelming power of his adversary and be\nconstrained to \"be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might;\"\nthat greater victory may be had in the realization of the whole will of\nGod.\n\n\n\n\nChapter I.\n\nThe Career of Satan\n\n\nThis chapter is a brief outline of the past, present and future of\nSatan, which is taken up at this point both that the following chapters\nmay be more easily studied and because of the fact that those passages\nwhich deal most directly with his earliest condition are closely\ninterwoven with predictions of his future and final defeat.\n\nRevelation in regard to Satan begins with that dateless period between\nthe perfect creation of the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1) and the\ndesolating judgment which ended that period, when the earth became waste\nand empty (Gen. 1:2; Isa. 24:1; Jer. 4:23-26). One passage, Ezek.\n28:11-19, deals at length with Satan and his relation to that age. In\nthis Scripture Satan is evidently described under the title of \"The King\nof Tyrus.\" Like the Messianic Psalms,--wherein the Psalmist is\napparently referring to himself, though statements are made and\nconditions described that could only be connected with the Messiah, the\nSon of God,--so, here, that which is addressed to \"The King of Tyrus\"\nis, by its character, seen to be a direct reference to the person of\nSatan; for no similar person to whom this description could apply is\nrevealed in Scripture. In the previous as well as the following chapters\nthe final judgment of Jehovah is pronounced upon the enemies of His\nchosen people. Satan is distinctly numbered among these enemies in I\nChron. 21:1; and his record and judgment naturally appear in this list.\n\nEvery sentence of this extended passage is a distinct revelation and is\nworthy of long and careful study. Only a passing reference can be made\nto it here. The passage is as follows:\n\n\"Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up\na lamentation upon the King of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the\nLord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in\nbeauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone\nwas thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the\nonyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle and\ngold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in\nthee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub\nthat covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain\nof God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.\nThou wast perfect in thy ways from the day thou wast created, till\niniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they\nhave filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned:\ntherefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I\nwill destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of\nfire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast\ncorrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to\nthe ground, I will lay thee before Kings, that they may behold thee.\nThou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thy iniquities,\nby the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from\nthe midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes\nupon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that\nknow thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a\nterror, and never shalt thou be any more.\"\n\nThis passage describes much of the early and latter career of Satan.\nTwice is his creation referred to. In verse fifteen it is stated that he\nwas created perfect, and in verse thirteen that perfection is set forth\nin detail by the suggestive symbols of precious gems. He was also \"full\nof wisdom,\" \"perfect in beauty,\" filling up the sum of perfection. In\nverse fourteen he is called the \"anointed cherub that covereth.\" By this\nthe purpose of the Creator is revealed. The general interpretation of\nthis verse is that Satan was created as a guard or protector to the\nthrone of the Most High. This is reasonable. Like the golden cherubim,\ncovering the visible mercy seat in the Holy of Holies of the earthly\ntabernacle, he was created a guard and covering cherub to the heavenly\ncenter of Glory. It is expressly stated that he was located by the Most\nHigh upon the holy mountain of God, the mountain of God being a symbol\nof the center of God's power, government, and eternal throne (Ps. 48:1;\n68:15; Isa. 2:2). Over this exalted throne Satan was set as a covering\ncherub. He is also said to have been in \"Eden, the garden of God,\" which\nis evidently another Eden than that in which Satan appeared as a\nserpent. It is probably a reference to the primitive creation, and the\nwhole passage suggests a position of great authority for which he was\ncreated and anointed; a position from which he fell, drawing with him a\nhost of beings over whom he had governing influence and power.\n\nAgain, it is stated that Satan was perfect in all his ways from the day\nhe was created. It is important to notice both that he was created, and\nthat he was created perfect. Since he was created, he is not\nself-existent, and never can be free from his dependence upon the\nCreator. He may vainly propose to become independent, and even be\npermitted for a time to act under that delusion; but that would only\ndelay the inevitable judgment that awaits him. He was created perfect,\nor was a perfect fulfilment of the Creator's intention. Satan was a free\nmoral agent; capable of choosing evil, but not obliged to do so. That he\nchose evil must ever be his own condemnation; for the Creator had\nsurrounded him with sufficient motives to choose the good.\n\nThe crime of Satan is partly revealed in verse sixteen and this is\nfollowed by an exact description of his final judgment as it is\npredicted in the book of Revelation.\n\nThe important teaching of this passage is of Satan's first position and\npower--a power and wisdom sufficient to guard the throne of God from\nevery possible enemy, and a glory and beauty that would become the\nhighest officer in the Court of Heaven. By this revelation his present\nposition and power may be estimated.\n\nThe revelation next in importance is that of his crime; this is clearly\nset forth in Isa. 14:12-20. Before reading this passage it should be\nnoticed that the prophet's vision of Satan, here recorded, is from the\ntime of his final judgment, and the prophet is looking backward over\nSatan's whole career. Much that is still future is, therefore, referred\nto as though it were past. The passage is as follows:\n\n\"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art\nthou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou\nhast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my\nthrone above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the\ncongregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights\nof the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought\ndown to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly\nlook upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the\nearth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a\nwilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house\nof his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in\nglory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave\nlike an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain,\nthrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a\ncarcass trodden under feet.\"\n\nHere Satan appears under a different title. When he is seen in the\nprimal glory, as described in Ezekiel 28:11-19, he bears the earthly\ntitle of \"The King of Tyrus\" and when fallen from that sphere, he bears\nthe heavenly title of \"Lucifer, Son of the Morning.\" It is as though,\nbeing out of harmony with the Creator by his sin, he is out of harmony\nwith every sphere in which he may appear. This glorious heavenly title,\n\"Lucifer, Son of the Morning,\" speaks of his first place in the\ncelestial sphere, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons\nof God shouted for joy (Job 38:7). It would indicate a position near to\nthe unsurpassed glory of \"The Bright and Morning Star,\" \"The Sun of\nRighteousness\" who shall yet arise with healing in His wings.\n\nSatan is here again said to be fallen from heaven. Of this fall Jesus\nspeaks in Luke 10:18, \"I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.\"\n\nThe reference in both of these passages is not to Satan's moral\ndegeneration but rather to a great event when he was, because of his\nsin, driven from his place in glory and made to inhabit the earth and\nair (Eph. 2:2; 6:12; I Pet. 5:8). Yet he was granted the privilege of\naccess to the presence of God (Job 1:6; Rev. 12:10).\n\nReferring to these texts: In the first two chapters of the book of Job,\nSatan is seen appearing in the midst of other heavenly beings, before\nthe presence of Jehovah; and there seems to be nothing unusual in the\npresence of Satan in this celestial company. To the question of Jehovah,\n\"Whence cometh thou?\" he replies, \"from going to and fro in the earth\nand from walking up and down in it.\" From this revelation the important\ninformation is given that Satan, while inhabiting the earth and air, is\nfree to appear in the presence of God. His occupation of the earth and\nair is also taught in Eph. 6:11, 12. Here believers are addressed as\nfollows: \"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand\nagainst the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh\nand blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against\nthe world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual host of\nwickedness in the heavenlies\" (R.V.). Another injunction to believers is\ncontained in I Pet. 5:8, 9: \"Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the\ndevil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:\nwhom withstand steadfast in your faith.\"\n\nThese two latter passages, taken together, restate with greater emphasis\nthe revelation in regard to the present abode of Satan. That the earth\nand the air are his present abode must be accepted on the testimony of\nScripture: in spite of the almost universal impression that he is now in\nhell.\n\nIn addition to this statement in regard to Satan's fall, the passage in\nIsaiah, which is under consideration, reveals two aspects of his present\nactivity. He is first seen seeking to establish a throne for himself,\nand then as the promoter of confusion and terror in the Divine purpose\nin the world. This is followed with another statement of the certainty\nof his final judgment and banishment.\n\nThe crime of Satan is concisely stated in the fourteenth verse as being\na purpose in his heart to become _like_ the Most High. His heart was\nlifted up because of his beauty; he who was created and placed as the\n\"Covering Cherub,\" with the high honor of guarding the throne of God,\nhas corrupted his wisdom by reason of his brightness; he has struck at\nthe throne he was set to protect. It was a purpose in his heart which\nwould require the time of the ages to wholly destroy. There could be\nbut one Most High, and the purpose of Satan to become like him could,\nnaturally, be nothing less than an attempt to dethrone the Almighty.\n\nThe secret purpose in his heart reveals his method to be, not a violent\nattack upon the throne: but, like Absalom's, to steal the hearts of the\nunfaithful in the kingdom, and, through subtlety, to gain a government.\nHe would thus become an object of worship, and attract attention from\nother beings to himself. To accomplish this, a hindering attitude must\nbe assumed toward the purpose and projects of the Most High. No adequate\nappreciation can be formed of Satan's present projects and devices, and\nthe motive that prompts them, without a clear understanding of his\nage-abiding attitude toward the Person of God.\n\nThere are two prominent events revealed in the history of Satan, falling\nwithin the period of time when he proposed in his heart to become like\nthe Most High, and his yet future banishment and execution. The first of\nthese was his meeting with and triumph over the first Adam; when he\nwrested the scepter of authority from man, by securing man's loyal\nobedience to his own suggestion and counsel. This earthly scepter Satan\nheld by the full right of conquest, seemingly without challenge from\nJehovah, until the first advent of the Second Adam; this meeting of the\nSecond Adam, Christ, with Satan being the second great event which is\nrevealed during this period in his career. Only the unfolding of the\ncoming ages can reveal the magnitude of this terrible conflict. A\nglimpse is revealed from time to time of the unceasing effort of Satan\nto triumph over the Second Adam, as he had done over the first. He met\nHim in the wilderness, offering Him all he had gained from the first\nAdam, even the kingdom of this world; if only he might become like the\nMost High, and receive the obedient worship and adoration of the Second\nAdam, the Son of God. Again he is seen voicing his attempt to dissuade\nthe Christ from His sacrificial death, through the impetuous Peter; and\nstill again in the crushing attack upon the very life of Jesus in the\nGarden, when, it would seem, Satan attempted to take that life before it\ncould be offered for the sins of the world.\n\nHowever victorious Satan may have been over the first Adam, it is\ncertain that he met a complete and final judgment and sentence in the\nSecond Adam; and that bruising of the serpent's head was realized which\nwas a part of the Adamic covenant. Referring to His Cross, Jesus said,\n\"Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world\nbe cast out\" (Jno. 12:31). And again in Jno. 16:11, \"Of judgment because\nthe prince of this world is judged.\" Still another Scriptural testimony\nto this great defeat of Satan is recorded in Col. 2:13-15: \"Having\nforgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances\nthat was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the\nway, nailing it to the cross; and having spoiled principalities and\npowers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.\" It\nis, therefore, clear that, though Satan may have triumphed over the\nfirst Adam and thereby become the god and prince of this world; he\nhimself was perfectly and finally triumphed over and judged by the\nsecond Adam in the Cross.\n\nIt is quite possible, however, that a sentence may be pronounced and\nmade known some time before that sentence is actually executed. During\nsuch an interval a criminal is said to be under sentence awaiting his\nexecution, which some higher authority has decreed. This period of\nsentence is that in which Satan appears in the present age; which age\nhad its beginning with the Cross. Execution of this sentence would have\nbanished him forever. That he is not banished is revealed in the fact\nthat he, even after his judgment in the Cross, is referred to in\nScripture as still being in authority over this world.\n\nAn illustration of Satan's present relation to this world may be taken\nfrom the history of Saul and David. It is natural that David, the first\nto occupy the Davidic throne, should be a type of Christ, the last and\nmost glorious occupant of that throne (Luke 1:31-33). As there was a\nperiod between the anointing of David and the final banishment of Saul,\nin which Saul reigned as a usurper, though under Divine sentence and\nDavid was the God-appointed king: in like manner there is now a similar\nperiod in which Satan rules as a usurper, though under sentence; and the\nactual occupation of the throne by Christ is still future. In this\nperiod Satan, the rejected monarch, still rules; hunting to the death\nall those who have allied themselves with Christ, the God-anointed King.\n\nWhy Satan is thus allowed to continue his reign is perhaps but partly\nrevealed. The real Church which is the Bride of Christ, is to sit with\nHim upon His throne (Rev. 3:21; I Cor. 6:2, 3; Matt. 19:28), and the\npresent age must continue until that glorious heavenly people are\ngathered out from the world by regeneration. Again, it seems the course\nof Divine wisdom to make a sufficient and final trial of every claim of\nHis adversaries; and when this age, with all its developments, shall\nhave passed by, every mouth will be stopped, and the whole world and\nSatan will know their own failure and sin before God. They will stand\nself-condemned; and nothing could accomplish this but the testing, by\nactual trial, of all the self-sufficient claims of Satan and man. The\nsin of man has brought him under sentence too; and grace alone withholds\nhis immediate execution (Jno. 3:18; Rom. 5:18, 19). Though the day of\nexecution is, in the purpose of God delayed; it is, nevertheless, sure;\nand the time is fast approaching when an awful destruction of\nself-enthroned beings will be executed; and He alone shall reign, whose\nright it is to reign; \"for He must reign until He hath put all enemies\nunder His feet\" (I Cor. 15:25). The Kingly Son shall yet arise and claim\nthe nations of the earth and \"break them with a rod of iron, and dash\nthem in pieces as a potter's vessel\" (Ps. 2:9).\n\nIt would seem that Satan cherishes the expectation of actually\naccomplishing his purpose until near the end of his career (though the\ndemon testimony of Matt. 8:29 is suggestive on this point). Preceding\nhis banishment to the pit, he is violently cast out of heaven and into\nthe earth, according to Rev. 12:7-12; and his activity, from that time\non is limited to that sphere. He is no longer granted access to God. The\npassage is as follows:\n\n\"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the\ndragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither\nwas there place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast\nout, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the\nwhole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast\nout with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come\nsalvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His\nChrist: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accuseth\nthem before God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the\nLamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives\nunto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in\nthem. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil\nis come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he\nhath but a short time.\"\n\nHere Satan is pictured as being in great wrath as he is banished from\nheaven into the earth, \"knowing that he has but a short time.\" After\nthis short time, which is a terrible tribulation in the earth, Satan is\nbound and cast into a pit; this being an event in the glorious return of\nChrist to the earth, where He will reign on the throne of His Father\nDavid for a thousand years. Satan is confined to the pit during the same\nperiod, at the end of which he is released for \"a little season.\" He\nthen gathers an army for a last and terrible attack upon the government\nand people of God, which ends in his being banished to the lake of fire,\nwhere he meets his final and long predicted doom. These events are\nclearly stated in their order in the nineteenth and twentieth chapters\nof Revelation.\n\nSatan is thus revealed as having been first created perfect in all his\nways, mighty in power, and full of beauty and wisdom. While thus\nprivileged, he proposed a stupendous project in his heart--himself to\nbecome like the Most High. Though cast down and yet having access to\nGod, he is seen wresting the world scepter from man; and ruling as the\ngod of this world, until the judgment of the Cross; and after that he\nstill rules as a usurper. At the end of the age he is cast out of his\naccess to heaven, into the earth; from thence to the pit; and, finally,\nis banished to the lake of fire forever.\n\nThis review of the career of Satan is made at this point in order to\ncall attention to the direct and mighty influence he exerts upon the\naffairs of this world according to his varying positions and freedom.\n\nAfter Satan rebelled, humanity, too, was thrown into an abnormal and\nalmost universal attitude of independence toward God; and this continues\nbeyond the Cross with increasing confusion and darkness, to the end of\nthe age. The only exception to this rebellion is the little company of\nbelievers; and how terribly real is the tendency to the self-governed\nlife of the old nature, even among these! When Satan is cast out of\nheaven and limited to the earth, there is tribulation upon the earth of\nwhich Jesus speaks in Matt. 24:21, and which is also referred to in Dan.\n12:1. When Satan is bound and put in the pit, and the promised Kingdom\nof Christ has come, there is peace covering the earth as waters cover\nthe face of the deep.\n\nCan it be doubted that this mighty being is a living power, acting\ndirectly over the affairs of men, even in this self-glorying age?\n\n\n\n\nChapter II.\n\nThe Ages.\n\n\nIt is a conspicuous fact that the comparatively few errors and\ninconsistencies in translation, found in the English Authorized Version\nof the New Testament, serve to hinder, directly or indirectly, any clear\nunderstanding of the teachings of Scripture in regard to the conditions\nand relationships of the world at the present time. Even the revision\ndid not greatly relieve this confusion beyond the addition of some\nhelpful marginal renderings. It would seem, if it were possible, that\nSatan, the author of confusion and the only one advantaged by it, had\nbeen able in some subtle way to keep in darkness that which would\notherwise be light; thus preventing a revelation of his own projects.\n\nThe continuation of these misleading translations is most evident in the\nunqualified use of the English word \"world.\" The word which, in common\nusage, has a limited meaning is used, by the translators, as the one\nEnglish rendering for at least four widely differing ideas in the\noriginal. So that, if the truth contained in this important body of\nScripture is to be understood, the student must not only know the\nvarious meanings which are expressed by the one word, but also be able\nto determine the correct use of the word in any single instance. This\nnecessary effort to understand the real meaning of many passages has,\ntherefore, placed the simple truth they contain beyond the average\nreader of the Bible.\n\nThe English word \"world\" as used in the New Testament may mean a\ndistinct period of time, commonly known as an age (as its original is a\nfew times translated); or it may refer to the things created: the earth,\nits inhabitants, or their institutions. Two of these original meanings\nare used in connection with this present time. First, as to an age, or\nperiod of time:\n\nThe ages are often referred to in Scripture, and the study of the exact\nconditions and purposes of each of them is not fanciful: but is rather\nthe only adequate foundation for any true knowledge of the Bible. Not\nall the ages can be taken up in this Chapter, but only such as may be\nconfused with the present one.\n\nThe age of law, which began with the giving of the law at Mount Sinai\nand ended, approximately, with the death of Christ, is mentioned by\nZacharias in his prophecy at the birth of John: \"As he spake by the\nmouth of his holy prophets which have been since the _age_ began\" (Lu.\n1:70). The same period is referred to by Peter in Acts 3:21: \"Whom the\nheavens must receive until the restitution of all things, which God hath\nspoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the _age_ began.\" These\nreferences, it will be seen, are not to the creation of the world, as\nthe English rendering would indicate; but to the beginning of that\nparticular period in which the prophets spake.\n\nThe present age of grace, in which the grace of God has had its\nappearing unto salvation, began where the age of law ended, or with the\ndeath of Christ; and will continue until He comes again. The duration of\nthis age is suggested by the communion table, which, being peculiar to\nthis age, will continue to its end. Of this sacrament it is said: \"As\noft as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's\ndeath till he come\" (I Cor. 11:26).\n\nAs a distinct period of time this age is mentioned by the word \"world\"\nno less than forty times in the New Testament. A few of these passages\nfollow: \"And whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man, it shall\nbe forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it\nshall not be forgiven him, neither in this world (age), neither in the\nworld (age) to come\" (Matt. 12:32). \"And as he sat upon the Mount of\nOlives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall\nthese things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the\nend of the world (age)?\" (Matt. 24:3). \"The field is the world (men);\nthe good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the\nchildren of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the\nharvest is the end of the world (age); and the reapers are the angels\"\n(Matt. 13:38, 39). \"And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of\nthe world (age)\" (Matt. 28:20). \"For the children of this world (age)\nare in their generation wiser than the children of light\" (Lu. 16:8).\n\"And set him at his own right hand in the heavenlies, far above all\nprincipality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is\nnamed, not only in this world (age), but that which is to come\" (Eph.\n1:20, 21). \"We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this\npresent world (age)\" (Titus 2:12). By these and many other passages, it\nmay be seen that the present age is a particular limited period of time\nin which special conditions are to prevail, and definite purposes are to\nbe realized.\n\nJudging from the mass of Christian writings and from utterances in\npublic address and prayer, this age is assumed by many, without\nquestion, to be the Kingdom of Christ; though no Scripture is found to\nwarrant that conclusion.\n\nThere is a kingdom of God which embraces the entire universe, over which\nGod is enthroned, and to this kingdom every enemy must finally be\nbrought back to original subjection and adjustment, or be banished\nforever. This final victory is described in I Cor. 15:24, 25: \"Then\ncometh the end, when He (Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to\nGod, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all\nauthority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies\nunder His feet.\"\n\nThere is a still more extensive body of Scripture which anticipates a\nliteral kingdom of righteousness and peace upon the earth; this theme\nbeing the burden of the Old Testament prophets, and was announced by\nJohn Baptist, by Christ and His disciples. This announcement was simple\nand plain: \"The kingdom is at hand.\" The expression \"at hand\" here used\nis significant; indicating not necessarily the immediate future, though\nthe kingdom was definitely offered to that generation; but that the\nearthly kingdom was the next event which had been clearly announced by\nthe prophets. When the Messiah had been positively rejected by the Jews,\nHe began, alone, without even the sympathy of His disciples, to unfold\nthis forthcoming mystery-age, which had been kept secret in the councils\nof God, and which was more perfectly revealed to Paul, the first\nmessenger to the Gentiles. Of this revelation of a hitherto unknown age,\nPaul writes in Eph. 3:1-11: \"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of\nJesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of\nthe grace of God which is given to me to you-ward: how that by\nrevelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few\nwords, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the\nmystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons\nof men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the\nSpirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body,\nand partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made\na minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by\nthe effectual working of His power. Unto me, who am less than the least\nof all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the\nGentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what\nis the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world\nhath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the\nintent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly _places_\nmight be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to\nthe eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.\"\n\nThe same truth is emphasized in Rom. 16:25: \"Now to him that is of power\nto stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus\nChrist, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept\nsecret since the world began.\"\n\nThis new age of the Gentiles was also to have its hope centered in Jesus\nChrist, but in His sacrificial death rather than His kingly reign. It\nwas to be an age in which the Gentiles were to be visited and a people\ncalled out from them for His own Person (Acts 15:14); and these people,\nwho are the real Church, were to be built together upon a rock (Matt.\n16:18); their glorious salvation and final heavenly perfection were to\nrest only on His perfect and finished work for them. By this Divine\ntransformation, He would secure, out of all nations, both Gentiles and\nJews, a heavenly people; wholly fitted in quality to be His own body,\nHis heavenly bride, and a kingdom of priests unto God.\n\nAll this, though not revealed in past ages, was known in the councils of\nGod (Acts 15:18) and is parenthetical in the history of the Jew. It is a\ndelay of their earthly kingdom and in no way its fulfillment or\nsubstitute.\n\nWant of knowledge of the right divisions of truth is also evident in the\ngeneral impression that God has cast off His people, the Jews, and that\nthe Gentiles are their rightful successors and the recipients of the\nblessings of their unfulfilled prophecies. This confusion is due to a\nfailure to distinguish between this and the following age.\n\nTwo distinct lines of seed were promised to Abraham. One, an earthly\nseed, to be like the dust of the earth, without number (Gen. 13:16),\ncentered wholly in the earth by a relationship of physical generation:\nthe other seed were likened to the stars of heaven, without number\n(Gen. 15:5), centered wholly in the heavenlies by a relationship of\nSpirit regeneration, which is the present answer of God to all true\nAbrahamic faith (Rom. 4:1-5). The earthly people found their origin in\nthe physical fatherhood of Abraham: while the heavenly people find\ntheirs in the shed blood of Christ. One had an earthly history from\nAbraham to their dispersion among the Gentiles--a history which will yet\nbe resumed and the everlasting covenants fulfilled in the faithfulness\nof God: the other has a transient earthly pilgrimage from the Cross to\ntheir completion; when they will be caught up to meet and marry their\nBridegroom, and be forever with the Lord (I Thes. 4:13-17).\n\nTo one, Christ is the coming glorious Messiah, who will actually sit\nupon the throne of His father, David (Lu. 1:31-33), in a literal earthly\nkingdom (else all Scripture language fails): to the other, He is the\nglorious Head of the Body, and coming Bridegroom. One of these lines of\nseed are the favored subjects in the earthly kingdom: while the other is\nto be in His bosom as a bride, and be associated with Him in His reign\n(I Cor. 6:2; Rev. 3:21).\n\nAs these two lines of seed are everywhere distinct, there must be at\nleast two separate ages for the accomplishment of these ends. What,\nthen, are these ages?\n\nIf it is believed that an earthly kingdom, with Messiah as King, is\npromised the Jew, it must also be admitted that the Jew is not now\nenjoying that kingdom; nor has he had any semblance of a kingdom in all\nthe centuries since his dispersion among the Gentiles. This age cannot,\ntherefore, be the predicted earthly kingdom of Christ. Turning to Acts\n15:13-18, a description of the present age and that which will follow is\nfound. The passage is here given: \"And after they had held their peace,\nJames answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath\ndeclared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of\nthem a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets;\nas it is written, after this I will return, and will build again the\ntabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the\nruins thereof, and I will set it up; that the residue of men might seek\nafter the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith\nthe Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all His works\nfrom the beginning of the world.\"\n\nIt is recorded that, after His resurrection, Jesus was seen for forty\ndays by His apostles whom He had chosen; and during this time He was\nspeaking to them concerning the _Kingdom_. It was natural, therefore,\nfor them to inquire, at the end of those days, \"Lord, wilt Thou at this\ntime restore again the kingdom unto Israel?\" (Acts 1:6) and they had\nfull warrant from the prophets to expect that great event when their\nMessiah came. They had not, however, grasped the meaning of the then\ndawning age of the gathering out of the Bride, and in this passage they\nare seen adjusting themselves to the newly revealed Divine program, and\nrecognizing the God-appointed delay in the predicted earthly kingdom.\n\nIn Acts 15: just referred to, the purpose and order of two distinct\nages is set forth. The first age is described as the \"visiting of the\nGentiles,\" that from among them a heavenly people may be called out, and\nis a description of this present age, which had its beginning in the\nvery generation in which this passage was written; for no previous age\ncould meet these conditions. The second age, here described, is that of\na distinct rebuilding of the Davidic order, which is clearly separated\nfrom the former age by the return of Christ. This same order of events\nis also carefully maintained wherever these events are referred to in\nScripture, and any confusion of the order is a positive violence to the\ntruth. The revealed consummation of this Gentile age is always the\nreturn of Christ, who comes first to receive His own; and then to render\njudgment upon all the nations and to bind the enemy and place him in the\npit. The same return of Christ is the necessary preliminary event before\nany kingdom of righteousness and peace can be realized upon the earth.\nNo amount of enlightened sentiment can establish a kingdom without a\nking; and no universal blessedness can be experienced in this world\nuntil the enemy is dethroned and banished. Sadly has the world failed to\ninclude these two necessary Divine movements, in its vain dream and\ngodless attempt at a perfected universe!\n\nThe purpose of this age is then clearly defined as the visiting of the\nGentiles to call out of them a people for His name; the called out\npeople being the true Church (as that word signifies), which is made up\nof all the saved ones who have been saved since the Day of Pentecost, at\nwhich time the Spirit came to unite them into one body and to indwell\nthem. They are the heavenly people, regenerate and complete in Christ,\ntheir Bridegroom and living Head.\n\nWhen this age is considered as the Kingdom of Christ it is usually\nthought of as in a state of development. This is a necessary conclusion\nin view of the presence of sin and failure in the world. But the setting\nup of the earthly kingdom is never described as the result of a process.\nScripture deals conclusively with this question.\n\nIn Dan. 2:34-35, an image is described, which is defined as being a\nsymbol of the then dawning Gentile world power (which is still\ncontinuing, Lu. 21:24). The image is here made to represent both the\ndevelopment of world rule and its terrible and final ending. The image\nis seen to be gradually developing from one world government to another\nuntil the form of the image is wholly completed. Its ending is then\nprecipitated by a shattering blow from a Stone, \"cut out without hands.\"\nBy the same inspired interpretation, the \"Stone\" becomes both a symbol\nof superhuman power, being \"cut out without hands;\" and a type of\nChrist, the Ancient of Days, in His coming to the earth as a resistless\nMonarch; banishing all rule and authority. A portion of the whole\npassage reads thus: \"Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without\nhands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay,\nand brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the\nsilver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the\nchaff of the summer threshing-floor; and the wind carried them away,\nthat no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image\nbecame a great mountain, and filled the whole earth\" (Dan. 2:34-35).\n\nThis being a Divinely interpreted prophecy as to the extent and ending\nof the present Gentile age, it should be noted that the Stone (Christ)\nstrikes the image (the world power) with one destructive blow, and at\nthe time when it has become fully developed. The blow is struck on the\npart of the image which is last formed. The great image is thus\ninstantly and violently broken to pieces and is even blown away \"like\nthe chaff of the summer threshing-floor.\" In like manner, according to\nthis prophecy, the whole Gentile rule will suddenly be broken and will\nvanish.\n\nIt should also be noted from these symbols that the Stone does not\n\"become a mountain and fill the whole earth\" until the great image has\nbeen scattered to dust. From this it is certain that there can be no\ndevelopment of the Kingdom of Christ on the earth before the final\nbreaking of the kingdoms of the earth. This same order is recognized\nthroughout all prophecy. The king suddenly returns as lightning shining\nfrom one part of heaven to the other; Satan is violently seized and cast\ninto prison; and a nation is born at once. The second Psalm connects the\nkingly reign of Christ--the time when He is set upon the holy hill of\nZion--with the time when He shall claim the nations of the earth and\n\"break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces as a potter's\nvessel.\" Also in Matt. 25:31, \"when He sits on the throne of His glory\"\nthe \"blessed of the Father\" are called to enter the kingdom prepared for\nthem from the foundation of the world. And in Rev. 12:7-12, where Satan\nis cast out into the earth and the execution of his sentence is begun,\nthe announcement is made by a great voice in heaven, \"Now is come\nsalvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of\nHis Christ.\" There is no evidence of a gradual process here; all is\nsudden and decisive.\n\nAgain, this age is not the coming earthly kingdom for nowhere are the\npromised conditions of that kingdom now to be found. The Old Testament\nprophecies contain long and detailed descriptions of that glorious time;\nGod's ancient people shall become the chosen nation, restored to their\nown land; the enemy shall be banished; the earth shall be purified, and\nblossom as a rose. \"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the\nleopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and\nthe fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow\nand the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together, and\nthe lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play\non the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the\ncockatrice den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain:\nfor the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters\ncover the sea\" (Isa. 11:6-9). \"And in that day will I make a covenant\nfor them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and\nwith the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the\nsword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down\nsafely\" (Hos. 2:18). \"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the\nmountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk,\nand all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain\nshall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of\nShittim\" (Joel 3:18). \"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I\ncome, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many\nnations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people:\nand I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord\nof hosts hath sent me unto thee\" (Zech. 2:10, 11). \"Thus saith the Lord\nof hosts; in those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take\nhold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the\nskirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have\nheard that God is with you\" (Zech. 8:23). \"For behold, I create new\nheavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor\ncome into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I\ncreate: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a\njoy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the\nvoice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.\nThere shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that\nhath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old;\nbut the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they\nshall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards,\nand eat the fruit of them\" (Isa. 65:17-21). \"Then the eyes of the blind\nshall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall\nthe lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in\nthe wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert\" (Isa.\n35:5, 6). \"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the\nhouse of Israel. After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in\ntheir inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God\nand they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his\nneighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they\nshall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,\nsaith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember\ntheir sins no more\" (Jer. 31: 33, 34). \"For unto us a child is born,\nunto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder:\nand His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The\neverlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His\ngovernment and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David,\nand upon the kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and\nwith justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts\nwill perform this\" (Isa. 9:6, 7). \"He shall be great, and shall be\ncalled the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the\nthrone of His Father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob\nforever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end\" (Lu. 1:32, 33). \"And\nHe shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the\noutcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the\nfour corners of the earth\" (Isa. 11:12). \"And He shall judge among many\npeople, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their\nswords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation\nshall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war\nany more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig\ntree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of\nhosts hath spoken it\" (Micah 4:3,4).\n\nThough blessings abound in the individual heart where Christ is\nenthroned, yet not one trace of this glorious transformed earth can be\nfound in the present Gentile age.\n\n\n\n\nChapter III.\n\nThe Course of This Age.\n\n\nIt is necessary to distinguish between rightly dividing the word of\ntruth, and a critical attitude toward that word; the former being an\nimportant duty in the believer's life, according to II Tim. 2:15, while\nthe latter may easily become a wicked and misleading display of unbelief\nand the wisdom of this world (I Cor. 1:19).\n\nPersonal interest in the Word of God usually begins with the first\nunderstanding of its real divisions; and no one is prepared to\nunderstand the providence of God who does not first come to know\nsomething of the purpose of God as marked off by these great divisions.\nEspecially is this necessary, as has been stated, for any clear\nunderstanding of the present age.\n\nAgain, the power and force of the whole body of Scripture must depend,\nin a large measure, upon a belief in unfulfilled prophecy. Such a belief\nis not general, even among Christians. They believe that Christ camp in\nthe flesh, suffered, died, and rose again, because that is all now a\nmatter of history; but that belief is not greatly influenced by the fact\nthat this was all exactly foretold by the prophets. Let those who are\nfree to condemn the pious Jew for not recognizing the fulfillment of\nprophecy in the first advent of Christ, beware lest they fail to rightly\ninterpret the signs of these times, or look with positive unbelief upon\nthe stupendous events that, according to prophecy, are imminent to-day.\nIt seems a sore test of faith to believe that which is predicted for the\npresent age, though those predictions are being fulfilled in every\nparticular. This prevailing attitude of unbelief usually arises from one\nof two errors; either Satan has been so estimated that it seems\nimpossible for him to be the promoter of anything that is moral or good\n(of this error more will be said in the following chapters): or the\nexact meaning and purpose of this age has been disbelieved or\nmisunderstood; and because of these conditions many enthusiastic\nChristians are found to be, not only working toward unscriptural and\nhopeless ends, but are actually contributing to the confusion and\ndarkness that is prevalent to-day.\n\nThe purpose and course of this age are not matters of prediction alone.\nAlmost two thousand years of history may be considered in the light of\nthese predictions; and while the age is not yet complete, and much that\nis reserved for the last days is still future, enough of prophecy has\nnow been fulfilled to indicate the certain fulfillment of all.\n\nSince there has been no universal conversion of men in even the most\nfavored locality, it is evident that, thus far, there has been a\nseparating and calling out of a few from the many; and the Divine\npurpose, as revealed in Scripture, which is to gather out a people from\nthe Gentiles for His own name, has been verified. The blessing of God\nhas been upon world-wide evangelism: rather than upon any fruitless\nattempts at world-wide conversion; for the individual or church that\nhas become self-centered has, to that degree, sacrificed the power and\nblessing of the presence of Christ which was promised in Matt. 28:20:\n\"Go ye therefore, and disciple all nations\"--\"Lo, I am with you alway,\neven unto the end of the age.\"\n\nAgain, the formation of the Kingdom has not been discernible in the\npresent age. The Jews, to whom alone the promises of an earthly kingdom\nbelong, have continued a separate people under the unseen hand of God,\nwithout a country, or a vestige of national life. Certainly none of the\npredicted and necessary events accompanying the establishment of their\nkingdom have been experienced, nor is there any trace of its promised\nblessings. The fact that some Jews are now organizing and looking toward\ntheir native land, argues nothing for this age, more than that its end\nis very near, and that the way for their coming Messiah and national\nglory is being prepared. Just so, the conspicuous fact that all the\nmarvelous present development of the resources of the earth has been\nlimited to about the last eightieth of the present history of the age is\nevidence that the earth's return to her former glory is already in\npreparation.\n\nBelief in the revealed course of this age is, therefore, based upon\nhistory as well as the predictions of Scripture.\n\nThe present age is different from all others by reason of the admixture\nof opposing classes of people; there being two distinct divisions (not\nincluding the Jew as a nation) living and acting together, who are,\nnevertheless, removed from each other by a degree that is immeasurable.\nThis fact necessitates many careful distinctions and special\ninjunctions which are peculiar to the age.\n\nThe fact that these two widely differing classes are present together,\nand are to continue so to the end of the age, is the teaching of the\nseven parables in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew. Very much,\ntherefore, depends upon the correct interpretation of these parables.\nTheir meaning has been somewhat hidden by the use of the word \"world\"\nwhere reference is made to this period of time; and the fact that the\nconditions described are true of this age only, has not been generally\nrealized.\n\nThese seven parables are but a description of the unfolding and\ndevelopment of these mixed elements to be found in Christendom\nthroughout this age. The same program is again proclaimed by Christ,\nfrom the Glory, in the messages to the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 2\nand 3). Here are seven letters to organized existing churches; yet these\nmessages also reveal an exact outline of the history of Christendom for\nthis entire age; and there is perfect agreement in order and detail\nbetween the parables of Matthew 13 and the letters of Revelation 2 and\n3. The first two parables are interpreted by Christ Himself, and the\ninterpretation of these sheds light on all that remains.\n\nChrist is the sower in both the first and second of these parables, and\nthe sowing is continued by His messengers throughout this age. The field\nis the world of men, which reveals a marked change from the\nresponsibility of the Jewish age that was then closing; and the results\nof the sowing are most definite: not all the good seed sown comes to\nfruitage; and the wheat and the tares grow _together_ until the end of\nthe age. This interpretation is not fanciful, for it is given by Christ\nHimself; and the following parables must necessarily agree with these.\nThe third and fourth are of the mustard seed and the measure of meal.\nThough commonly interpreted to mean the world-wide development of the\nChurch and the permeating influence of the Gospel, in the light of the\ninterpretation of the previous parables they can mean only the mixture\nof evil with that which began as small as a mustard seed and as pure as\nmeal. The fifth parable is of a treasure hid in a field, which pictures\nthe earthly people in the world; while their real relation to Christ is\ncovered until the accomplishment of that which is revealed in the sixth.\nHere the same man, the Lord Jesus Christ, sells all that He hath to\npurchase the Church, the pearl of great price, for He \"loved the Church,\nand gave Himself for it\" (Eph. 5:25); the pearl, by its formation and\nits power to reflect the light, being a wonderful type of the Church in\nher present formation and future place in glory. Both the treasure and\nthe pearl are found in the world, but do not include all of the world.\nThe last parable but restates the truth that the mixture of the good and\nthe evil is to continue to the end of the age.\n\nThe highest ambition of the great missionary, Paul, was to be all things\nto all men that he might save _some_, not _all_. He found that his\npreaching was a savor of \"death unto death\" as well as of \"life unto\nlife\" (II Cor. 2:15, 16), and he clearly states in II Tim. 3:13, \"And\nevil men shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.\"\nChrist also predicted that the end of this age should be marked by such\nsin as provoked the judgment of the flood: \"But as the days of Noe were,\nso shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that\nwere before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving\nin marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not\nuntil the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming\nof the Son of man be\" (Matt. 24:37-39).\n\nThis truth is often rejected as being pessimistic and disloyal to the\nprogress of the world: yet has not the history of the age verified the\nteaching? And is not the coming glory nearer and more certain when\ndepending upon His promised return in resistless power and splendor,\nthan when depending upon any human progress the world has ever known?\nOne is the majestic movement of the Divine program in fulfillment of\nevery covenant: while the other is the vain dream of the world in its\nignorance and disregard of the testimony of God.\n\nBecause of the presence of these two classes in the world in this age,\nthere are two very distinct lines of Scripture descriptive of them. One\nbody of Scripture directly applies to and governs the \"wheat\" or\nheavenly people, and one applies to the \"tares,\" the \"children of the\nevil one.\" The marvelous revelation of the believer's relation to Christ\nand the heavenlies, and his deliverance from any actual identification\nwith this age, though in it, will be the subject of another chapter.\nOnly the relation of the unregenerate to this world and to Satan will be\ncontinued here.\n\nAs it has pleased Satan to hide himself and all his projects from the\nunbelieving world, that which God has revealed in all faithfulness will\nbe received only by those who have unquestioning confidence in His Word.\n\nAccording to Scripture, the relation of the unbelieving to Satan is far\nmore vital than a mere pleasure-seeking allegiance. On two occasions\nJesus spoke of the unsaved as the \"children of Satan\" (Matt. 13:38; Jno.\n8:44), and Paul so addressed Elymas, the sorcerer, according to Acts\n13:10. The same class is also twice called the \"children of\ndisobedience\" (Eph. 2:2; Col. 3:6), and once it is called the \"children\nof wrath\" (Eph. 2:3).\n\nIt is evident that these are descriptions of the same class of people,\nsince both terms are employed together in Eph. 5:6: \"Let no man deceive\nyou: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the\nchildren of disobedience.\" The exact cause of that wrath is stated in\nRom. 1:18 (R.V.): \"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against\nall ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in\nunrighteousness;\" the word \"hinder\" being the same as is used in II\nThes. 2:7, where the Holy Spirit is said to be restraining the working\nof lawlessness in this age. Therefore, the willing neglect and disregard\nfor the testimony of God by the world, has allied them with Satan, and\nplaced them under the wrath of God, which must find its righteous\nexecution in due time if grace is not accepted.\n\nAgain, Satan is revealed as directing and empowering the children of\ndisobedience: \"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses\nand sins; wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of\nthis age, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit\nthat now worketh in the children of disobedience\" (Eph. 2:1, 2). The\nreal force of this passage, also, is dependent upon the meaning of one\nword; the word \"worketh\" being the same as is used in Phil. 2:13, where\nGod is said to impart His wisdom and strength to the believer: \"For it\nis God that _worketh_ in you both to will and to _do_ of his good\npleasure.\" Additional light may be had as to the reality of this\nrelationship from the following passages in which the same original word\nis used: \"And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same\nGod that _worketh_ all in all\" (I Cor. 12:6); \"But all these (gifts)\n_worketh_ that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man\nseverally as he will\" (I Cor. 12:11); \"And what is the exceeding\ngreatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working\nof His mighty power, which He _wrought_ in Christ when He raised Him\nfrom the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies\"\n(Eph. 1:19-20); \"For He that _wrought effectually_ in Peter to the\napostleship of the circumcision, the same was _mighty_ in me toward the\nGentiles\" (Gal. 2:8); \"Whereunto I also labor, striving according to His\nworking, which _worketh_ in me mightily\" (Col. 1:29); \"Now unto Him that\nis able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,\naccording to his power that _worketh_ in us\" (Eph. 3:20). It is also\nsaid in regard to the energizing power of Satan, using the same original\nword: \"For the mystery of iniquity doth already _work_\" (II Thes. 2:7);\n\"For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the\nlaw, did _work_ in our members to bring forth fruit unto death\" (Rom.\n7:5). In the last two passages quoted, the meaning is, like the\npreceding passages, of an imparted energy, and is, therefore, most\nsuggestive.\n\nIt may then be concluded from the testimony of Scripture that Satan\nimparts his wisdom and strength to the unbelieving in the same manner as\nthe power of God is imparted to the believer by the Holy Spirit. There\nis, however, no revelation as to the comparative degree of strength\nimparted by each. It should be further noted in this connection that\nthis impartation of energizing power from Satan is not toward a limited\nfew who might be said, because of some strange conduct, to be possessed\nof a demon; but is the common condition of all who are yet unsaved, and\nare, therefore, still in the \"power of darkness.\"\n\nThe relation between the unregenerate and Satan is still more vital,\naccording to the original from which I Jno. 5:19 is translated. The\nRevised Version renders it, with marginal note, as follows: \"We know\nthat we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one.\" In this\npassage there are two startling revelations in regard to this\nrelationship. First: the word \"in\" is the same as is used everywhere of\nthe believer when he is said to be _in_ Christ, and in the case of the\nbeliever it signifies an organic union to Christ--as a branch is _in_\nthe vine, so the believer is _in_ Christ. Though the word, when used of\nthe unregenerate, probably cannot mean the same degree of organic\nlife-relationship as exists between Christ and the believer, yet it\ndoes denote a deep relationship; and Satan is the light, inspiration,\nand power, of all those whom he energizes.\n\nThe second revelation in the passage is found in the word \"lieth\"--\"The\nwhole world lieth in the evil one.\" It might as well be translated\n\"lieth asleep;\" for its condition is not only a fixed position _in_ the\nevil one, but is also a condition of unconsciousness. The saved ones are\nsaid to be in the Father's hand where no created thing can pluck them\nout (Jno. 10:29), and underneath are the everlasting arms: so the great\nmass of unsaved humanity is in the arms of Satan; and by his subtlety\nthey are all unconscious of their position and relation. This is not at\nall strange. Even the believer has no present power to discern his\nglorious position and security in the Father's hand, apart from the\nassurance of the written Word. Much less, then, can the unbeliever come\nto realize his own position in the arms of Satan, when, under the\ndirection of Satan, he gives no heed to the testimony of God.\n\nStill another passage should be noted in this connection. In II Cor.\n4:3, 4, Satan is described as the god of this world, blinding the minds\nof the unbelieving. The whole passage is as follows: \"And if our gospel\nis veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this age\nhath blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving that the light of the\ngospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God should not dawn\nupon them\" (R.V. with margin). In this passage the unconscious condition\nis said to be the direct result of the power of Satan, and the blindness\nof their thoughts, it is stated, is along one particular line. To them\nthe _gospel_ is veiled; and the gospel here referred to is not the whole\nlife story of Jesus, nor is it the \"Gospel of the Kingdom;\" but the\nmessage of good news or favor; the exact terms of Salvation by grace\nalone. This Paul here calls \"our gospel,\" for to him it was first\nunfolded in its completeness.\n\nThe unregenerate are, then, unconscious of their position in the arms of\nSatan, and blind in their thoughts toward the gospel of mercy and\nfavor,--their only hope for time or eternity. Satan, like a fond mother,\nis bending over those in his arms, breathing into their minds the\nquieting balm of a \"universal fatherhood of God\" and a \"universal\nbrotherhood of man;\" suggesting their worthiness before God on the\nground of their own moral character and physical generation; feeding\ntheir tendency to imitate the true faith by great humanitarian\nundertakings and schemes for the reformation of individuals and the\nbetterment of the social order. God's necessary requirements of\nregeneration are carefully set aside, and the blinded souls go on\nwithout hope, \"having the understanding darkened, being alienated from\nthe life of God through the ignorance that is in there, because of the\nblindness of their heart\" (Eph. 5:18). How important, as a preparation\nfor salvation, is the illuminating work of the Spirit in conviction, by\nwhich He lifts the veil and opens the mind to a new vision of the\nredemption and glory that is in Christ! Without this God-given vision\nthere can be no understanding of the way of life, nor any intelligent\ndecision for Christ.\n\n\n\n\nChapter IV.\n\nThis Age and the Satanic System.\n\n\nIt may also be concluded from the study of the ages that God has not\nbeen pleased to meet the presumptuous claims of Satan or of man by a\nsimple denial of those claims; He has chosen, rather, to bring\neverything to an experimental test. One advantage of this method is\nobvious: every mouth will be stopped, and the entire universe of beings\nwill see clearly the utter folly of that which might have been\narbitrarily denied. Man can no longer claim that his conscience is\nsufficient to guide him to his highest destiny; since the whole race,\nwhen standing on that basis before God, so utterly failed that their\ndestruction, by a flood, was necessary: in like manner, by the history\nof a most favored people in the age preceding the first advent of\nChrist, man has demonstrated his own inability to do right or to keep\nthe law. In the present age, man proves his separation from his Creator\nby his spirit of self-sufficiency and positive rejection of God. The\npresent issue between God and man is one of whether man will accept\nGod's estimate of him, abandon his hopeless self-struggle, and cast\nhimself only on God who alone is sufficient to accomplish his needed\ntransformation. All Divine love, wisdom, and power have wrought to make\nthese conditions open to man; and when this last and supreme effort of\nGod has been rejected, the final pleading with man must be forever\npast, and the long delayed judgment upon sin be executed in\nrighteousness.\n\nIt has already been pointed out that Satan purposed in his heart to\nattempt all the functions of God; and, according to Scripture, that\nwhich he purposed is being permitted, to the extent of his ability,\nthroughout the course of this age. Though his failure and defeat have\nbeen predicted from the beginning, yet it has pleased God to permit the\nSatanic ambition to come to its own destruction, and to demonstrate its\nown weakness and wicked folly. No other solution is given of the present\npower of Satan and the terrible manifestations of his increasing\nauthority yet to be experienced in the closing scenes of this age.\n\nHis present authority is by no means complete. In II Thes. 2:7 it is\nstated: \"The mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one\nthat restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.\" This is a\ndescription of the work of the Holy Spirit as He restrains and hinders\nthe development of the power of evil. Nor can Satan direct the affairs\nof that part of humanity who have been delivered from the power of\ndarkness and are now united to Christ (unless they yield to his wishes);\nthough they are in the world and their earth lives are mingled in much\nof its history. These saved ones are the antiseptic salt, hindering,\nlike the Spirit who indwells them, the untimely dissolution of humanity.\nAgain, Satan's dominion is limited in that \"there is no power but of\nGod: and the powers that be are ordained of God\" (Rom. 13:1). In this\nScripture it is revealed that Satan, though in authority, is not wholly\nfree from his Creator, and that any direction of the governments of the\nworld which he exercises is by permission from God. Therefore, the\nefforts of Satan and man are not supreme, but must come to their\npredicted end when the eternal purpose of God has had its realization in\nthe gathering out from the Gentiles of the heavenly people for His own\nname.\n\nA few tremble in the face of the social and industrial problems of the\nday; while the vast majority are confident that the sagacity of man is\nnot only controlling iniquity, but is gradually developing an improved\nsocial order. Thus, man, in his vanity, assigns to himself that which is\nof God alone, for all the elements of corruption and tribulation are\nlatent in the world to-day, and the mighty effort of God is required to\nstay its bursting into flame until the appointed time. Tribulation will,\ntherefore, instantly begin when the hand of God is removed from the\nunregenerate and Satan-ruled humanity.\n\nThough under the restraining hand of God, Satan, according to Scripture,\nis now in authority over the unregenerate world, and the unsaved are\nunconsciously organized and federated under his leading. The fact that\nthere is such a federation, although stated in Scripture, is obscured in\ntranslation. In at least thirty important passages the English word\n\"world\" is again used without qualification. In these passages reference\nis made to a great evil system or order over which Satan is in\nauthority, the word \"world\" referring to the world of men, their evil\nundertakings, ideals and federation. This federation includes all of\nthe unsaved and fallen humanity; it has the co-operation of the fallen\nspirits, and is but the union of all who are living and acting in\nindependence of God. This Satanic system has its own ideals and\nprinciples which are in sharp contrast to the ideals and principles\ngiven the redeemed: yet these two classes must mingle together as\nclosely as the ties of human life can come.\n\nThe whole truth concerning this federation is contained in those\npassages wherein the Satanic system is mentioned.\n\nFirst, Satan is its governing head. Three times Jesus referred to Satan\nas the prince of the Satanic system: \"Now is the judgment of this world:\nNow shall the prince of this world (_Satanic system_) be cast out\" (Jno.\n12:31). \"Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this\nworld (_Satanic system_) cometh, and hath nothing in me\" (Jno. 14:30).\n\"Of judgment, because the prince of this world (_Satanic system_) is\njudged\" (Jno. 16:11). Paul also refers to Satan as the \"prince of the\npower of the air\" (Eph. 2:2), and again as the \"god of this age\" (II\nCor. 4:4). In the latter passage, mention is made of the age or period\nof time only, as in Eph. 6:12: \"For our wrestling is not against flesh\nand blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against\nthe age rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of\nwickedness in the heavenlies\" (R.V.).\n\nFrom these Scriptures it must be conceded that the offer, which Satan\nmade to Christ, of the then inhabited earth, was very real. The\nScripture is as follows: \"And the devil, taking Him up into an high\nmountain, showed Him the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And\nthe devil said unto Him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory\nof them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give\nit. If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine\" (Lu. 4:5-7).\nIt has sometimes been held that the claim of possession of the earth was\na lie, this being asserted on the ground that Satan is exposed in\nScripture as a liar. Such a conclusion is impossible for at least two\nreasons. It would have been no temptation had he not possessed the\nkingdoms he offered; and any such false claim would have been\nimmediately branded as a lie by the Son of God. He is still further\nrevealed as the recognized head of this world system in two additional\npassages: \"Because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the\nworld (_Satanic system_)\" (I Jno. 4:4). \"And we know that we are of God,\nand the whole world (_Satanic system_) lieth in the wicked one\" (I Jno.\n5:19).\n\nReturning to Isaiah 14:12-19, wherein Satan is described as \"Lucifer,\nthe son of the morning,\" and where the prophet in vision sees the whole\ncareer of Satan in retrospect, it will be seen that Satan holds a mighty\ngrip upon the world. Here it is said of him that he was the one who\n\"didst weaken the nations\" and who \"made the earth to tremble, that did\nshake kingdoms, that made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the\ncities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners.\" Every\nphrase in this remarkable passage is a revelation. Undoubtedly there is\nreference here both to the fall of man and to the authority of Satan in\nthe earth, as well as to his attitude of resistance toward salvation\nwhich is by the grace of God, since it is said of Satan that he \"made\nthe world as a wilderness; he opened not the house of his, prisoners.\"\n\nSecond, the Satanic system, according to Scripture, is wholly evil. This\nis a hard saying; and is usually denied by those who do not realize that\nall Scripture estimates are made from the standard of the holiness of\nGod; and that the Satanic system, of itself and apart from the influence\nof God and His people, has never improved their own moral condition, but\nthat they are individually under condemnation before God (Jno. 3:18);\ntheir borrowed interest in morality and charity being a poor\ncommendation, in view of their fallen and Christ-rejecting attitude\nbefore God. They are also incapable of comprehending the standards of\nGod, whose thoughts and ways are above their thoughts and ways as the\nheavens are higher than the earth (Isa. 55:8,9). The quality and\nincapacity of the fallen race is accurately described in Rom. 3:10-18;\nthis description of them being as they appear before the holiness of\nGod, stripped of all externals: \"As it is written, There is none\nrighteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none\nthat seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are\ntogether become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not\none. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have\nused deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full\nof cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood:\ndestruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they\nnot known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.\" So, fallen\nhumanity, federated under Satan, will appear and act when the\nrestraining hand of God is removed. Though the unsaved are moral,\neducated, refined, or religious, they are not _righteous_ in God's\nsight; for the charge here brought against them is that \"there is none\nrighteous, no, not one;\" and \"_all_ have sinned and come short of the\nglory of God.\" The following Scriptures which directly refer to the\ncharacter of the Satanic system are, therefore, the estimate of God upon\nthose conditions which the world holds to be ideal: \"Whereby are given\nunto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be\npartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in\nthe world (Satanic system)\" (II Pet. I:4). \"For if after they have\nescaped the pollution of the world (_Satanic system_) through the\nknowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled\ntherein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the\nbeginning\" (II Pet. 2:20). \"Pure religion and undefiled before God and\nthe Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their\naffliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world (_Satanic\nsystem_)\" (Jas. 1:27). \"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that\nthe friendship of the world (Satanic system) is enmity with God?\nWhosoever therefore will be a friend of the world (_Satanic system_) is\nthe enemy of God\" (Jas. 4:4). \"For whosoever is born of God overcometh\nthe world (_Satanic system_)\" (I Jno. 5:4). \"Hereafter I will not talk\nmuch with you: for the prince of this world (_Satanic system_) cometh,\nand hath nothing in me\" (Jno. 14:30). \"And every spirit that confesseth\nnot that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is\nthat spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come;\nand even now already is it in the world (_Satanic system_)\" (I Jno.\n4:3). In like manner the believer is said to have been \"delivered from\nthe present evil age\" (Gal. 114) and \"delivered from the power of\ndarkness\" (Col. 1:13) and is not to be conformed to this age (Rom.\n12:2).\n\nThese judgments are made from the view-point of the purity and holiness\nof God. In His sight the highest moral, educational, and religious\nideals that the unregenerate world can comprehend are but a part of the\nconfusion and darkness of this age when coupled with a rejection of His\ntestimony in regard to His Son as their atoning Saviour.\n\nThus, it is presented from the Scripture that the present age and its\ngreat federation is, in God's sight, most unholy.\n\nThird, Satan is also set forth as having direct control of the physical\nwell-being of his subjects, and at the same time as being able, by\nspecial permission, to gain access to the people of God: \"For as much\nthen as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He (Christ) also\nHimself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might\ndestroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil\" (Heb. 2:\n14). \"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with\npower: who went about doing good, and healing all them that were\noppressed of the devil; for God was with him\" (Acts 10:38). \"And ought\nnot this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo,\nthese eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?\" (Lu.\n13: 16). \"And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for\nnaught? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and\nabout all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his\nhands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine\nhand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy\nface. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy\npower; only upon himself put not forth thine hand\" (Job. 1:9-12).\n\"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you\nas wheat: but I have made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail\nnot; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy\nbrethren\" (Lu. 22:31, 32 R.V.). \"And lest I should be exalted above\nmeasure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me\na thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should\nbe exalted above measure\" (II Cor. 12:7).\n\nBy these passages, the emphasis of Scripture on the power and authority\nof Satan in this age may be seen. And though the exact limits of his\npower under the restraining hand of God are not revealed, it would be\nunreasonable to deny that he is the god of this age, the head of the\ngreat world system; and, though all unknown to them, the director of the\naffairs of unregenerate men.\n\nFourth, The works of the Satanic order are clearly outlined in several\ndescriptive passages which also present that which is highest in ideal,\nand deepest in motive in the Satan energized mass of humanity. One\npassage, alone, contains the entire revelation: \"For all that is in the\nworld (_Satanic system_), the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the\neyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world\n(Satanic system)\" (I Jno. 2:16). The satisfaction of these same cravings\nwas the temptation placed before Eve in the Garden: \"And when the woman\nsaw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the\neyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit\nthereof, and did give also unto her husband with her; and he did eat\"\n(Gen. 3:6). The real nature of these cravings is easily recognized as\nwholly self-centered and without thought of God or of any true\ncharacter.\n\nAll \"wars and fightings\" among men are only a natural result of the evil\nqualities of this great federation. Jesus said to Pilate: \"My kingdom is\nnot of this world (_Satanic system_): if my kingdom were of this world\n(_Satanic system_), then would my servants fight, that I should not be\ndelivered unto the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence\" (Jno.\n18:36). It is a noticeable fact that the governments of the world depend\nupon physical power and a display of armament to maintain their position\nand authority, and the superior law of love does not seem to be adapted\nto, or understood by, the elements that make up the Satanic order.\n\nFifth, All earthly property is of the Satanic order, which property the\nbeliever may use, but must not abuse: \"But whoso hath this world's good\n(Satanic system), and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his\nbowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?\" (I\nJno. 3:17). \"And the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches,\nand the lust of other things entering in, choke the word, and it\nbecometh unfruitful\" (Mark 4:19). \"But this I say, brethren, the time is\nshort: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they\nhad none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that\nrejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they\npossessed not; and they that use this world (_Satanic system_), as not\nabusing it\" (I Cor. 7:29-31).\n\nSixth, The same world that crucified the Christ will also hate the saved\none in whom He dwells: \"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world (_Satanic\nsystem_) hate you\" (I Jno. 3:13).\n\nSeventh, The impotency and limitations of the world order are most\nevident. Its leader, though mighty, is inferior to Christ: \"Ye are of\nGod, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that\nis in you, than he that is in the world (_Satanic system_)\" (I Jno.\n4:4). Its knowledge and understanding are limited: \"Behold what manner\nof love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called\nchildren of God; and such we are. For this cause the world (_Satanic\nsystem_) knoweth us not, because it knew him not\" (I Jno. 3:1 R.V.).\n\"Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for\nthey are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are\nspiritually judged. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and He\nHimself is judged of no man\" (I Cor. 2:14, 15, R.V.).\n\n\"There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after\nGod\" (Rom. 3:11). \"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in\nthem that perish: in whom the god of this age hath blinded the minds of\nthe unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,\nwho is the image of God, should not dawn upon them\" (II Cor. 4:3, 4,\nR.V.). \"They are of this world (_Satanic system_): therefore speak they\nas of the world, and the world (_Satanic system_) heareth them\" (I Jno.\n4:5, R.V.). All the sorrow of this order is without hope: \"For godly\nsorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no\nregret: But the sorrow of the world (_Satanic system_) worketh death\"\n(II Cor. 7:10, R.V.). And, finally, the whole order is temporal and\npassing: \"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in\nthe which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the\nelements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth also and the works\nthat are therein shall be burned up\" (II Pet. 3:10). \"And the world\n(_Satanic system_) passeth away and the lust thereof: but he that doeth\nthe will of God abideth forever\" (I Jno. 2:17).\n\n\n\n\nChapter V.\n\nThe Satanic Host.\n\n\nChrist inferred, in one of His controversies with the Pharisees (Matt.\n12:22-30), that Satan is a King; and as such is in authority over a\nkingdom. This particular discussion was in regard to the fact that\nChrist had healed one \"possessed with a demon, blind and dumb.\" The\nPharisees claimed that the demon had been cast out by Beelzebub the\nprince of demons, or the one whom Jesus, later in the narrative, calls\nSatan. The passage is as follows: \"Then was brought unto Him one\npossessed with a devil, blind, and dumb; and He healed him, insomuch\nthat the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were\namazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees\nheard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by\nBeelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and\nsaid unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to\ndesolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not\nstand: and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how\nshall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by\nwhom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your\njudges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom\nof God has come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's\nhouse, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and\nthen he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is against me; and\nhe that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.\"\n\nBy this Scripture it may be seen that the kingdom of Satan is a host of\nbodiless spirits. Although their origin cannot be definitely traced, it\nis probable that they were created as subjects of Satan in the primal\nglory, as he, also, was created as their prince and king. Satan, being\nin authority over these beings, doubtless drew them after him in his\nsinful attempt to thrust himself into the place of God.\n\nIt would seem that Satan is in authority over two distinct orders of\nbeings--the Satanic order of the earth, and the Satanic host of the air.\nIt is clear that he secured the scepter of government in the earth from\nAdam, by right of conquest: while his authority over the Satanic host\nis, undoubtedly, that which he has been permitted to retain from his\ncreation. If Satan has thus kept his authority over these spirits from\nthe beginning, it follows that they are in full sympathy with him and\nrender him willing service. The following Scriptures emphasize the\nauthority of Satan over these beings: \"And if Satan cast out Satan, how\nthen shall his kingdom stand?\" (Matt. 12:26). \"Then shall he say also\nunto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting\nfire, prepared for the devil and his angels\" (Matt. 25:41).\n\nThe reality and personality of this host of evil spirits is taught in\nScripture; and a careful study of the numerous passages in which they\nare mentioned will reveal how God has provided complete instruction in\nHis Word concerning this theme on which so much of the believer's\nwelfare depends.\n\nThese spirits are usually referred to in both the Authorized and Revised\nVersions of the New Testament as \"devils,\" but the word might better\nhave been translated \"demons.\"\n\nIn considering the service these beings render to Satan, it is important\nto distinguish between demon possession or control, and demon influence.\nIn the one case the body is entered and a dominating control is gained:\nwhile in the other case a warfare from without is carried on by\nsuggestion, temptation, and influence.\n\nInvestigation of the Scriptures in regard to demon possession reveals:\n\nFirst: That this host is made up of bodiless spirits only. The following\nScripture verifies this statement: \"When the unclean spirit is gone out\nof a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.\nThen he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and\nwhen he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth\nhe, and tak'eth with himself seven other spirits more wicked than\nhimself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that\nman is worse than the first\" (Matt. 12:43-45). \"And all the devils\nbesought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into\nthem\" (Mark 5:12).\n\nSecond: They are, however, not only seeking to enter the bodies of\neither mortals or beasts (for their power seems to be in some measure\ndependent upon such embodiment); but they are constantly seen to be\nthus embodied, according to the New Testament. A few of these passages\nare given here: \"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that\nwere possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word,\nand healed all that were sick\" (Matt. 8:16). \"As they went out, behold,\nthey brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the\ndevil was cast out, the dumb spake\" (Matt. 9:32, 33). \"And the people\nwith one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing\nand seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with\nloud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many\ntaken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed\" (Acts 8:6,7). \"And\nit came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a\nspirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by\nsoothsaying\" (Acts 16:16). \"And they came over unto the other side of\nthe sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of\nthe ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs, a man with an\nunclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could\nbind him, no, not with chains: because that he had been often bound with\nfetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and\nthe fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And\nalways, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs,\ncrying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off,\nhe ran and worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What\nhave I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure\nthee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out\nof the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And\nhe answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought\nhim much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there\nwas nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the\ndevils besought him, saying, send us into the swine, that we may enter\ninto them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits\nwent out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a\nsteep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were\nchoked in the sea\" (Mark 5:1-13).\n\nThird: They are wicked, unclean, and vicious. Many passages might be\nquoted in proof of this statement: \"And when he was come to the other\nside of the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with\ndevils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might\npass by that way\" (Matt. 8:28). \"And when he had called unto him his\ntwelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast\nthem out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease\"\n(Matt. 10:1). \"There met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean\nspirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him,\nno, not with chains: because that he had been often bound with fetters\nand chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the\nfetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always,\nnight and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and\ncutting himself with stones\" (Mark 5:2-5). \"And they brought him unto\nhim: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell\non the ground, and wallowed foaming\" (Mark 9:20).\n\nIt might be added that there seem to be degrees of wickedness\nrepresented by these spirits: for it is stated in Matt. 12:43-45 that\nthe demon, returning to his house, \"taketh with himself seven other\nspirits more wicked than himself.\"\n\nThe question is often raised whether demon possession obtains at the\npresent time. Although the authentic records of such control are almost\nwholly limited to the three years of the public ministry of Jesus, it is\nincredible that demon possession did not exist before that time, or has\nnot existed since. In this connection it should be remembered that these\nbeings are not only intelligent themselves, but that they are directly\ngoverned and ordered by Satan, whose wisdom and cunning are so clearly\nset forth in the Scriptures. It is reasonable to conclude that they,\nlike their monarch, are adapting the manner of their activity to the\nenlightenment of the age and locality. It is evident that they are not\nnow less inclined than before to enter and dominate a body. Demon\npossession in the present time is probably often unsuspected because of\nthe unrecognized fact that demons are capable of inspiring a moral and\nexemplary life, as well as of appearing as the dominating spirit of a\nspiritist medium, or through the grosser manifestations that are\nrecorded by missionaries from heathen lands. These demons, too, like\ntheir king, will appear as \"angels of light\" as well as \"roaring lions,\"\nwhen by the former impersonation they can more perfectly further the\nstupendous undertakings of Satan in his warfare against the work of God.\n\nDemon influence, like the activity of Satan, is prompted by two motives:\nboth to hinder the purpose of God for humanity, and to extend the\nauthority of Satan. They, therefore, at the command of their king,\nwillingly co-operate in all his God-dishonoring undertakings. Their\ninfluence is exercised both to mislead the unsaved and to wage an\nunceasing warfare against the believer (Eph. 6:12).\n\nTheir motive is suggested in what is revealed by their knowledge of the\nauthority and deity of Christ, as well as by what they know of their\neternal doom. The following passages are important in this connection:\n\"And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee,\nJesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the\ntime?\" (Matt. 8:29). \"And there was in their synagogue a man with an\nunclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to\ndo with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I\nknow thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him,\nsaying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him\" (Mark 1:23-25). \"And the\nevil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who\nare ye?\" (Acts 19:15). \"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest\nwell: the devils also believe, and tremble\" (Jas. 2:19).\n\nOf the methods of demons in the latter days of the age, the Scriptures\nbear special testimony. They will cover their lies with the empty form\nof religion, and by every means make them to appear as the truth, that\nthey may draw both the saved and the unsaved from their hope in Christ:\n\"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall\ndepart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of\ndevils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with\na hot iron\" (I Tim. 4: 1, 2). A departure from the true faith is thus\npredicted to be the evidence of the influence of demons in the last\ndays. This is none other than the great apostasy that must precede the\n\"Day of the Lord\" according to II Thes. 2:2, 3.\n\nThe believer's security in this unceasing warfare is treated at length\nin another chapter. It may be noted here, however, that the\nGod-appointed means for this victory are prayer and bodily control,\n\"Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting\" (Matt.\n17:21); and in the appropriation of the Person of Christ as the\nbeliever's sufficiency, as He is set forth in His saving power by the\nvarious parts of the \"whole armour\" of Eph. 6:13-18.\n\nSatan, though proposing to supersede the Almighty, is not Omnipotent:\nbut his power, and the extent of his activity are immeasurably increased\nby the co-operation of his host of demons. Satan is not Omniscient: yet\nhis knowledge is greatly extended by the combined wisdom and observation\nof his sympathetic subjects. Satan is not Omnipresent: but he is able to\nkeep up an unceasing activity in every locality by the loyal obedience\nof the Satanic host, who are so numerous as to be called \"Legion.\"\n\n\n\n\nChapter VI.\n\nSatan's Motive.\n\n\nAccording to Scripture, the supreme motive of Satan is his purpose to\nbecome like the Most High and, though that purpose was formed even\nbefore the age of man, it has been his constant actuating motive from\nthat time until now. It is also the teaching of Scripture that this\npresent period of time is that in which Satan is in especial authority;\nhe being permitted the exercise of his own power in order that he, and\nall his followers, may make their own final demonstration to the whole\nuniverse of the utter folly of their claims and of their abject\nhelplessness when wholly independent of their Creator. This is\ndefinitely predicted in II Tim. 3:9 as the final outcome of the\natttitude of the world in its independence toward God: \"They shall\nproceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest to all men.\"\n\nIt has also been stated that the unsurpassed tribulation only awaits the\nwithdrawal of the restraining hand of God, for all the required elements\nfor such a condition are latent in the unregenerate heart (Rom. 3:9-18).\nIn this terrible period of tribulation the greatest power of Satan will\nbe exercised, and the wickedness of man will be revealed in his attempt\nto live in whole separation from God.\n\nEven fallen humanity would not, at first, acknowledge Satan as its\nobject of worship and federal head; and such a condition of society\nwherein Satan will be received as supreme (as he will be in the person\nof the first Beast of Rev. 13), must, therefore, be developed by\ngenerations of increasing irreverence and lawlessness toward God. Thus\nit has been necessary for Satan to conceal his person and projects from\nthe very people over whom he is in authority and in whom he is the\nenergizing power. For this reason this class of humanity believes least\nin his reality, and ignorantly rejects its real leader as a mystical\nperson. When he is worshipped it is through some idol as a medium, or\nthrough his own impersonation of Jehovah; and when he rules it is by\nwhat seems to be the voice of a King or the voice of the people.\nHowever, the appalling irreverence of the world to-day is the sure\npreparation of the forthcoming direct manifestation of Satan, as\npredicted in Dan. 11, II Thes. 2 and Rev. 13.\n\nSatan's policy of deception is described as extending to all the\nnations, and to the whole world: \"Even him, whose coming is after the\nworking of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with\nall deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they\nreceive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved\" (II Thes.\n2:9, 10). \"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, which is\nthe Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world\" (Rev. 12:9). \"And\nhe laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and\nSatan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless\npit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive\nthe nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and\nafter that he must be loosed a little season\" (Rev. 20:2, 3). \"And when\nthe thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,\nand shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters\nof the earth\" (Rev. 20: 7, 8). He who was the measure of perfection,\nfull of beauty and wisdom; he who made the earth to tremble; who shook\nkingdoms; has been willing to be ridiculed by the world as a being\nwithout reality, that he might, in the end, realize his own deepest\ndesire.\n\nAgain, his own subjects have strangely neglected the plain teachings of\nScripture on his real power and authority. To them he has been an\nimaginary fiend, delighting only in the torment of unfortunate souls;\nmaking his home in hell, and himself the impersonation of all that is\ncruel and vile: when, on the contrary, he is real, and is the very\nembodiment of the highest ideals the unregenerate world has received;\nfor he is the inspirer of all those ideals. With his own he is not at\nenmity, and he, like the most refined of the world, is in no sympathy\nwith the grosser forms of their sin. He would hinder those\nmanifestations of evil if he could. And certainly he does not prompt\nthem; for they are the natural fruit of an unrestrained fallen nature,\naccording to James 1:14, 15: \"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn\naway of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it\nbringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.\"\n\"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,\nadulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness,\ndeceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all\nthese evil things come from within, and defile the man\" (Mk. 7:21-23).\nThe dying drunkard, the fallen woman, and the suffering of the innocent\nare the evidences of Satan's failure rather than the realization of his\npurpose.\n\nHis own terrible sin before God would not be condemned in the eyes of\nthe world, for it is that which they most idealize and praise. In his\nsin he aspired to that which is highest, and proposed to realize his\nideal by his own self-sufficiency and strength. True, he has lowered his\nCreator, in his own mind, to a level where he supposes himself to be in\nlegitimate competition with Him, both for authority over other beings\nand for their worship. Yet this unholy ambition and disregard for the\nCreator is a most commendable thing according to the standards of the\nSatanic order. In the language of the world, Satan is simply \"self made\"\nand every element of his attitude toward his Creator is, as a principle\nof life, both commended and practiced by the world.\n\nThough hiding himself, Satan has had the satisfaction, under\nlimitations, of governing the affairs of men; and the delight, to a\nlarge extent, of receiving their worship. The greatest care was taken in\nthe law governing God's ancient people that they should not offer their\nsacrifices unto devils, which was the practice of surrounding nations\n(Lev. 17:7; Deut. 32:17). In violation of these special laws, Rehoboam\ninstituted special priests for the devils (II Chron. 11:15), while the\nworship of devils, according to the New Testament, is to continue\nthroughout the age: \"But this I say, that the things which the Gentiles\nsacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not\nthat ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of\nthe Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's\ntable and the table of devils\" (I Cor. 10:20, 21). \"And the rest of the\nmen that were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works\nof their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold,\nand silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see,\nnor hear, nor walk\" (Rev. 9:20).\n\nAgain: Satan's ambition is leading him to make this age of his special\nopportunity as near perfect as his wisdom and power will permit. And in\nthis connection it may be noted that Satan's ambition was not to become\na fiend, but rather to become _like_ the Most High. He will, therefore,\nstrive for all that is moral and good: yet at the same time do all in\nhis power to draw men from their natural reverence of God, that, in due\ntime, they may acknowledge himself without fear. The Satanic ideal of\nthis age is, then, an improved social order, a moral and cultured\npeople, who are devout worshippers of himself, though for the present\nthey may imagine they are worshipping Jehovah through their empty\nreligious forms and ceremonies, while they are really in a state of\nGod-dishonoring unbelief, and all their thoughts are energized by Satan\nalone. The Satanic message for this age will be reformation and\nself-development, while the message of God is regeneration by the power\nof the Spirit.\n\nSatan, in his imitation of the Most High, is also working toward a\nuniversal kingdom of morality and peace upon earth, which will be\ntemporarily realized under the reign of the Beast (Rev. 13). The\ndifference between Satan's ideal and the purpose of God, apart from the\nutter folly of the one and the glorious certainty of the other, is of\nboth method and time. According to the Satanic program, the present\norder of society, with himself on the throne, is to be developed into an\nideal brotherhood, in which all men will practice that which is moral\nand good. According to the program of God, this is an evil age of\ndarkness and pollution, in which the folly of Satan and man is to be\nproven, and out of which He is to gather the heavenly people for His own\nname. The kingdom of righteousness is then to follow, being ushered in\nby Christ-enthroning and Satan-dethroning events. There will then be a\nperfect humanity and social order for \"all shall know the Lord from the\nleast unto the greatest\" and \"righteousness and peace shall cover the\nearth as the waters cover the face of the deep.\"\n\nThe master passion of Satan leads him, not only to strive for the\nsuccess of his own projects, but also to wage an unceasing warfare\nagainst Jehovah. These two lines of activity are inseparable; for he\ncannot establish and develop his own kingdom, and, at the same time,\npermit his subjects to be translated out of his kingdom into another,\nespecially when they remain in the midst as a living power and testimony\nagainst him. Nor can he reasonably allow the accomplishment of any of\nthe projects of God; for it is predicted that at the completion of these\nhis own doom will be at hand. The present time is, therefore, to Satan,\nthe struggle for his own existence, as well as the realization of all\nthat has been his ambition in the ages past. The warfare is no mere\npassing amusement for him, for he, in desperation, is facing a terrible\nand awful judgment if he cannot succeed in his purpose.\n\nThe spectacle now presented to all enlightened beings of the universe,\nis that of a mighty celestial being, the god of the earth, who is by\ncreation the full measure of perfection, both in wisdom and beauty,\nmaking his last and most desperate warfare, both to realize his own\nambition and to thwart every movement of the Most High; knowing that in\nfailure there is no ground for mercy, but only the terrible destruction\nthat has been so long predicted. He knew when he formed this\nGod-dishonoring purpose that it must either wholly succeed or he himself\nfall into terrible judgment. On the other side of the conflict there is\nperfect calmness and certainty as to the end, for the judgment and\nsentence are past; yet every true believer is implored to be instant in\nseason and out of season in the present projects of grace, that the\nsufferings and separations of earth may be cut short in righteousness.\n\nWell may believers study their own motives in service in view of these\nvastly differing programs; and question whether there is in them a\nhumble willingness to co-operate in the present purpose of God in\npreparing the Bride for the returning King: or whether they have\ncarelessly fallen in with the Satanic ideal, which rejects the coming\nKingdom of Christ by an unholy attempt to establish the present kingdom\nof Satan.\n\nThe program of Satan, which the world calls \"optimistic\" rests on the\nSatanic purpose of a reformed society: the program of God, which is\ncalled \"pessimistic\" in that it discredits this age, rests upon the\ninfinite wisdom, love and power of God; and is so certain and near that\nthe believer is taught to watch, wait, and be ready for the first Divine\nmovement toward this glorious end.\n\n\n\n\nChapter VII.\n\nSatan's Methods.\n\n\nThe two great activities of Satan, already mentioned, are referred to in\nII Thes. 2:4 in connection with the Man of sin, who will be Satan's last\nand greatest manifestation. This being is spoken of as he \"who\n_opposeth_ and _exalteth_ himself above all that is called God, or that\nis worshipped.\" These two activities are inseparable in that, while\nSatan is seeking to exalt himself above all that is called God or that\nis worshipped, he can keep his subjects or prolong his own existence\nonly by an unceasing warfare in which he opposes himself against God.\nWhether Satan now believes that he may yet succeed in spite of the\ndecree of the Cross and the evident superior power of God, is not\nrevealed.\n\nIt is still further revealed that the enmity of Satan is not only toward\nthe person of God, from whom he has everything to fear, but also toward\nevery true child of God. Too much emphasis cannot be placed on this\nfact. Satan has no controversy or warfare with his own unregenerate\npeople, but there is abundant Scripture to prove that he makes unceasing\neffort to mar the life and service of believers. The motive for this\neffort is all-sufficient: they have \"partaken of the Divine nature\" (II\nPet. 1:4), and afford, therefore, a possible opportunity for Satan to\nthrust his fiery darts at the Divine Person. Thus the believer becomes\na medium of connection between the Divine Person and the Satanic Order;\nfor God literally loves the unsaved through the believer (Rom. 5:5): and\non the other hand, the prince of the Satanic system, as well as many of\nhis subjects, is seeking an opportunity for a thrust at the person of\nGod. Several important passages on the latter point may here be noted:\n\"These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In\nthe world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have\novercome the world\" (Jno. 16:33). \"Yea, and all that will live godly in\nChrist Jesus shall suffer persecution\" (II Tim. 3:12). \"Marvel not, my\nbrethren, if the world hate you\" (I Jno. 3:13). \"Casting all your care\nupon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your\nadversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he\nmay devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same\nafflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world\" (I\nPet. 5:7-9). \"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his\nmight. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand\nagainst the wiles (literally, artifices) of the devil. For our wrestling\nis not against flesh and blood, but again the principalities, against\nthe powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the\nspiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places\" (Eph. 6:10-12\nR.V.).\n\nThe teaching of these passages clearly indicates the Satanic enmity\ntoward the believer, and the believer's utter helplessness apart from\nthe Divine sufficiency. They also reveal a degree of enmity which would\nresult in the believer's life being crushed out, were it not for the\nevident answer to the prayer of Jesus: \"I pray not that thou shouldest\ntake them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the\nevil one\" (Jno. 17:15). Certainly there is abundant reason for the\nbeliever to expect the fiercest opposition from the Satanic host in all\nhis life and service; and faith alone insures his victory over the\nworld.\n\nThe believer is also the object of the Satanic attack because of the\ngreat fact that unto him is committed the great ministry of\nreconciliation; that by his testimony both in life and word, and by his\nprayers, the facts of redemption may be given to the world; and if Satan\ncan but cripple the believer's service, he accomplishes much in\nresisting the present purpose of God. No other explanation is adequate\nfor the dark ages of Church history, the appalling failure of the Church\nin world-wide evangelism, or her present sectarian divisions and selfish\nindifference.\n\nThis blighting Satanic opposition can be detected in every effort for\nthe salvation of the lost. It may be seen in the fact that no personal\nappeal is ever made to the vast majority even in this favored land; or,\nwhen an appeal is made, it is easily distracted or diverted into the\ndiscussion of unimportant themes. The faithful pastor or evangelist is\nmost sorely assailed, every device of Satan being used to distort the\none all-important message of Grace into something that is not vital. The\nevangelist's call for decisions is often cumbered with that which is\nmisleading or is a positive misstatement of the terms of Salvation; thus\nthe appeal is lost and the whole effort fails. The action of Satan may\nalso be detected in that a humble messenger who is loyal to Christ and\nHis Salvation by grace alone, will be almost unheeded at the present\ntime: while the vast throng will be found supporting that which is\nreligious only in its externals, but which is, in reality, a gospel of\nmorality and subtle denial of the redemption that is in Christ.\n\nAgain, the opposing power of Satan may be seen in the matter of\nChristian giving. Millions are given without solicitation for education,\nculture, and humanity's physical comfort, but real world-wide\nevangelization must ever drag on with its shameful limitations and\ndebts. This warfare of Satan is even more noticeable in the believer's\nprayer life; this being his place of greatest usefulness and power, is\nsubject to the greatest conflict. In this connection it may be stated\nsafely that there is comparatively no prevailing prayer to-day; yet the\nway is open and the promises are sure. Then, also, if the believer\ncannot be beguiled into indifference or a denial of Christ, he is\ntempted to place an undue emphasis upon some minor truth, and, in\npartial blindness, to sacrifice his whole influence for good through the\napparent unbalance of his testimony.\n\nSatan's warfare against the purpose of God is still more evident in his\ndirect hindering of the unsaved. Not only are they constantly blinded to\nthe Gospel, but, when the Spirit would draw them, their minds are often\nfilled with strange fears and distorted visions. Their inability to cast\nthemselves upon Christ is a mystery to themselves, and nothing but the\ndirect illuminating power of the Spirit in conviction can open their\neyes and deliver them from their gross darkness.\n\nSatan has always adapted his methods to the times and conditions. If\nattention has been gained, a complete denial of the truth has been made;\nor, when some recognition of the truth is demanded, it has been granted\non the condition that that which is vital in redemption should be\nomitted.\n\nThis partial recognition of the truth is required by the world to-day,\nfor, while the direct result of the believer's testimony to the Satanic\nsystem has been toward the gathering out of the Bride, there has been an\nindirect influence of this testimony upon the world which has led them\nto see that all that is good in their own ideals has been already stated\nin the Bible and exemplified in the life of Jesus, and that every\nprinciple of humanitarian sympathy or righteous government has been\nrevealed in the Scriptures of truth. Thus there has grown a more or less\npopular appreciation of the value of these moral precepts of Scripture\nand of the example of Christ. This condition has prevailed to such a\ndegree that any new system or doctrine which secures a hearing to-day\nmust base its claim upon Scripture, and include, to some extent, the\nperson and teachings of Jesus. The fact that the world has thus partly\nacknowledged the value of the Scriptures is taken by many to be a\nglorious victory for God; while, on the contrary, it cannot be proven\nthat fallen humanity is any more inclined to accept God's terms of\nsalvation than in the generations past.\n\nIt is evident that this partial concession of the world to the testimony\nof God has opened the way for counterfeit systems of truth, which,\naccording to prophecy, are the last and most to be dreaded methods in\nthe Satanic warfare. In this connection it must be conceded that Satan\nhas really granted nothing from his own position, even though he be\nforced to acknowledge every principle of truth save that upon which\nsalvation depends. Rather is he advantaged by such a concession; for the\nvalue and delusion of a counterfeit lies in its greatest likeness to the\nreal. By advocating much truth, in the form of a counterfeit system of\ntruth, Satan can satisfy all the external religious cravings of the\nworld, and yet accomplish his own end by withholding that on which man's\nonly hope depends. It is, therefore, no longer safe to blindly subscribe\nto that which promises general good, simply because it is good, and is\ngarnished with the teachings of Scripture; for good has ceased to be all\non one side and evil all on the other. In fact, that which is evil in\npurpose has gradually appropriated the good until but one issue\ndistinguishes them. Part-truth-ism has come into terrible and final\nconflict with whole-truth-ism, and woe to the soul that does not discern\nbetween them. The first, though externally religious, is of Satan, and\nleaves its followers in the doom of everlasting banishment from the\npresence of God: while the latter is of God, and \"has promise for the\nlife that now is and that which is to come.\"\n\nIt is also noticeable that the term \"infidel\" has, within a generation,\ndisappeared from common usage, and that manner of open denial of the\ntruth has been almost wholly abandoned. Yet the real Church has by no\nmeans lost her foes, for they are now even more numerous, subtle, and\nterrible than ever before. These present enemies, however, like the\nunclean birds in the mustard tree, have taken shelter under her\nbranches, and, like the leaven in the pure meal, they are penetrating\nand appropriating her most sacred altars and institutions. These\nvultures are fed by a multitude, both in the Church and out, who, in\nSatanic blindness, are committed to the furtherance of any project or\nthe acceptance of any theory that promises good to the world or is\napparently based upon Scripture; little realizing that they are often\nreally supporting the enemy of God.\n\nA counterfeit is Satan's most natural method of resisting the purpose of\nGod, since by it he can realize to that extent his desire to be _like_\nthe Most High. Every material is now at hand, as never before, for the\nconstruction of those conditions that are predicted to appear only in\nthe very end of the age. In II Tim. 3:1-5 one of these predictions may\nbe found: \"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall\ncome. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,\nproud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without\nnatural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,\ndespisers of them that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of\npleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but\ndenying the power thereof: from such turn away.\"\n\nEvery word of this prophecy is worthy of most careful study in the light\nof the present tendency of society. The fifth verse is especially\nimportant in connection with the subject of counterfeits to the truth:\n\"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such\nturn away.\" Here it is stated that in these last days forms of\ngodliness shall appear which, however, deny the power of God; and from\nthese leaders the believer is warned to turn away. The important element\nin the true faith which is to be omitted in these \"forms\" is carefully\ndefined elsewhere in Scripture: \"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of\nChrist: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that\nbelieveth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek\" (Rom. I:16). \"But we\npreach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the\nGreeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and\nGreeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God\" (I Cor. I:23,\n24). Therefore, that which is omitted so carefully from these forms is\nthe salvation which is in Christ. This is most suggestive, for \"there is\nnone other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,\"\nand it is by salvation alone that any deliverance can be had from the\npower of darkness. Without this salvation Satan can still claim all his\nown. It is perhaps necessary to add that, judging from all his writings,\nthis salvation, of which Paul confesses he was not ashamed, was no less\nan undertaking than regeneration by the Spirit; and whatever other\ntheories may be advanced, this is the teaching of the Spirit through the\nApostle Paul.\n\nIt, therefore, follows that one feature of the last days will be a form\nof godliness which carefully denies the power of God in salvation.\n\nAgain, Satan is \"in the latter times\" to be the promotor of a system of\ntruth or doctrine: \"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the\nlatter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing\nspirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having\ntheir conscience seared with a hot iron;\" (I Tim. 4:1, 2). These\npredicted Satanic systems are here carefully described. Their offers\nwill be so attractive and externally so religious that into them will be\ndrawn some \"who shall depart from the faith;\" they being enticed by\nseducing spirits. These attractive systems are not only from Satan, but\nare themselves \"lies in hypocrisy,\" being presented by those whose\nconscience has been seared with a hot iron. No more illuminating terms\ncould be used than these. A lie covered by hypocrisy means, evidently,\nthat they are still attempting to be counted among the faithful; and the\nconscience seared would indicate that they can distort the testimony of\nGod and carelessly point other souls to the bottomless pit, without\npresent remorse or regret.\n\nThe doctrine of devils is again referred to in Rev. 2:24 as \"the deep\nthings of Satan\" and this is Satan's counterfeit of \"the deep things of\nGod\" which the Spirit reveals to them that love Him (I Cor. 2:10).\n\nThus there is predicted for the last days of this age, both a form of\ngodliness which denies the power of salvation that is in Christ; and a\nsystem known as \"the deep things of Satan\" or \"doctrines of devils,\"\nwhich calls some adherents from the true faith and speaks lies in\nhypocrisy. Can there be any doubt that these two Scriptures describe the\nsame thing, since they also refer to the same time? The lies of one can\nbe but the covered denial of salvation in the other.\n\nAgain, Satan has his assembly or congregational meeting which is his\ncounterfeit of the visible Church. This assembly is referred to, both\nin Rev. 2:9 and 3:9, as the \"synagogue of Satan;\" an organized assembly\nbeing as important for the testimony in the deep things of Satan as it\nhas been in the things of God.\n\nIn Matt. 13 the tares appear _among_ the wheat and their appearance is\nsaid to be after the sowing of the wheat. So, also, the \"children of the\nWicked one\" appear and are often included and even organized within the\nforms of the visible Church.\n\nThe assembly of Satan, calling itself a part of the visible Church, is\nto have its ministers and teachers. This is stated in II Cor. II:13-15:\n\"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves\ninto the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is\ntransformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if\nhis ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;\nwhose end shall be according to their works.\" Here is a remarkable\nrevelation of the possible extent of the Satanic counterfeit: \"False\napostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of\nChrist\" and \"ministers of righteousness;\" yet these are shown to be only\nagents of the great deceiver, Satan, who is himself transformed into an\nangel of light. It is evident that the method of this deception is to\nimitate the real ministers of Christ. Certainly these false apostles\ncannot so appear unless they gather into their message every available\n\"form of godliness\" and cover their lies with the most subtle hypocrisy.\nEvil will not appear on the outside of these systems; but they will be\nannounced as \"another gospel\" or as a larger understanding of the\npreviously accepted truth, and will be all the more attractive and\ndelusive since they are heralded by those who claim to be ministers of\nChrist, who reflect the beauty of an \"angel of light,\" and whose lives\nare undoubtedly free from great temptation. It should be noted, however,\nthat these false ministers do not necessarily know the mission they\nhave. Being unregenerate persons of the Satanic system, and, so, blinded\nto the real Gospel, they are sincere; preaching and teaching the best\nthings their energizing power, the angel of light, is pleased to reveal\nunto them. Their gospel is one of human reason, and appeals to human\nresources. There can be no appreciation of Divine revelation in them,\nfor they have not come to really know God or His Son, Jesus Christ. As\nall this is true, how perilous is the attitude of many who follow\nattractive ministers and religious guides only because they claim to be\nsuch, and are sincere, and who are not awake to the one final test of\ndoctrine by which alone the whole covered system of Satanic lies can be\ndistinguished from the truth of God. In this connection John writes the\nfollowing warning: \"If there come any unto you, and bring not this\ndoctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed\"\n(II Jno. 10).\n\nThere yet remains one mighty element in the program of Satan's\ncounterfeits in addition to his outward forms, deep doctrines, church\nand ministers,--that is, the Man of Sin, the blasphemous counterfeit of\nthe blessed Christ; who is yet to appear; who will be the very\nincarnation of Satan; and \"whose coming is after the working of Satan\nwith all power and signs and lying wonders and all deceivableness of\nunrighteousness in them that perish\" (II Thes. 2:9, 10). As the whole\npurpose of God in the ages has its consummation in the yet future coming\nof Christ, so Satan, in imitation of the program of God, has appointed a\ncoming one (II Thes. 2:9), who will be his greatest manifestation, and\nupon whom he will bestow his greatest wisdom, power and attractiveness.\nThe study of this mighty and imposing character can only be suggested in\nthe following pages.\n\nThe titles of Satan would indicate that he is attempting, also, in his\nown person, to counterfeit the Persons of the blessed Trinity. He\nappears as \"the god of this world\" in imitation of God the Father; he\nappears as the \"prince of the world\" in imitation of God the Son; and\n\"the spirit that now energizeth in the children of disobedience\" is his\nimitation of God the Spirit, who dwells in and energizes the true\nbelievers. Thus his desire to be like the Most High has led him to a\nblasphemous attempt to imitate all the separate manifestations of the\nthree Persons of the Godhead. But, since redemption, which he proposes\nto hinder, is the work of the second Person, God the Son, Satan more\noften appears as a counterfeit of Christ, both in title and undertaking;\nand this is the character in which he makes his last and most desperate\neffort before he is banished to the pit and his final judgment is begun.\n\n\n\n\nChapter VIII.\n\nThe Man of Sin.\n\n\nReference has already been made to a period of tribulation yet to come\nupon the earth. That period is referred to in Scripture by various\nfigures: \"The great tribulation,\" \"the time of Jacob's trouble,\" and \"a\nday of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.\" It\nis also described as the culmination of the great apostasy which is\npredicted for the end of this age and which is emphasized in the later\nEpistles of the New Testament. These Epistles not only recognize a\ncomplete apostasy yet to come in this age, but teach that the beginning\nof that apostasy was apparent even then at the time when they were\nwritten. This teaching of the apostles finds its natural culmination in\nthe last book of the Bible wherein the exact development of the apostasy\nand the conditions to prevail in the tribulation are recorded at length.\nAll other references, both in the Old and the New Testaments, perfectly\nagree with this extended description.\n\nIn reference to the time of the tribulation which is thus predicted,\nPaul states in II Thes. 2:3 \"Let no man deceive you by any means: for\nthat day ('the day of the Lord') shall not come, except there come a\nfalling away first, and that man of Sin be revealed, the son of\nperdition,\" thus showing that the tribulation precedes the day of the\nLord; and in Rev. 19 that day is seen to be the termination of the\ntribulation, which is previously described in that book. This period of\ntribulation is, therefore, to come before the Kingdom Age, and to be\nended by the glorious appearing of Christ, the King.\n\nAgain, the tribulation is to come after the true Church has been\nremoved; for it should be remembered that the true believers are to be\nsaved _out_ of the \"hour of trial which shall come upon the earth to try\nthose that dwell therein\" (Rev. 3:10), (the believer, being a citizen of\nthe heavenlies is, therefore, not included among those who dwell in the\nearth). This aspect of the Lord's return is often misunderstood. He\ncomes first, not to the earth, but into the air to meet His Bride and\ngather her to Himself; both those that are sleeping and those that are\nawake: \"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,\nwith the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead\nin Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be\ncaught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:\nand so shall we ever be with the Lord\" (I Thes. 4:16, 17). This phase of\nhis coming is, and has been, imminent since the promises of his return\nwere given; and it is for this particular preliminary event that the\nChurch is taught to hope and pray, for it will be the time of her\nrapture and blessedness. As has been before stated, the utter\ndissolution of humanity is latent in the unregenerated heart (Rom.\n3:10-18), and its own tribulation only awaits this removal of all Divine\nrestraint. It is, therefore, both Scriptural and reasonable to conclude\nthat tribulation will instantly begin upon the earth after the first\naspect of the return of Christ when He comes _for_ His Church.\n\nThus it may be seen that this period of unsurpassed trial upon the\nearth, when the blasphemous claims of Satan and man are to be proven and\nGod's testimony is to be vindicated, is bounded by the two events in the\nSecond Coming of Christ: when He comes _for_ His saints (I Thes. 4:16,\n17), to gather to Himself His heavenly people, and when He comes _with_\nHis saints (Rev. 19:11-21) to be the complete fulfillment of all the\ncovenants of God with His earthly people.\n\nThe actual duration of this period is marked off in Daniel 9:24-27:\n\"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to\nfinish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make\nreconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness,\nand to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.\nKnow therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the\ncommandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the\nPrince shall be seven weeks, and three score and two weeks: the street\nshall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after\nthe three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for\nhimself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the\ncity and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and\nunto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm\nthe covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he\nshall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the\noverspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the\nconsummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.\"\n\nThere are three distinct periods of time here indicated. First: Seventy\nweeks between the time of the vision, and the age of \"everlasting\nrighteousness\" and anointing of the most Holy; or, from the time of the\nvision, to the earthly kingdom of Christ, which is yet future. Second:\nSixty-nine weeks; beginning to reckon from the same time, or from the\ncommand of the King of Babylon to restore Jerusalem, and continuing unto\nthe death of Christ, which is referred to as the \"cutting off of the\nMessiah.\" And lastly: One week, for the overspreading of abomination and\nthat which is determined to be poured upon the desolate.\n\nHistory fortunately interprets the time here indicated: for, from the\ncommand of the King to rebuild Jerusalem, to the death of Christ was 483\nyears, or sixty-nine weeks of seven years each. This leaves but the one\nadditional week of the seventy before the bringing in of the everlasting\nrighteousness. That one week is here described as the time of most\nterrible desolation and overspreading of abomination, when the people\nare under a covenant with another prince. This present age is as a\nparenthesis in Jewish history and, as no account is made of it in these\nreckonings, the last unfulfilled week (seven years) of the seventy,\nbefore the kingdom is established upon the earth, must be the time\nbetween the gathering out of the Church--an event which completes the\npurpose of this parenthetical age--and the final bringing in of the\nkingdom.\n\nThe last period of seven years of desolation is, however, to be\nshortened, according to the words of Christ: \"For then shall be great\ntribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this\ntime, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened,\nthere should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days\nshall be shortened\" (Matt. 24:21, 22). It should be noticed that this\nperiod cannot be confused easily with any other, for it is referred to\nas the time more terrible than any other that has ever been, or ever\nwill be (Dan. 12:1; Joel 2:2; Matt. 24:21, 22).\n\nReference has been made at length to the tribulation period in order to\nmake clear the exact conditions in which the Man of Sin is to appear;\nfor this mighty world-ruler makes his advent in those days of earth's\ndarkness and gloom when all the light of God has been withdrawn, and the\nworld is left in its own helpless confusion. He appears in the\ntribulation as the agent of Satan after that mighty head of the Satanic\nsystem has been cast out of heaven into the earth (Rev. 12:7-12). The\ntime of the destruction of the Man of Sin is also revealed in that it is\nmentioned as one of the events in the glorious coming of Christ (Dan.\n2:44; 7:11-14; II Thes. 2:8; Rev. 19:20). He, therefore, appears as the\nculmination of the Satanic effort, and a careful study of his person and\ncharacter will reveal the fact that he is the most stupendous work of\nSatan in his enmity against God.\n\nIn connection with the time of the Man of Sin, it is also to be noted\nthat the believer is not directly warned against his person, but is,\nrather, warned against the conditions that are to prevail as a\npreparation for his coming. This is due to the fact that the true\nbelievers are to be gathered to their Lord before that \"Wicked one\"\nappears, and they are, therefore, only in danger of being influenced by\nthat which precedes and prepares for his coming. His description is set\nforth at length only in such passages as deal with the whole and final\ndevelopment of the age.\n\nIt should also be remembered that the description of this person, like\nthat of the person and work of Satan, is from the standpoint of the\nholiness of God; and that which the world will hail as its glorious\nideal of perfection is, in God's sight, the personification of\nrebelliousness, blasphemy, and treason.\n\nThe order of the governments and rulers of the world in this Gentile age\nis revealed to Daniel in visions which are recorded and interpreted in\nthe book of Daniel. In these visions the Man of Sin appears as the\n\"little horn\" of Dan. 7 and is the last and most God-dishonoring\nworld-ruler. He also later appears as the \"desolator\" of Dan. 9:27; the\n\"willful King\" of Dan. 11:36; the \"abomination of desolation\" of Matt.\n24:15; the \"Man of Sin\" of II Thes. 2:4-8; the rider on the white horse\nof Rev. 6:2; and the first Beast of Rev. 13. His identity is certain,\neven though he appears under various figures and titles; for he, like\nSatan, is so unique in his character, time, and undertakings, that he\ncannot be confused easily with any other.\n\nIn Daniel 2 the order of the kingdoms is set forth by the figure of the\ngreat image which, at the last, is suddenly and violently shattered by\nthe \"stone cut from the mountain without hands\": which Stone is Christ,\nthe Corner Stone; and the Stone which the builders rejected. The feet\nand toes of this image are said to be the last manifestation of human\ngovernment, and it is this part of the image that is violently shattered\nby the Stone. Of this termination of earthly rule it is recorded in Dan.\n2:44, 45: \"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up\na kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be\nleft to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these\nkingdoms, and it shall stand forever. For as much as thou sawest that\nthe stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake\nin pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the\ngreat God hath made known to the King what shall come to pass hereafter;\nand the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.\"\n\nFrom this chapter it may be seen that the setting up of the Messianic\nKingdom is to be both sudden and destructive to all human governments,\nand that it is in no way the result of an age of development and\nprogressive improvement.\n\nIn Dan. 7 the Man of Sin appears, as has been stated, as the \"little\nhorn\" among ten horns; which, like the ten toes of the great image,\nindicate the extreme end of human authority and power. In this vision\nthe latter end of the kingdoms of the earth is seen to culminate in the\none most daring ruler, the \"little horn\", who has \"a mouth speaking\ngreat things\" and whose look is more imposing than all others; and he it\nis who makes war with the saints and prevails over them until the coming\nof the Ancient of days. The inspired interpretation of the vision is\ngiven in Dan. 7:23-27: \"Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the\nfourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and\nshall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in\npieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall\narise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from\nthe first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great\nwords against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most\nHigh, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into\nHis hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the\njudgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume\nand destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the\ngreatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the\npeople of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting\nkingdom, and all dominion shall serve and obey Him.\"\n\nIn Dan. 11 the reign of the Man of Sin, the willful king, is prophesied\nin detail; and the fact is stated that the reign and the blasphemous\nattitude of this last great ruler are both in the purpose of God. A\nportion of this remarkable passage is here given: \"And the king shall do\naccording to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself\nabove every God, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of\ngods, and shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished: for that\nthat is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his\nfathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall\nmagnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the God of\nforces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold,\nand silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he\ndo in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall\nacknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule\nover many, and shall divide the land for gain.\" This last verse is more\nclearly translated \"and he will practice in the strongholds of\nfortresses with a strange god; whoso acknowledgeth him will be increased\nwith glory; and he shall cause them to rule over the many, and shall\ndivide the land to them for a reward\" (Dan. 11:36-39).\n\nBeside the collossal disregard for God, this passage presents several\nimportant revelations. First: The expression \"the God of his fathers\"\nwould seem to indicate that the Man of Sin would come from a lineage of\nChristians. Second: His disregard for the desire of women is evidence of\nhis hatred of the true Messiah; for this reference is probably to the\ndesire of every Jewish woman to be the mother of Messiah. Third: Those\nwho acknowledge the strange god, (Satan), whom he honors, will be\nprospered, and the land will be divided unto them and he will give them\nauthority and glory.\n\nIn the New Testament the Man of Sin is described as \"the one who comes\nin his own name,\" whom men will receive (Jno. 5:43); \"that man of sin,\"\n\"the son of perdition\" (II Thes. 2:3); \"that Wicked _one_\" (II Thes.\n2:8); and the \"beast\" (Rev. 13:1), and to him Satan gives all the power\nand glory he offered to Christ (Lu. 4:5, 6). Of the many references to\nhim, two passages deal with him at length. In the first (II Thes.\n2:1-10), his coming is mentioned as directly following the removal of\nGod's present restraint from the earth; and in the second (Rev. 13:1-8),\nas has been shown, his coming is said to directly follow the casting of\nSatan from heaven into the earth (Rev. 12:7-12), and continues until the\nglorious appearing of Christ, which is described in Rev. 19 and 20.\n\nThe former passage (II Thes. 2:1-10) is as follows: \"Now, we beseech\nyou, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our\ngathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be\ntroubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as\nthat the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means:\nfor that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and\nthat man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and\nexalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so\nthat he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is\nGod. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these\nthings? And, now, ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in\nhis time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now\nletteth (restrains) will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then\nshall that Wicked (one) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with\nthe spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his\ncoming; even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all\npower and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of\nunrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the love\nof the truth, that they might be saved.\"\n\nIn this passage it is predicted of this mighty person that he will\nassume to be very God, \"sitting in the temple as God,\" and winning the\nworship of the multitude by his miraculous power, signs, and lying\nwonders; deceiving all who perish, and who would not receive the love of\nthe truth that they might be saved.\n\nStill another and more striking description of this person is given in\nthe second passage just mentioned (Rev. 13:1-8): \"And I stood upon the\nsand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven\nheads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads\nthe name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a\nleopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the\nmouth of a lion: and the dragon (Satan) gave him his power, and his\nseat, and his great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were\nwounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world\nwondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon (Satan) which\ngave power unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is\nlike unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was\ngiven unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power\nwas given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his\nmouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and his\ntabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to\nmake war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him\nover all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the\nearth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life\nof the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.\"\n\nThe first, and, it would seem, most important thing that is stated of\nthis being in this Scripture is that one of his heads was, as it were,\nwounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed. Some have claimed\nthis to be a reference to a previous political defeat followed by\nreinstatement to power. The expression is, however, most suggestive and\nsignificant as an attempt on the part of Satan to imitate, in the Man of\nSin, that which was the supreme miracle of the Christ--His death and\nresurrection. The effort is plainly effective; more so than a mere\nshifting of political fortune could possibly be; for the statement\nfollows: \"All the world wondered after the beast who had received the\ndeadly wound and yet lived.\" After they wondered, they worshipped. First\nthey worshipped Satan, who performed the mighty miracle; and then they\nworshipped the beast, saying, \"Who is like unto the beast? who is able\nto make war with him?\" The terrible blasphemy of the Man of Sin has been\nemphasized in all Scripture references to him, and is here still more\nvividly pictured.\n\nThe time he is to continue is said to be forty and two months, which\nwould be one-half the tribulation period; and this statement is probably\nnot at all figurative. By his overwhelming supernatural power and wisdom\nhe gains authority over every living thing in the Satanic system,\nexcepting those recorded in the Lamb's book of life. These are not\nbrought under his governing power.\n\nThe latter part of the chapter presents still another mighty person, who\nis also called a \"beast,\" but later appears as the false prophet (Rev.\n19:20); and who exercises all the power of the first beast, and\nreceives his power from the dragon, Satan. Much is said of this second\n\"beast,\" but his mission is in no way to attract attention to himself.\nHe co-operates in gaining world-wide worship and authority for the first\nbeast, whose deadly wound was healed. The second beast seems to deal\ndirectly with the people and by his mighty signs and miracles, as well\nas by his authority, he compels loyalty to the first beast. Fire is\ncalled down from heaven; and a dumb idol is made to speak and live. He\nis able to establish a union of all people in trade, imposing a death\npenalty upon them. And by all these means he furthers the interests of\nthe first beast. The Scripture here referred to is as follows: \"And I\nbeheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns\nlike a lamb, and he spake as a dragon (Satan). And he exerciseth all the\npower of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them\nwhich dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was\nhealed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down\nfrom heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that\ndwell on the earth, by the means of those miracles which he had power to\ndo in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth,\nthat they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a\nsword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the\nbeast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as\nmany as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And\nhe causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to\nreceive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no\nman might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the\nbeast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath\nunderstanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a\nman; and his number is Six hundred three score and six\" (Rev. 13:11-18).\n\nThere is a deep suggestion, in the person of this second beast, of a\ncounterfeit of the Holy Spirit of God. He who came not to speak of\nHimself, but to glorify Christ and to unite all believers; leading them\nin worship and praise. This second beast is probably identical with\n\"Anti-christ,\" who appears under that title only in the writings of\nJohn, and who is there seen as the consummation of a long succession of\nfalse religious teachers who have denied the Christ and His sacrificial\nwork.\n\nWhen the testimony of all Scripture upon the Man of Sin is considered,\nhe is seen to be a person whose superhuman power is plainly ascribed to\nSatan. He appears upon the scene, after the removal of the heavenly\npeople and during the great tribulation, as the climax of all Satanic\nexaltation and opposition to God. He is the last and greatest of earthly\nrulers, and, from his position of unsurpassed influence, speaks great\nwords and manifests great wisdom. He is externally religious, and the\npromoter of great righteous projects and principles which in God's sight\nare only hypocrisy and blasphemy because of the subtle Christ-denying\nmotive which prompts it all. His hold upon the public mind is by a\nprocess which is natural. Great miracles are performed by himself and by\nhis prophet,--fire is called down from heaven; a dumb idol is made to\nspeak and live; and he himself has been wounded to death and yet lives.\nBy such supernatural works his assumption to be very God is accepted,\nand he becomes the world's ideal of all that is supreme. The people are\nsaid to first marvel and wonder; then to worship at his feet; and at\nlast, in mad devotion, they challenge the universe to produce his\nequal--\"Who is like the beast?\" they cry. He has been wounded to death\nand yet lives; he performs as great miracles as the world has ever seen;\nhis teachings are based upon Scripture; and he must, therefore, be God\nmanifest in the flesh. His wisdom, beauty and majesty are a seeming\nwarrant for every element of adoration.\n\nThus the Man of Sin will appear as the culmination of all the\ncounterfeit methods of Satan; which method had its beginnings in the\nlast days of the age, even before the calling away of the true Church,\nthe Body of Christ. The subtle doctrines of devils will be adopted as\ncreeds in assemblies and so called churches, and these deep things, with\nthe Satanic ambition for moral improvement, will be voiced by ordained\nministers who appear as apostles of Christ and ministers of\nrighteousness. Yet in God's sight it is all a deep lie and hypocrisy,\nfor they are distorting His truth and subtly denying His redemption.\n\nAll this, as has been stated, is but the Satanic preparation of humanity\nthat they may wholly acknowledge him as their god, and that he may\nhimself become like the Most High. This program is permitted in the\npurpose of God, for \"that that is determined shall be done\" (Dan.\nII:36). It will be only for a moment; for the resistless coming of the\n\"Ancient of Days\" will unveil all this deception, banish the enemies,\nand bring in His own long-predicted and glorious reign of everlasting\nblessedness upon the earth.\n\n\n\n\nChapter IX.\n\nThe Fatal Omission.\n\n\nTo some extent it has been necessary to anticipate the subject of this\nchapter in dealing with those counterfeits which are predicted for the\nlast days, when there will be found a \"form of godliness, denying the\npower thereof,\" and also the deep \"doctrines of devils\" which are \"lies\nin hypocrisy.\" This chapter deals with that which is so vital in the\ntrue faith, and which is to be so carefully omitted in the false; that\nwhich makes the true so potent, and without which the false becomes an\nimmeasurable deception. Everything depends upon this one point of\ndistinction; for, according to prophecy, it is the only difference that\nis finally to exist between the false and the true. The issue is,\ntherefore, as important as life itself.\n\nIt has already been seen that the method of counterfeiting, if\nsuccessful, will require Satan to appropriate and incorporate in his\nfalse systems every available principle of the true; for the deception\nof the counterfeit depends wholly upon its likeness to the real. Herein\nis revealed the reason for calling that a lie or deception which is\nexternally so like the truth. Certainly there could be no greater\npitfall for souls than a system which seems to be the truth of God, and\nyet robs its followers of any basis for a true hope, and it will be\nfound that the most terrible condemnation of Scripture is uttered\nagainst such systems and their promoters.\n\nIn seeking to discover the actual point of difference between the false\nand the true, it will be well, first, to consider the present perverted\nrelation which exists between the Creator and the fallen human creature;\nfor herein is revealed the necessity of that which God proposes to\naccomplish by redemption.\n\nTwo important points in Satan's doctrine were announced by him in the\nGarden of Eden when he first approached the woman, and these two\ndeclarations kave been an important part of the world's creeds\nthroughout the history of man. The first was a bold denial of a positive\nstatement of God, when Satan said: \"Ye shall not surely die.\" Whether\nSatan intended here simply to deny the truth of God's statement, or\nwhether he overestimated his own resources and proposed to shield them\nfrom their God-appointed doom, is not clear. Certainly the latter view\nis in keeping with Satan's original purpose, as well as with his evident\nsincerity. It is quite reasonable to conclude that, if he could be so\nmisguided as to attempt to be like the Most High, he would willingly\nhave undertaken to protect man from judgment which followed as a result\nof loyalty to himself. Satan is striving, at any rate, to direct the\nlives of those who are under his power into a degree of self development\nthat will be a substitute for the revealed purpose of God for men.\n\nThe second announcement of Satan assured the woman that they would, by\nthis independent action, \"be as God;\" and this, so far from promising\ndeath, seemed to them the immediate realization of the highest human\nideal. It was undoubtedly the original purpose of God in creation that\nhumanity should eventually become like Himself. By what process of\ndevelopment this was to have been accomplished, had not sin entered, has\nnot been revealed. It is enough to know that even after man had fallen\nfrom his high estate through sin, this Divine purpose was not abandoned,\nthough the problems involved were immeasurably increased: and now,\nthrough the unsearchable riches of His grace, the realization of that\nwhich surpasses all human dreams has been made possible, even to fallen\nand polluted man.\n\nThe consummation of the transforming work of God is thus described: \"For\nwhom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate to be conformed to the\nimage of His Son\" (Rom. 8:29). \"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and\nit doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall\nappear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is\" (I Jno.\n3:2). \"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also\nappear with Him in glory\" (Col. 3:4). \"Now unto him that is able to keep\nyou from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of\nHis glory with exceeding joy\" (Jude 24). \"For our citizenship is in\nheaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who\nshall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed\nto the body of his glory, according to the working whereby He is able\neven to subject all things unto Himself\" (Phil. 3:20, 21 R.V.).\n\nIt is natural that Satan should suggest to humanity that which had been\nthe object of his own unholy ambition; and especially is it natural,\nsince by such a separation of humanity from its God, he could claim that\nauthority over them, and secure that worship from them, which he so much\ncraved.\n\nThere are, then, at least two distinct methods proposed for the\nuplifting of humanity, and these are brought into sharp contrast; for\none is of Satan, and the other is of God. Since both these methods claim\nto aim at the same end--though one ideal is not worthy to be compared\nwith the other--the method, alone, forms the first point for discussion.\n\nUnder the Satanic control, man has always been strangely influenced in\nthe matter of his relation to his Creator. He, too, has been willing to\nassume a hopeless position of independence toward God; and, under that\nabnormal relation, he has gone out alone to grope his way; blindly\nseeking to build his own character, and by education and cultivation to\nimprove his natural heart, which God has pronounced humanly incurable.\nHe has also bent his inventive skill to the development of means by\nwhich God-imposed labor may be avoided; and much of his selfish greed\nsprings from a desire to purchase a substitute who shall bear for him\nthe discomfort of a sweating brow. \"God is not in all his thoughts;\" nor\nhas he any disposition to claim the help of God upon the terms upon\nwhich it is offered. The Satanic method for life prompts him to become a\ngod by a process of self-help and development of the finite resources.\n\nIt is very possible and natural to introduce much of religious form into\nthe world system of self-help; for there is a great field for religious\nexercise for the one who is attempting to make himself Godlike, and\nthere is endless material for supplication and prayer that all available\nassistance may be secured to aid one in that humanly impossible task. A\ndevout spirit is, therefore, a natural part of the Satanic doctrine, and\nthe predicted \"forms of godliness\" will naturally appear.\n\nThere is a vast difference between an individual supplicating God to\nsave him: and one supplicating God to help him save himself. The latter\nis a natural part of the Satanic plan and has no promise of Divine favor\nupon it. All such religious exercise, though full of outward forms and\ndeep sincerity, leaves its moral aspirants doomed, alike with the most\ndegraded, to as everlasting separation and banishment from the presence\nof God: \"which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and\nhumility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the\nindulgence of the flesh\" (Col. 2:23 R.V.). Such prayer and religious\npractice do not really place the saving work in the hands of God, but\nmockingly ask Him to give His sanction and assistance to that which\nwholly dishonors and really disregards Him, and which is also both\nunreasonable and impossible.\n\nThough the process by which unfallen man would have reached a higher\ndevelopment has not been revealed, it is certain that he would have been\nthen, as now, wholly dependent upon the Creator. Man's present\nindependence toward God is the blindest delusion of the fallen nature;\nfor complete independence cannot even be assumed in the least of all\ntemporal things: how much less is it possible in that which is\nspiritual!\n\nAgain, the self-saving principle is utter folly, since God must demand\na quality which no human can present. God's requirement is not\nunreasonable, however, for He also proposes to bestow, in grace, all He\never demands. The absolute holiness of God demands no less than holiness\nin all who are acceptable to Him; yet He has never mocked man by asking\nhim to make himself acceptable, or even to attempt to do it by Divine\nhelp. True salvation is wholly a work of God. It is said to be both a\nfinished work and a gift, and, therefore, it lays no obligation upon the\nsaved one to complete it himself, or to make after payments of service\nfor it; though the saved one is called upon to serve from another and\nmore glorious motive.\n\nThe Divine terms of obtainment into Godlikeness are clearly stated in\nthe Scriptures; but the hopeless estimate God has placed upon human\nnature at its best, and the logical necessity that man shall receive, as\na gift, all that he has, and be forever a debtor to the Divine\ngiver,--these things have always been rejected by self-sufficient and\nSatan-inspired humanity. These terms are the only possible or reasonable\nrelations that could rightfully exist between fallen humanity and its\nCreator. Here Satan has blinded the minds of the lost lest they should\nbelieve, and he has made that which is reasonable and natural seem to be\nunreasonable and unnatural. They are unable to abandon their\nSatan-inspired sense of self-sufficiency and independence of God and\nreceive from Him, as a gift, every possession commendable in His sight.\n\nThe controversy between Satan-ruled man and God is one of method;\nwhether it shall be one of self-righteousness and character building:\nor one of bestowed righteousness and character by the fruit of the\nSpirit. Will man try to save himself: or humbly submit to being saved by\nAnother? Will he try to conform himself to what little he knows to be\ngood and true: or will he be transformed by the power of God into that\nwhich is no less than the image of Christ? Will he present the sacrifice\nof a sincere effort to be moral and religious: or accept the\nGod-provided sacrifice for all sin, in the shed blood of Christ? Will he\ntry to establish himself before God on the ground of his own works: or\nrest in the finished work of Christ for him? Will he try to improve his\nfallen nature: or partake of the Divine nature and become a Son of God\nby the power of God, through faith in Christ Jesus?\n\nOne method, it may be seen, depends wholly upon self for its\nrealization; promises glory to man alone; and has its origin at that\nunknown time when Satan proposed in his heart to become like the Most\nHigh. The other method is dependent upon God alone, and, therefore,\ndemands an attitude of faith toward him for its realization. It issues\nin glory to the Creator, Who alone is worthy to be praised. The latter,\nin contrast with Satan's method, had its origin in the purpose of God,\nwhich He purposed before the foundation of the world. Therein,\ntranscendent blessings are offered; stores of grace are unfolded; and\nthe omnipotent power of God is seen working for the transformation of\nHis human creatures. These two methods are confused only because they\nseem to aim at the same general result. In reality their results, like\ntheir methods, are not only incomparable, but they are as far removed\nfrom each other as God's ways are higher than man's ways.\n\nThe revelation of God in regard to salvation might have been limited to\nthe fact that He, rather than man, was to accomplish the work; and while\nmuch that is involved in the mighty undertaking of redemption has not\nbeen, and probably cannot be, reduced to the level of human\nunderstanding, He saw fit to reveal much that was necessary, on both the\nGodward and the manward side, in providing this way of salvation. No\nhuman conception of the atonement is complete, yet, as the\nall-sufficient sacrificial death of Christ is clearly stated in\nScripture, its value, though unanalyzed, may be appropriated; for man is\nnot saved by what he comprehends or understands, but his salvation is\nmade possible by his attitude of willingness and expectation toward the\ntransforming power of God.\n\nIn determining the exact point of the truth that is to be omitted from\nthe Satanic counterfeit, it is important to distinguish between the\n_Person_ and _work_ of Christ. In the one is included His teachings and\nexample, both in His life and death: in the other is included His\nsubstitutionary, sacrificial, and atoning death for the sin of the\nworld. There is no controversy as to the value of the teachings and\nexample of Jesus; but the wisdom of this world is displayed in\never-increasing antagonism against the blood of the Cross. This enmity\nhas never been founded on the Word of God, for Scripture does not deny\nitself. The opposition appeals to pride and human reason, and dares to\nchallenge the plain statements of Scripture on this particular point.\nVery much is thus omitted; for all the meaning of sacrifice in the Old\nTestament and all the promises of redemption in the New Testament, are\ninseparably related to the blood of the Cross. It may be to the Jew a\nstumbling block, and to the Greek foolishness; yet to those who are\ncalled, both Jews and Greeks, \"it is the power of God and the wisdom of\nGod.\"\n\nIn Ephesians, the eternal purpose of God is said to be the complete\nperfection of souls: \"According as He hath chosen us in Him before the\nfoundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before\nHim in love\" (1:4). And that transformation is also said to be by the\nblood of Christ: \"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the\nforgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace\" (1:7). In\nlike manner the object of this transformation is said to be that the\nChurch may be the present and eternal manifestation of the wisdom, love\nand power of God: \"To the intent that now unto the principalities and\npowers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold\nwisdom of God\" (3:10). \"That in the ages to come He might show the\nexceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ\nJesus\" (2:7). \"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to\nusward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which\nHe wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at\nHis own right hand in the heavenlies\" (1:19, 20).\n\nThere is also a strong contrast of figures used in the Old Testament\nwhich accurately emphasizes the mighty power of the Creator in the\nregeneration of a soul. In Psalm 8:3 the creation of the solar system\nis mentioned as the work of the _fingers_ of God: \"When I consider Thy\nheavens, the work of Thy _fingers_, the moon and the stars, which thou\nhast ordained,\" but in Isa. 53:1, where the substitutionary sacrifice of\nChrist is referred to, it is spoken of as the effort of the Creator's\n_arm_: \"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the _arm_ of the\nLord revealed?\" The suggestion here given, that the creation of a\nuniverse is the work of His fingers, and the regeneration of souls is\nthe work of His mighty arm, is not overdrawn; for the price of\nredemption cannot be measured by corruptible things, such as gold and\nsilver: but is purchased at the price of the precious blood of Christ,\nas of a lamb without blemish and without spot (I Pet. 1:19).\n\nThe Scriptures abound in statements that regeneration, and the whole\ntransforming work of redemption, are accomplished on the ground of the\nsacrificial blood of the Cross; and if these statements of Scripture are\nrejected, the discussion never can be one of interpretation of\nScripture, but becomes a question of the authority of the testimony of\nthe Bible. A few of these passages are here given: \"Surely He hath borne\nour griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken,\nsmitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our\ntransgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of\nour peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like\nsheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the\nLORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all\" (Isa. 53:4-6). \"Even as\nthe Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to\ngive His life a ransom for many\" (Matt. 20:28). \"Behold the Lamb of God,\nwhich taketh away the sin of the world\" (Jno. 1129). \"Whom God hath set\nforth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood\" (Rom. 3:25). \"But\nGod commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,\nChrist died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we\nshall be saved from wrath through Him\" (Rom. 5:8, 9). \"For He hath made\nHim to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the\nrighteousness of God in Him\" (II Cor. 5:21). \"Who gave himself for our\nsins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according\nto the will of God and our Father\" (Gal. 1:4). \"And every priest\nstandeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,\nwhich can never take away sins: but this man, after He had offered one\nsacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from\nhenceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. For by one\noffering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified\" (Heb.\n10:11-14). \"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree,\nthat we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose\nstripes ye were healed\" (I Pet. 2:24). \"For Christ also hath once\nsuffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to\nGod, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit\" (I\nPet. 3:18). \"And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours\nonly, but also for the sins of the whole world\" (I Jno. 2:2).\n\nFrom the foregoing passages it may be seen that, according to the\nScriptures, the stupendous transformation of regeneration is not only\nthe greatest Divine undertaking, but is directly accomplished by the\nsacrificial death and shed blood of Christ, and is sealed in security by\nthe Holy Spirit of promise.\n\nThe sacrificial death of Christ presents the only gateway for fallen man\nfrom the power and final doom of Satan to the glory and transcendent\nlight of God; and there is nothing strange in the Satan-inspired\n\"offence of the Cross\" which is often garnished with culture, worldly\nwisdom, and religious forms. Even in Paul's time there were those who\nwere enemies of the Cross of Christ: \"For many walk, of whom I have told\nyou often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of\nthe cross of Christ\" (Phil. 3:18). These were evidently recognized\nleaders in the Christian fellowship, who were undoubtedly ardent\nadmirers of the _Person_ of Jesus, as revealed in His earthly life and\nexample: yet Paul does not hesitate to mention his own tears at the\nfatal omission in their preaching; for they were enemies of the _Cross_\nof Christ.\n\nAgain, it is predicted in II Pet. 2:1, 2 that a fierce enmity against\nthe Cross should appear: \"But there were false prophets also among the\npeople, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily\nshall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought\nthem, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow\ntheir pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil\nspoken of.\" Here again the denial is against the purchase or redeeming\n_work_ of Christ rather than His Person or character. They are offended\nat the Lord who _bought_ them, though they may be devoted to the Lord\nwho _taught_ them. These Satanic agents are here, as before, described\nas those who seem to be teachers in the true faith, yet they bring in\ndamnable heresies, in all covered subtlety, which crystallizes in a\ndenial of the redemption that is in Christ. Being only blinded\nunregenerate men, they may suppose themselves to be ministers of\nrighteousness and apostles of Christ; their humanitarian dreams may\ninspire tireless effort and zeal; their doctrine may become world-wide\nin its influence; and they may drive their mighty ecclesiastical\nmachinery by the injunctions of Scripture: yet if the curtain could be\nlifted, their \"angel of light\" would be found to be Satan; working\nthrough them to resist the purpose of God; and themselves the ministers\nof Satan; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared as\nwith a hot iron, daring in their exalted position to devitalize the\nGospel of its power unto salvation, and dragging immortal souls after\nthem into hell.\n\nIt is not strange that there is resentment against the mystery of the\nCross which does not exist against any other inexplicable fact in the\nworld. It is not strange that the ministers of Satan, appearing as the\napostles of Christ and ministers of righteousness, should fortify their\nlies and hypocrisies by contending for every phase of revealed truth;\ngrounding their authority so positively in the Scriptures of truth: yet\nsubtly omitting, or violently denying, the one and only point upon which\nthe interests of God and Satan divide. It is not strange that there is a\nwide call for a \"restatement of the truth,\" which usually proposes to\nomit the new birth and substitute self-effort to be good, and character\nbuilding, in its place. It is not strange that the wise and cultured of\nthis world feel their aesthetic natures shocked by the blood of the\nCross, yet entertain no sense of their own abhorrent pollution in the\nsight of the infinitely holy One. It is not strange that the world\nassumes to have advanced beyond that which is repeatedly said to be the\nmanifestation of the wisdom of God; branding as bigots, insincere, or\nignorant, all who still hold to the whole testimony of God. It is not\nstrange that the atonement by blood is omitted, for it is Satan's hour\nand the power of darkness, and the true child of God must patiently bear\nthe ever-increasing reproaches of his crucified Lord, until the glory\ndawns and the shadows flee away.\n\n\n\n\nChapter X\n\nModern Devices.\n\n\nIt has been the privilege and duty of the Church throughout her history\nto be looking for the return of the One to whom she has been espoused.\nHad her eyes never wandered from that expectant gaze, she would have\nbeen saved much sorrow and shame at His coming, for she has lost her\nScriptural character and much of her witnessing power whenever she has\nsaid \"My Lord delayeth his coming.\" It is then that she has fallen to\nbeating the manservants and the maidservants, and has become drunken\nwith the wine of this world.\n\nTrue devotion to Christ must naturally issue in a deep desire to be with\nHim and to see Him face to face; and though it is quite possible to have\nbeen misled or untaught in regard to the conditions of His coming, the\ncontemplation of such a promise from Him can but kindle a glowing hope\nin a truly devoted heart. It is a direct contradiction to claim supreme\naffection for Him, and yet be careless of His promised return, or wholly\ncontented while separated from Him. The world, that cannot comprehend\nsuch devotion to Christ, will easily chide the believer, and denounce\nhim for what they now call his \"other worldness\" when his affections are\nset on things above, \"where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God,\"\nand when his heart rejoices in the certain hope that \"when Christ, who\nis our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in\nglory.\"\n\nIt was necessary for Satan to rob the Church, to a great extent, of her\n\"blessed hope\" of Christ's return, before he could attract attention to\nhis own attempts at world improvement, and establish his own authority\nas ruler over this age. Expectation along the God-appointed lines must\nbe abandoned, for the most part, before humanity can be federated, and\nreligious institutions be made to co-operate in the Satanic program.\n\nThis vital key-truth of the imminent return of Christ was, therefore,\nfirst discredited, and then followed by an attack upon the deity of the\nSon of God and His sacrificial death; which attack is ever increasing,\nand must increase to the very end. The body of truth concerning the\nLord's return is so extensive that there have always been some humble\nand devout souls who have dared to believe His promises, and thus the\nreal Church, to some extent, her watch has been keeping.\n\nThe mighty tool in Satan's hands for the destroying of the hope of\nChrist's coming has been a simple one: zealous souls have been found\nwho, ignoring the statements of Scripture, would attempt to fix the day\nof His coming. Then, as their prophecy failed, the world and many in the\nChurch have laughed them to scorn. Unfortunately they came to laugh also\nat the very promise of God, saying, \"Where is the promise of his\ncoming?\" and in so doing they have fulfilled some of the very things\nthat are predicted for the end of the age: \"Knowing this first, that\nthere shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own\nlusts (desires), and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for\nsince the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the\nbeginning of creation\" (II Pet. 3:3, 4). Thus Satan's authority is being\nestablished.\n\nThe exact time of Christ's return has not been revealed; nor will it be\nannounced by a prophet. Nevertheless, the \"children of light and the\nchildren of the day\" \"are not in darkness that that day should overtake\nthem as a thief\" (I Thes. 5:4,5). It is their privilege to rejoice in\nevery promise of His coming, and to recognize every new indication of\nHis nearness, as eagerly as the betrothed awaits her beloved. The true\nbeliever's glory, as well as his union with loved ones in Christ, is\nimminent, and by faith he can look beyond the days of the earth's\ngreatest anguish, and, seeing the triumph of all blessedness, he can\nrejoice in the hope of His Lord's coming, and be praying, \"Even so,\ncome, Lord Jesus.\"\n\nIt is, therefore, impossible to know how much of time yet remains for\nthe gathering out of the Bride and the development of Satan's rule; yet\nit is evident that within the last generation the exact fulfillment of\nthose things which are predicted for the last days has begun, and is\neven now developing faster than the mind can comprehend.\n\nNot all the signs of the times have a place in these pages, but only\nsuch as are directly connected with the working of Satan.\n\nSince the blood redemption of the Cross is the central truth and value\nof the true faith, it being the \"power of God unto salvation\" (Rom.\n1:16; I Cor. 1:23, 24), any counterfeit system of doctrine which would\nomit this essential, must force some secondary truth into the place of\nprominence. Any of the great Scriptural subjects which are of universal\ninterest to humanity, such as physical health, immortality, morality, or\nreligious forms, may be substituted in the false systems, for that which\nis vital. And while those subjects are all found in their proper\nrelations and importance in the true faith, the fact that people are\nuniversally inclined to give attention to them furnishes an opportunity\nfor Satan to make a strong appeal to humanity through them; using these\nsubjects as central truths in his false and counterfeit systems. Many\nare easily led to fix their attention upon the secondary things, and to\nneglect wholly the one primary thing; especially is this true since the\nsecondary things are tangible and seen: while the one essential thing is\nspiritual and unseen; and Satan has blinded their eyes toward that which\nis of eternal value.\n\nA system of doctrine may, then, be formed which includes every truth of\nScripture save one; exalting the _Person_ of Christ, but not His atoning\n_work_, and emphasizing some secondary truth as its central value. This\nsystem will be readily accepted by blinded humanity, though the real\npower of God unto salvation has been carefully withdrawn.\n\nNaturally it would be supposed that such Satan-inspired systems would\nhave no value or power, since there could be no Divine favor upon them.\nSuch a supposition would be possible only because of the prevailing\nmisunderstanding as to the real power of Satan. If the description given\nof him in Scripture is accepted, he will be seen to be possessed with\nmiraculous power; able to perform such marvels that the whole world is\nled to wonder and then to worship. He is free also to bestow this\nmiraculous power upon others (Rev. 13:2). So it is no marvel if his\nministers, who appear as the ministers of righteousness, are able to\nexert superhuman power when it is directly in the interest of the\nSatanic projects.\n\nThe great power of Satan has doubtless been active along these lines\nduring all the ages past; for it is impossible that humanity should have\nworshipped other gods blindly without some recompense, and it is Satan\nhimself who has been thus worshipped (Lev. 17:7; II Chron. 11:15; Rev.\n9:20).\n\nIt is not final evidence, therefore, that a system of doctrine is of God\nsimply because there are accompanying manifestations of superhuman\npower; nor is it final evidence that the Almighty has responded, simply\nbecause any form of supplication has been answered. The Divine movements\nare, of necessity, limited by the laws of His own holiness, and access\ninto His presence is by the blood of Jesus alone; by a new and living\nWay which was consecrated for us through His flesh (Heb. 10:19, 20).\nAssuming to come before God in prayer, but ignoring this truth, is but\nto insult, with pollution, Him who is infinitely Holy and pure. Satan,\nwho is aspiring to the place of the Almighty, may answer the prayer of\nhis own subjects, even though that prayer is blindly addressed to the\nSupreme Being. Surely the Satan-ruled world does not come before God by\nthe blood of Jesus.\n\nThough false systems of doctrine have always existed, counterfeits in\nhypocrisy are a distinct characteristic of the last days of the present\nage. And it is a most significant fact that within the last generation\nsuch systems have appeared and are rapidly multiplying: systems that\nborrow every phase of the true faith, but one, and are conspicuous in\nthat they emphasize some secondary truth with what seems, at times, to\nbe miraculous power. Multitudes are being won to these creeds, both\nbecause of their apparent religious aspect, and by the actual results\nthey accomplish.\n\nThere is probably no subject of more universal interest than that of\nphysical health; and but recently \"Christian Science\" has appeared,\nwhich chiefly emphasizes physical health. While it gathers into itself\nsome elements that are foreign both to Christianity and to Science, and\nappropriates much from the field of psychology, it assumes to be an\ninfallible interpretation of Scripture, and makes Jesus its highest\nexponent and teacher. Yet it positively denies even the reality of sin\nand the need of Christ's atoning sacrifice. Its followers are won and\nheld by these religious claims, and by the actual physical and mental\ntransformations that are secured. Nothing but ignorance will attempt to\ndeny that, to some extent, its claims are real. That it has assemblies,\nministers, and mysteries deep and profound, and that it is able to\ndemonstrate its claims of physical transformation, does not lift it\nabove the level of Satan's power. That it denies even the need of the\nblood of the Cross, separates it, in spite of its claims, from the God\nof the Scriptures, and brands it with every characteristic of Satan's\ncounterfeit.\n\nAnother subject, already mentioned, which is of common interest to\nhumanity, is immortality. How persistently man has sought to see beyond\nthe veil! And yet how little of fact has been discovered, beyond that\nwhich it has pleased God to reveal in His Word! How strong is the desire\nof the heart to follow the departed into the great unseen! And how\nsubtle is \"Spiritism\" in its election of a phase of the immortality\nquestion as its bait to beguile sorrow-crushed souls into a disregard of\ntheir only hope in the blood of Christ.\n\nThis system has existed from the earliest ages and has the unqualified\ncondemnation of Scripture; yet in the last half-century it has taken new\ninterest and dignity to itself under the modern title of \"Psychical\nResearch.\" With boldest assumption it claims to be the only safe\nexponent of truth, and to be working in the interests of science;\nchanging science being accepted as more trustworthy than revelation. It\noffers as final evidence for its assumptions, what are represented to be\nthe statements of deceased people.\n\nLess is made of the Scriptures in this system: yet here, as might be\nexpected, there is violent opposition to the doctrine of Regeneration.\n\nIt cannot possibly be denied that there is an intelligent response to\nthe human appeal from the Unseen; and messages are being received and\nmysterious acts are being performed with increasing frequency. It\ncannot, however, be proven that this response is from the spirit of the\nperson named, for a lying spirit could easily know enough of any\nperson's life to represent him in every detail. That the whole system\ncould be of Satan is evident, and since it denies man's only hope of\nredemption, it is no part of the real truth of God. It, too, bears all\nthe marks of the workings of Satan.\n\nAnother system of thought called \"New,\" but which is as old as human\nphilosophy, appropriates every phase of metaphysical belief. The central\nidea of the \"New Thought\" is the complete development of man,--body,\nsoul, and spirit. Every possible human power is utilized; there is\nrecognition of the Creator; the Word of God is appropriated in\nconvenient texts; and Christ is claimed by its followers to be the\ncomplete example and embodiment of all their ideals. Newly stated\ntheories of psychology are included in this system, and the whole\nteaching stands as the embodiment of all the ideals of the one who first\nsuggested to humanity that they, by their own efforts, become as God.\nThe system wholly denies Scriptural regeneration, both as to its\nnecessity and as a fact; and is a veritable worship of self, as\npredicted for the last days (II Tim. 3:2). It substitutes the\ndevelopment of the will as a power for victory in the life, in place of\nthe God-provided victory over sin by the Spirit. Its followers seem to\nbe utterly blind to the plainest truths of the Scriptures, and are\nmarvelling at what they suppose to be a discovery; when, perchance, they\nare able to comprehend some secondary truth of the Word of God. This\nsystem, like \"Christian Science,\" numbers its followers by the hundreds\nof thousands. They support many periodicals, and their teachings are\nread and accepted throughout the world.\n\nIn all these doctrines there is included much of the precious truth of\nGod, but this is employed only as a bait to cover the relentless hook of\nSatan, by which he seeks to draw human souls away from God and into\nperdition. Not one positive word is said of the future state of man, or\nof his fitness to meet his God, and any belief in immortality is\nborrowed from the revelation of God; for the systems themselves are\ngiven over to distracting and diverting man from the thought of his need\nof a Divinely wrought preparation for eternity. It is commonly stated by\nthe followers of these systems that it is of little importance what one\nbelieves, for it is the _life_ that counts. Thus the great and necessary\nfact that any true character as well as any eternal blessedness depends\nupon what one believes, rather than on the life, is discredited.\n\nThese systems are mentioned only as examples of the almost innumerable\ndoctrines that are sweeping the world to-day. They often reappear under\nnew and misleading titles. The truth they acknowledge, and many forces\nthey employ, are God's gracious provision for His saints; yet when these\ntruths and forces are used alone, where the real purpose of God is\nskillfully omitted, they become only the hypocrisy that covers and\ngarnishes a lie.\n\nAgain, many are deluded by the emphasis upon the mere outward forms of\nthe visible Church. When these forms are analyzed, they appear to\nrepresent a church ministered to by a recognized ordained minister who\ndepends upon his own personality for his power; and who preaches ethics\nand morality drawn from Scripture texts and other ethical writings.\nPrayers are offered, imploring the Almighty to aid humanity in its\nattempts to commend itself to Him by a more or less faithful practice of\nreligion. The pleasures of music as an art are provided at fabulous\ncost, in place of the praise that is inspired by the Spirit of God.\nSocial gatherings are held, to take the place of the unity of the Spirit\nand the love of the brethren. Humanitarian appeals for the betterment of\nthe world are made, in place of the evangelical regeneration by the\nCross; and not one reference to the real Gospel is made from one year to\nthe next, unless it be in a covered denial. The sleeping congregations\nare seemingly satisfied with a mockery of the truth, and are content\nwith a doctrine that proposes to educate souls into hell, and which\nencourages them to make a few efforts toward self-development while on\ntheir certain road to perdition. It is no longer good form in society to\nbe without some church relations, yet the one and only true basis for\nsalvation may never have been comprehended or accepted by a multitude of\nthese members. Truly the god of this world is accomplishing his end, and\nhis blinded followers are coming to be numbered with the faithful. The\nevil birds are flocking to the mustard tree, and the corrupting leaven\nis permeating the measures of meal.\n\nThe last development of the earth history of the visible Church is\npredicted to be a condition in which the Church is saying, \"I am rich,\nand increased in goods, and have need of nothing.\" The passage\ncontinues, \"and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and\npoor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in\nthe fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest\nbe clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and\nanoint thy eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love,\nI rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand\nat the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I\nwill come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me\" (Rev.\n3:17-20). If Scripture language and figure mean anything, this is a\ndescription of an unregenerate Church over which the Lord is pleading.\nIt is from this Church that He has withdrawn; and is seen outside,\nstanding and knocking. His hope is not centered upon reforming the whole\nmass of professing members; for his offer is to the individual \"any man\"\nwith whom He will then have personal communion and fellowship.\n\nSad is the spectacle of these churches; meeting week after week to be\nbeguiled by the philosophy of men, and raising no voice in protest\nagainst the denial of their only foundation as a church, and of their\nonly hope for time and eternity! Far more honorable were the infidels of\nthe past generation than these ministers. They were wholly outside the\nChurch. But now, behold the inconsistency! Men who are covered by the\nvesture of the Church, ministering its sacraments, and supported by its\nbenevolence, are making an open attack upon that wisdom of God which\nmade Christ Jesus the only ground for all righteousness, sanctification,\nand redemption. The predictions for the last days are thus not only\nbeing fulfilled by false systems and doctrines, but they are found in\nthe visible Church itself. \"For the time will come when they will not\nendure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to\nthemselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their\nears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables\" (II Tim. 4:3, 4).\n\nGreat religious activities are possible without coming into\ncomplications with saving faith. It is possible to be more concerned\nover the untimely death of one hundred thousand drunkards than with the\nChrist-less death of twenty million human beings; or to be wholly\nconcerned with the educational and physical needs of the heathen, and to\nneglect their greatest need in regeneration. Thus Satan may gain his own\nends, even through some so-called missionary undertakings, for in this\nmanner he can beguile untaught saints to limit their work to the lines\nof his highest ideals. It is possible to fight against sin and not\npresent the Saviour; or to urge the highest Scriptural ideals and yet\noffer no reasonable way of attainment.\n\nThere is a strange fascination about these undertakings which are\nhumanitarian, and are religious only in form and title. And there is a\nstrange attraction in the leader who announces that he is not concerned\nwith the doctrines of Scripture, because the helping of humanity is his\none passion and care: yet all his passion is lost and his care is to no\nreal end unless coupled with a very positive message of a particular way\nof Salvation, the true understanding of which demands a series of most\ncareful distinctions.\n\nRecently the word \"pragmatism\" has been brought into popular use to\ndenote the test by which the pragmatists measure all systems, theories\nand doctrines. The pragmatic inquiry when applied to any system, theory,\nor doctrine may be understood to mean, \"does it meet its claims in\npractice?\" Although much is being made of this phase of pragmatism, the\ntest is as old as the race, and verified by Scripture, for Jesus said,\n\"By their fruits ye shall know them.\" However, the burden of testing\nclaims has never before been so great, for the world was never so filled\nwith new and strange theories as now. And these modern systems that deny\ntrue salvation in Christ are growing mightily under this test. They\noffer comparatively little and are usually able to meet their claims.\n\"Christian Science\" does, to some extent, change the condition of mind\nand body. \"Spiritism\" offers a demonstration from the invisible, and the\ndemonstrations appear. \"New Thought\" proposes a development of the whole\nnatural man, and thrives by the practical test of \"pragmatism.\" The same\nis true of all other similar systems and doctrines, and will be true of\nthose that may yet appear, since it is the very program of Satan as it\nis revealed in his last blasphemous counterfeit of the Son of God; for\nit is written in Rev. 13:3, 4 that they first wondered at the miracles\nof the Man of Sin, and then worshipped. Woe to the untaught soul who\nstands wondering to-day at the marvels of this evil age, if he be\nwithout a sense of the importance and value of the priceless blood of\nthe Cross! The step is not far, for such an one, to the place where he\nfalls in worship: worship of a being who is supposed to have forgotten\nabhorrence of sin and abandoned all eternal covenants of mercy by blood\nalone; a being who is supposed to be glad that the world has outgrown\nthe old unbearable estimates of sin and redemption, and into whose\npresence the worshipper is supposed to be free to come on the ground of\nhis fallen human nature, or the \"universal fatherhood of God and the\nbrotherhood of man.\"\n\nWho can be the god of these systems? the energizing power in these\npeople? and the answerer of their prayers? Surely not the God of the\nScriptures, who cannot deny himself, and whose word cannot be made to\npass away! Revelation sets forth but one other being who is capable of\nthese undertakings; and it not; only assigns to this being a great and\nsufficient motive for all such activity, but clearly predicts that he\nwill thus \"oppose\" and \"exalt himself\" in this very day and age.\n\nMuch of the secondary truth is the present inheritance of the child of\nGod: yet, if there is a choice to be made, the deepest wisdom will\nperceive that all the combined secondary values that Satan can offer are\nbut for a fleeting time; and are not worthy to be compared with the\neternal riches of grace in Christ Jesus.\n\n\n\n\nChapter XI.\n\nThe Believer's Present Position.\n\n\nSince the Bible contains God's message to the people of the ages, it\nmust be rightly divided if the body of truth concerning any particular\nage or people is to be clearly understood. There are, undoubtedly, many\nthings in common in the various ages, and, because of that fact, the\nsuperficial use of the Scriptures has been to treat the entire book as a\ndirect message to all people of all time. This method, as has been\nstated, has resulted in great confusion as to the Divine program.\n\nWhen that portion of Scripture which directly applies to the present age\nhas been discovered, that, too, must be divided; for the present time is\na period of mixture among the people of the earth--the saints of God\ntenting among the citizens of the Satanic system, and having nothing in\ncommon with them beyond the ordinary things of this earth life.\n\nAgain, that particular body of truth which applies to the child of God\nin this age may be divided, and a portion be called \"Positional Truth\"\nin that it unfolds the believer's present relation to the Godhead, the\nheavenlies, and the present world; while another may be known as \"Life\nTruth\" in that it is a particular statement of his present\nresponsibility in conduct and service, and also includes the provisions\nof God whereby he may fully accomplish the whole will of God. A partial\nstudy of Life Truth is reserved for the next and last chapter; while\nthis chapter is to be devoted to the believer's present position and\nseparation from the world.\n\nThe importance of Positional Truth is suggested by the fact that, in the\ncontext of Scripture, it precedes the statement of Life Truth; forming\nthe basis of its appeal. As an illustration of this it may be seen that\nthe order of the doctrinal Epistles is first, to state a great\nPositional Truth, which is then followed by an appeal for a life\nconsistent with the truth revealed. The first great section of the book\nof Romans (Chapters 1-8), sets forth the fact of a great and full\nsalvation; this is followed (omitting the dispensational parenthesis of\nChapters 9-11) by the closing section (Chapters 12-16), which is a\ndetailed description of the life a saved person should live, and which\nopens with this appeal: \"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the\nmercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,\nacceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not\nconformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your\nminds, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,\nwill of God.\" So, in the first section of the letter to the Ephesians\n(Chapters 1-3), the believer's position is unfolded, and this is\nfollowed by a section (Chapters 4-6), which is a series of injunctions\nfor a heavenly walk; this section opens as follows: \"I therefore, the\nprisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation\nwherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long\nsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity\nof the Spirit in the bond of peace.\" No appeal for faithfulness in the\nChristian life will be found to be adequate or effective that does not\nfollow this same order, or that is not based upon some great revealed\nfact of the new life in Christ. It is probable that the present neglect\nand disregard for Positional Truth has, in spite of moral exhortation,\nborne its legitimate fruit in a time-serving worldly Church.\n\nIt is a beautiful example of the harmony of the Scriptures that, while\nthe evil of the present age is so-clearly described, the true child of\nGod is most carefully separated from its relationships, and is seen to\nbe in a position so independent of all the authority of the world, that\nhe can walk with the Lord in unbroken communion and fellowship, even\nwhile surrounded by this spiritual darkness. And, though the Scriptural\nstatements as to the ever increasing darkness of this age be rejected,\nno meaning can be given to these passages that separate the believer\nfrom this world, without the recognition of the black background of the\nfailure and sinfulness of this age. It is noticeable that the modern\nsystems take no notice of the difference between the saved and the\nunsaved, as they also make little of the future state. This is in\naccordance with the fact that both of these truths are wholly dependent\nupon regeneration; and that is the one truth these systems are\noriginated by Satan to resist.\n\nThe believer's position is set forth in at least seven positive\nrevelations, three of which concern his change from the darkness of\nSatan to the light of God; two concern his relationship to the heavenly\nsphere; and two concern his relationship to the Satanic order. A careful\nstudy of these important passages will reveal the great reality of\nRedemption.\n\nThe first Divine movement for the salvation of an individual, after the\nprayer of intercession by the Spirit, is illumination by the Spirit.\nThis same work is also mentioned as the \"convicting\" or \"convincing\" of\nthe Spirit. In this part of the Divine undertaking, the blinding by\nSatan is temporarily removed and the soul beholds, by Divine vision, the\nLord of glory and the way into eternal life through Him: but woe to the\nsoul thus favored, who repeatedly turns from that vision in rejection!\nOf such it is written: \"For it is impossible for those who were once\nenlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made\npartakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and\nthe powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them\nagain unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God\nafresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in\nthe rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them\nby whom it is dressed, receiveth blessings from God: but that which\nbeareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose\nend is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of\nyou, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak\" (Heb.\n6:4-9). Here there is pronounced a permanent return to the awful\nblindness of Satan for the one who rejects the illumination of the\nSpirit; but there is also offered an ever-widening of vision and glory\nto the one who accepts the Lord as He is revealed by the Spirit, for he\nthen comes into possession of the \"things that accompany salvation.\"\n\nThis illuminating work of the Spirit is mentioned by Paul in his words\nto King Agrippa, wherein he describes his own commission to service. He\nclaimed to have been appointed by the Lord who spoke to him from the\nGlory. He relates that by this commission he was sent \"to open their\neyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of\nSatan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and\ninheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me\"\n(Acts 26:18). This is the exact order of the Divine movements in\nredemption; the illumination of the Spirit is placed before everything\nelse. There is probably no more neglected truth in modern evangelism\nthan this preliminary work of the Spirit: yet it is the Divine\npreparation for the intelligent action of the human will; and if the\nright choice is made, it unveils the eyes for all the coming ages.\n\nThis important illuminating work of the Spirit is completely described\nin Jno. 16:8-11 as being a revelation of the judgment, by the Cross, of\nall sin and condemnation; the vision of the glorious righteous Christ,\nnow in heaven; and the realization of the sin of rejecting Him. The\npassage is here given: \"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is\nexpedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter\nwill not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And\nwhen he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of\nrighteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me;\nof righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of\njudgment, because the prince of this world is judged.\" The true child of\nGod is, then, one in whom the Spirit has wrought in lifting the blinding\nby Satan and revealing to some extent, even now, the surpassing glory of\nChrist. Sin, too, has become a terrible reality, and the Cross and the\nprecious blood have become the basis of his confidence toward his God.\n\nAnother revelation of the present position of the believer is that he\nhas partaken of the Divine nature through regeneration by the Spirit.\nThis truth is stated in many passages, a few of which are here given:\n\"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons\nof God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of\nblood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God\"\n(Jno. I:12, 13). \"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,\nexcept a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into\nthe kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that\nwhich is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee,\nYe must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou\nhearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and\nwhither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit\" (Jno.\n3:5-8). \"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have\nit more abundantly\" (Jno. 10:10). \"For in Christ Jesus neither\ncircumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature\"\n(Gal. 6:15). \"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but\naccording to his mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and\nrenewing of the Holy Ghost\" (Titus 3:5). \"Therefore if any man be in\nChrist, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all\nthings have become new\" (II Cor. 5:17). \"Whereby are given unto us\nexceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be\npartakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in\nthe world through lust\" (II Pet. 1:4).\n\nThe reality of this mighty transformation is in no way evident in\npresent visible things, but must be accepted by faith. It is no less\nthan a translation from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of Christ,\n\"who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us\ninto the kingdom of his dear Son\" (Col. 1:13). And by it one is said to\nbe delivered from this present evil age: \"Who gave himself for our sins,\nthat He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the\nwill of God and our Father\" (Gal. 1:4), and, also, according to the\nabove passage, \"to have escaped the corruption that is in the world\"\n(Satanic system).\n\nThe new life that is thus imparted is none other than the very life of\nChrist: \"Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of\nhis\" (Rom. 8:9). \"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the\nglory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the\nhope of glory\" (Col. 1:27). \"I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me\"\n(Gal. 2:20). \"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your\nown selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in\nyou, except ye be reprobates?\" (II Cor. 13:5).\n\nThe third great fact of the believer's present position in separation\nfrom this world is that the Holy Spirit is given unto him, at the moment\nof his regeneration, to indwell him, in place of the energizing power of\nSatan who \"worketh\" with energy in the children of disobedience: \"The\nlove of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that is\ngiven unto us\" (Rom. 5:5). \"Now we have received not the spirit of the\nworld, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things\nthat are freely given to us of God\" (I Cor. 2:12). \"What? know ye not\nthat your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye\nhave of God, and ye are not your own?\" (I Cor. 6:19).\n\nAnother phase of the believer's position is revealed in the fact that he\nis said to be a citizen of heaven; his home center or citizenship having\nbeen moved there from the earth. His name would, therefore, appear only\namong the celestial beings, in any true census of the universe. The\nreality of this unseen relationship is brought out in several passages:\n\"For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we wait for a\nSaviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall fashion anew the body of our\nhumiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of His glory,\naccording to the working whereby He is able even to subject all things\nunto Himself\" (Phil. 3:20 R.V.). \"For ye know that if our earthly house\nof this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house\nnot made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan,\nearnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from\nheaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we\nthat are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we\nwould be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed\nup of life. Now He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God,\nWho also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are\nalways confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we\nare absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) we are\nconfident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to\nbe present with the Lord\" (II Cor. 5:1-8).\n\nAgain, as to the believer's position in that which is termed in\nEphesians \"the heavenly _places_,\"--though the supplying of the word\n\"places\" is very misleading. The meaning of the word \"heavenly\" here is\nnot so much of locality as of experience: as is indicated by the use of\nthe same word in other passages where the believer is said to be\n\"heavenly\" in standing and relationship (Heb. 3:1; Eph. 2:6. See also\nMatt. 18:35; Jno. 3:12; I Cor. 15:48).\n\nDr. C. I. Scofield makes the following statement on this important phase\nof the believer's position:\n\n\"The Christian is 'heavenly' by calling (Heb. 3:1), by citizenship\n(Phil. 3:20), by inheritance (I Pet. 1:4) and by resurrection life (Eph.\n2:6), as a member of that body of which the Head is actually in heaven.\nThe heavenly (or 'in heavenly _places_,') therefore, is the sphere of\nthe believer's present association with Christ. This is shown by the\nconstant context, 'in Christ Jesus.' The believer is now associated\nwith Christ in life (Col. 3:4; I Jno. 5:11, 12), position (Eph. 2:6),\nsuffering (Rom. 8:18; II Tim. 2:11, 12; Col. 1:24; Phil. 1:29); service,\n(Jno. 17:18; Matt. 28:18-20), and betrothal (II Cor. 11:1-3).\n\n\"The believer is to be associated with Christ in Glory (Jno. 17:22; Rom.\n8:18; Col. 3:4), inheritance (Rom. 8:17), authority (Matt. 19:28; Rev.\n3:21), and marriage (Eph. 5:22, 33; Rev. 19:1-9).\n\n\"The believer's 'spiritual blessings' (Eph. 1:3), therefore, are to be\npossessed or experienced only as he lives in the sphere of his joint\nlife, joint position, joint suffering, joint service and joint marriage\npledge with Christ. In so far as he lives as a natural man whose\ninterests are earthly, and avoids the path of co-service and (if need\nbe) co-suffering, he will know nothing experimentally of the exalted\nblessings of Ephesians. 'It is sufficient that the servant be as his\nMaster.' Christ took account of Himself as a heavenly Being come down to\nearth to do His Father's will.\" (Scofield Bible Correspondence Course,\nBook 2; page 288.)\n\nThus it may be seen that the believer is not only a citizen of heaven,\nbut that he has also been brought into a position where many privileges\nof the heavenly experience are open to him.\n\nIn like manner, the believer's position in relation to this world is not\nonly a separation from the world by nature and purpose; but he is also\nsaid to be a stranger and a pilgrim among the inhabitants of this dark\nage. \"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy\nnation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him\nwho hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in\ntimes past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had\nnot obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I\nbeseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which\nwar against the soul; having your conversation honest among the\nGentiles\" (I Pet. 2:9-12). The same expression of \"strangers and\npilgrims\" is used, also, in regard to the faith descendants of Abraham:\n\"these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having\nseen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and\nconfessed that they were strangers and pilgrims upon the earth\" (Heb.\n11:13). This same wide difference between the people of this world and\nthe people of God is also stated in passages where the world is\nunderstood to be the system over which Satan now rules: \"He that loveth\nhis life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world\n(Satanic system) shall keep it unto life eternal\" (Jno. 12:25). \"Ye\nadulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the\nworld is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore who will be a friend of\nthe world (Satanic system) is the enemy of God\" (Jas. 4:4). Love not the\nworld (Satanic system), neither the things that are in the world. \"If any\nman love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that\nis in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and\nthe pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the\nworld passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of\nGod abideth forever\" (I Jno. 2:15-17).\n\nThe word \"lust,\" constantly used in description of the Satanic system,\nhas a much larger meaning in the Scripture than its present popular use,\nwhere it refers only to that which is sensual. In these passages quoted,\nit refers to the whole Satan-inspired ambition of humanity, and includes\ntheir principle of self-help, and their struggle for all that, to them,\nis highest and best. It is unlawful, in that it disregards the truth of\nGod; and it is related to that which is physical, because it magnifies\nthe finite being and its resources.\n\nTwo other striking passages concerning the relation of the believer to\nthe world are here given: \"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may\nhave boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in\nthis world (Satanic system)\" (I Jno. 4:17). \"As thou hast sent me into\nthe world (Satanic system), even so have I also sent them into the world\n(Satanic system)\" (Jno. 17:18).\n\nThe last revelation of the believer's position to be mentioned here, is\nin regard to his service for the world. The unbounded love of God has\ncalled him into fellowship with Christ in the great work of this age;\nand in that connection he is under commission to evangelize, by a\nprocess of witnessing, to the uttermost parts of the world. In this\nundertaking he is promised the immediate presence of Christ, to whom all\npower, both in heaven and in earth, has been given (Matt. 28:18-20). The\nlanguage of the inspired Book describes such witnesses as \"Ambassadors\nfor Christ\": \"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did\nbeseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to\nGod\" (II Cor. 5:20). And the ambassador's message is also given in the\nnext verse of the same passage: \"For He hath made Him to be sin for us,\nwho knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him\"\n(we who knew no righteousness).\n\nNowhere does the saint need more direct teaching of the Spirit than in\nregard to the relatioin he sustains to this world. In spite of the\nsimilarity of his earth life to that of the world's people, he must\nreckon himself to be dead in Christ and raised to newness of life.\nExpecting the world to misunderstand him and even to hate him, he must\n\"wisely walk before them who are without.\" He is called upon to \"use\nthis world but not to abuse it;\" and that which is of itself pure and\ngood may become undesirable to him at times, because its use would\nfurther the interests of Satan.\n\nSome have taken the extreme position of assigning to Satan the material\nuniverse and everything that is in the world to-day; not recognizing the\nfact that no material or physical thing is evil of itself. God created\nall things good. Satan has created nothing, and his present relation to\nthe world is only as a permitted usurper who appropriates and devastates\nthe things of God in the interests of his own ambition. He is the\nfile-leader in a great and terrible rebellion against the government of\nGod: but the natural universe, like all the powers of the human mind and\nwill, belongs primarily to God, the Creator; and by title of\ninheritance, they belong also, to the child of God: \"therefore let no\nman glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or\nCephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to\ncome; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's\" (I Cor.\n3:21-23). Yet, since Satan is making use of many good things to cover\nhis evil purpose, the child of God must, for the present, discern the\nhidden evil and, in loyalty to his Lord, reject everything that may\nfurther the workings of Satan. The Scripture is very clear on this\npoint, and discusses one issue as an example of all similar issues. This\ndiscussion in Scripture is of food which of itself is perfectly good,\nbut may be a means of great harm when associated with the purposes of\nevil. The passages are as follows: \"Let us not therefore judge one\nanother any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling\nblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am\npersuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself:\nbut to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.\nBut if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not\ncharitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not\nthen your good be evil spoken of: for the kingdom of God is not meat and\ndrink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he\nthat in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved\nof men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace,\nand things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the\nwork of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who\neateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine,\nnor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made\nweak\" (Rom. 14: 13-21). \"What say I then? that the idol is anything, or\nthat which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But I say, that\nthe things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and\nnot to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.\nYe cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be\npartakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke\nthe Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He? All things are lawful for\nme, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but\nall things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's\nwealth. Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question\nfor conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness\nthereof. If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be\ndisposed to go; whatsover is set before you, eat, asking no question for\nconscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in\nsacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for\nconscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof:\nconscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my\nliberty judged of another man's conscience? For if I by grace be a\npartaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?\nWhether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the\nglory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the\nGentiles, nor to the church of God: even as I please all men in all\nthings, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they\nmay be saved\" (I Cor. 10:19-33).\n\nThe question becomes a practical one, in view of the present progress\nin discovery, science, and psychology. A theory must not be rejected\nbecause it is new or mysterious; for the marvelous inventions of the age\nare often as useful in spreading the Gospel as in furthering the\ninterests of Satan. The newly acquired knowledge of the universe may be\nas valuable to the progress of good as to the advancement of evil.\n\nThere can be but one final test as to what shall be accepted and what\nshall be rejected, and that must be made by the individual alone before\nGod (Rom. 14:22). In connection with any such question we may ask, \"Is\nthe real work of redemption hindered, or its true basis rejected? Is\nthis a direct denial of the truth, by which souls will be hindered, or\nis it a counterfeit which may decoy them away from their only hope in\nthe priceless blood of the Cross?\" Beyond this, a child of God may\nsafely be \"all things to all men that he may save some.\"\n\nThe Christian can see more of beauty in the world, make larger use of\nits learning, and more fully appreciate its good, than can the children\nof this age: yet he must now, above all things else, be content with his\nlimited commission, and be jealous of the interests of his Lord and\nKing. Much of his present perplexity would be relieved if he could but\nrealize that he is temporarily tenting where an enemy rules, and where\nhe is the object of that enemy's fiery darts, yet hedged about by the\nomnipotence of God; called to bear the one message of redemption by the\nCross, in the capacity and hidden dignity of an ambassador from the\nthrone of the Most High; even now possessing a glory which shall soon\nbe unveiled in the presence of his Lord; waiting that morning when his\nLord shall come again and receive him unto Himself.\n\n\n\n\nChapter XII.\n\nThe Believer's Present Victory.\n\n\nAn exalted position is usually accompanied with great responsibility.\nThis is certainly true, according to Scripture, in the case of the\nbeliever in his heavenly position. For when he is seen as a citizen of\nheaven, and a partaker of those associations, he is also required, both\nby Scripture and by reason, to \"walk worthy of the calling wherewith he\nis called.\" The statement of these heavenly demands upon the child of\nGod forms a distinct body of truth, and there are at least three such\nbodies of truth in Scripture, each appearing as a rule of conduct for\nsome special people in some particular time. The Mosaic Law was given\nprimarily to God's ancient people through Moses; but it has a message\nstill, as it reflects the holiness of God and prepares for the salvation\nwhich is in Christ. So the \"Sermon on the Mount,\" with the injunctions\nof John Baptist, and the early teachings of Christ were given with the\ncoming kingdom age in view and, therefore, form an important revelation\nin regard to that time when \"all shall know the Lord from the least unto\nthe greatest.\" Though there are some common principles running through\nall these separate teachings, that Scripture which applies directly to\nthe people of this parenthetical age of the Church will be found only in\nportions of the Gospels and in the Epistles of the New Testament.\n\nNo appreciation of the provisions of God for a victorious life can be\nhad until the demands which the believer's position imposes are\nrealized. These demands are in no way the standards of the world, for\nthe believer is not only a citizen of heaven in position, but is called\nupon even now to fulfil all the standards of that sphere. As an\nillustration of this fact, a very few of these heavenly ideals and\ninjunctions are given here: \"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the\nmercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,\nacceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service\" (Rom. 12:1).\n\"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for\nthis is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.\" \"Abstain from\nall appearance of evil\" (I Thes. 5:16-18, 22). \"But the fruit of the\nSpirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,\nmeekness, temperance: against such there is no law\" (Gal. 5:22, 23). \"I\ntherefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of\nthe vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness,\nwith long suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep\nthe unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace\" (Eph. 4:1-3). \"And grieve\nnot the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of\nredemption\" (Eph. 4:30). \"Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding\nwhat the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is\nexcess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms\nand hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart\nto the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father\nin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ\" (Eph. 5:17-20). \"Wherefore take\nunto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the\nevil day, and having done all, to stand\" (Eph. 6:13). \"If ye then be\nrisen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ\nsitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above,\nnot on things on the earth\" (Col. 3:1, 2).\n\nThese requirements are evidently heavenly in character, and demand\nnothing less than that which is becoming to that sphere. They are,\ntherefore, beyond human strength; for what human power is able to \"give\nthanks always for all things\"? Or to avoid grieving the Holy Spirit? Who\ncan be filled with the Spirit, or rejoice in tribulation? In fact, these\ndemands are often treated as impractical ideals, rather than present\nrequirements; while in reality they are binding on every child of God.\nTo fail in them at any point, will not unsave one (Ps. 130:3; Rom. 4:5);\nbut that failure will profane the heavenly citizenship, dishonor God in\nwhose grace he is standing (Rom. 5:2), and give the enemy occasion to\naccuse the brethren before God; for Satan judges the Christian on the\nbasis of the heavenly ideals rather than the standards of earth. No one\ncan contemplate these impossible responsibilities without a sense of\nutter helplessness and insufficiency.\n\nAgain, the believer must not only meet the impossible demands of a\nheavenly position, but he is called upon to face a world-ruling foe,\nwho, with all his kingdom and power, is seeking to break and mar that\nlife into which the Divine nature has been received. The revelation\nthat Satan is going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour,\npresents a truth that should disarm the believer of all self-confidence\nand cause him to dread, above all things else, the subtle devices of\nthis foe. In this connection Eph. 6:10-12 may well be restated:\n\"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put\non the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the\nwiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood,\nbut against the principalities, against the powers, against the world\nrulers of this darkness, against the spiritual host of wickedness in the\nheavenlies.\" In view of this opposition of Satan, it is still more\nevident that the requirements of the Christian life are beyond any human\npower.\n\nSo, also, there is a fallen human nature within the child of God, which\nis prone to dishonor God, and is itself beyond the control of the human\nwill. This important and much misunderstood truth is taken up at length\nin Rom. 7:14-25: \"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am\ncarnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I\nwould, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that\nwhich I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it\nis no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in\nme (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing: for to will is\npresent with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For\nthe good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I\ndo. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin\nthat dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good,\nevil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the\ninward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law\nof my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in\nmy members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body\nof this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with\nthe mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of\nsin.\"\n\nThis battle between the old nature and the new is, then, never gained\nfor God by human power or by religious exercise: but through Christ\nalone.\n\nThus the believer is confronted with a threefold impossibility as he\ncontemplates his heavenly responsibility. First: The heavenly position\ndemands a manner of life that is beyond any human possibility. Second:\nThe enemy is stronger than he, and can thwart every resolution. Third:\nHis own fallen nature entices him to do positive evil when he would do\ngood. Notwithstanding this threefold impossibility, there is a clear\ncall to a victorious life, wherein every thought is brought into\ncaptivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ (II Cor. 10:5), and if he\nfails by one degree, he will dishonor the God who has called him.\n\nWhere, then, is the relief from this dilemma? It is found only in the\npower of God. He has provided a complete salvation from the dominion and\npower of evil, which is a real victory--the only victory for the\nbeliever in this present life and conflict. It is a second form or tense\nof salvation, for it is possible to be saved from the condemnation and\npenalty of sin, and still for a time to be under its dominion and power.\nSalvation from the power of the world, the flesh, and the devil, may be\nsecured as freely and completely as the salvation from the penalty of\nsin, and on the same terms; yet its terms and conditions are so unlike\nthe methods of the world that often it seems unreal, even to Christians.\n\nNo instructed person expects to be free from condemnation, or justified\nbefore God, by virtue of his moral character; nor can there be freedom\nfrom the power of sin by virtue of the resolutions of the human will.\nThough the Christian life is impossible to human strength, it is within\nthe power of God; and He offers to supply all that He requires, even to\na completely victorious life. Since it is necessarily a Divine\nundertaking, the human part can be no more than an attitude of\nexpectation or faith toward God,--an attitude which reckons self to be\nhelpless, and God alone to be sufficient. It is a perpetual realization\nof the principle of faith and, therefore, at every point, contradicts\nSatan's principle of self-help.\n\nHere, as in every human effort to be God-like, Satan's ideals and\nmethods are so thrust upon the world that the natural dependence of the\ncreature upon the Creator is made to seem a weak and unreasonable thing.\nThis worldly mind has found a place in the Church and to a large extent,\nin spite of the teachings of Scripture; and it is often as difficult to\ninspire true expectation toward God in the Christian mind in the matter\nof daily victory, as it is to move the self-righteous and\nself-sufficient sinner to believe on Christ for regeneration.\n\nTrue dependence upon the sufficiency of God is thus born of a vision of\nthe utter inability of the natural man to meet the demands of the\nheavenly citizenship. The world citizen may wrestle against flesh and\nblood to realize his moral ideals: but he has no heavenly standards to\nfulfill; no mighty foe to face; and no conflict of natures. Therefore,\nhis low ideals may often be reached by virtue of his own resolution and\nwill. Especially will this method be adequate for the unregenerate, as\nthe energizing power of Satan is working in him to cause him both to\nwill and to do the purpose of Satan (Eph. 2:2): but the faith principle\nis the only possible way to victory for the child of God; and it must be\nfaith alone.\n\nAs the soul may be eternally lost, while calling upon God to help him\nsave himself: so the saint who only seeks the assistance of God in the\nexercise of his own power toward a correct manner of life, may be a\ndishonor to God constantly. The principles of faith and of works can no\nmore be mixed in the one case than in the other. They both present human\nimpossibilities and, therefore, demand the power of God. The Scriptures\nare clear on this point, both in precept and example:\n\nFirst: The power of God is the believer's sufficiency in meeting the\nheavenly demands: \"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and\nto do of his good pleasure\" (Phil. 2:13). \"Not that we are sufficient of\nourselves to think anything as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of\nGod\" (II Cor. 3:5). \"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his\ngrace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more\nabundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was\nwith me\" (I Cor. 15:10). \"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit,\nare ye now made perfect by the flesh?\" (Gal. 3:3). \"Finally my brethren,\nbe strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might\" (Eph. 6:10). The\nlatter passage is but the natural culmination of the whole revelation of\nthe believer's citizenship and its responsibilities. Therefore, the\nfinal counsel is to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.\n\nSecond: The conflict with the enemy can be a victory only by the power\nof God. A remarkable revelation is given in the Scriptures of the\nattitude of the angels toward Satan, and this attitude can well be\nconsidered by fallen man. In Jude 9, Michael, the archangel, is seen in\ncontroversy with Satan over the body of Moses. There is no revelation as\nto the time or the occasion of this controversy. It is stated that Moses\nwas buried in secret and was later seen in his transfigured and\nglorified body, so that it is possible that the removal of the body of\nMoses from the domain of Satan was the occasion here referred to. The\npassage is as follows: \"But Michael, the archangel, when contending with\nthe devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against\nhim a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.\" In like\nmanner in II Pet. 2:10, the false teachers of the end of this age are\nsaid to disregard the heavenly powers (evidently evil) which angels dare\nnot do. \"But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of\nuncleanness, and despise dominion. Presumptuous are they, self willed,\nthey are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which\nare greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against\nthem before the Lord.\" There is probably a just regard, on the part of\nthe angelic beings, for the fact that Satan is the \"anointed\" of God\n(Ezek. 28:14). As David would not lift up his hand against Saul because\nhe was the \"Lord's anointed\" (I Sam. 24:6). Christ is said to be\nanointed (Ps. 2:2); so also is the believer (I Jno. 2:27). But it is\nalso shown here that the superior wisdom and strength of even Michael,\nthe archangel, and all other celestial beings, is never lifted in\nconflict with Satan. They rely only upon the same power that is promised\nthe believer, and well may the believer be instructed by their example.\n\nThere are two passages where the child of God is directed to resist the\ndevil. The context, however, in both passages warns him that it must be\nin utter dependence upon the power of God. He must be wholly submitted\nto God and it must be done through a steadfastness of faith. The\npassages are as follows: \"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the\ndevil, and he will flee from you\" (Jas. 4:7). \"Be sober, be vigilant;\nbecause your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,\nseeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith\" (I Pet.\n5:8, 9). And the faith principle is mentioned among the believer's armor\nin Eph. 6:16 as the \"shield of faith\" by which all the fiery darts of\nthe enemy are to be quenched.\n\nThird: True character may be realized by the power of God, in spite of\nthe tendency of the fallen nature. This character, however, is that\nwhich is directly promised by the power of God: \"But the fruit of the\nSpirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness,\nfaith, meekness, self control\" (Gal. 5:22, 23). \"For the fruit of the\nSpirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth\" (Eph. 5:9). \"Ye\nare of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is\nhe that is in you, than he that is in the world\" (I Jno. 4:4). Thus the\ntrue God-honoring character is seen to be the result of the power of\nGod, and it is only possible to the one who has \"ceased from his own\nlabors and has entered into rest.\" \"This is the victory that overcomes\nthe world, even our faith\" (I Jno. 5:4). This victory demands a constant\nexercise of faith. Faith is never finished here, and any true progress\nin the Christian life is \"from faith to faith,\" and it is also said of\nthe one whom God has constituted just, that he shall \"live by faith.\"\n\nThe same objection is often raised against the application of the faith\nprinciple as a means to the consummation of a victorious life, as is\nraised against the same principle for regeneration. In this objection it\nis inferred that when this method is adopted, there is no adequate\nincentive or motive left for the individual. Such objections arise from\na misunderstanding of this truth.\n\nIt is useless to undertake the impossible in any case; and in the matter\nof salvation from the penalty of sin, the only work which it is possible\nfor God to accept as the ground of redemption is that which is already\nundertaken and fully completed by Christ on the Cross. By this finished\nwork the believer is provided with a perfect standing before God, and is\nraised to the exalted position of an ambassador for Christ. That\nprivilege of service does not affect the grounds of his salvation, but\nopens to him the glorious possibility of rewards (I Cor. 3:9-15). In the\nmatter of salvation from the power of sin, the human will may be\nemployed as an instrument through which the power of God may be\nmanifested. The following passages reveal how directly He proposes to be\nthe real power in the believer's life: \"For it is God which worketh in\nyou both to will and to do of his good pleasure\" (Phil. 2:13). \"For\nthough we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: for the\nweapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the\npulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high\nthing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing\ninto captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ\" (II Cor.\n10:3-5). \"I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me\"\n(Phil 4:13). \"For apart from me ye can do nothing\" (Jno. 15:5).\n\nIt is assumed that the believer has recognized the perfectness of the\nwill of God and has thrown his whole being open to His power and\nguidance. As a little child may avail himself of the wisdom and\nexperience of his parents through obedience, so the believer has become\nwilling to do whatever the infinite wisdom and love of God may choose\nfor him. When thus committed to the will of God, and in true faith\ndepending on Him, the mighty power of the Spirit will work in him and\nthrough him to the glory of God. \"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit,\nand ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh\" (Gal. 5:16). \"For the\nlaw of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law\nof sin and death\" (Rom. 8:2). Salvation in any form is, therefore, \"not\nof works, lest any man should boast.\"\n\nIt remains to be seen, in view of the perilous position of the believer\nin the enemy's land, that God has not only provided every needed force\nfor conquest and victory, but has given positive promises for the\nsecurity of the one He has received on the ground of the shed blood of\nChrist, \"Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and\nabout all that he hath on every side?\" (Job 1:10). \"My Father, which\ngave them me, is greater than all; and no man (nothing), is able to\npluck them out of my Father's hand\" (Jno. 10:29). \"There hath no\ntemptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful,\nwho will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will\nwith the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to\nbear it\" (I Cor. 10:13). \"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's\nelect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is\nChrist that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the\nright hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall\nseparate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or\npersecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is\nwritten, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted\nas sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than\nconquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither\ndeath, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things\npresent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other\ncreature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in\nChrist Jesus our Lord.\"","title":"Satan","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":43302}