Be
self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour. 1
Peter 5:8
As we move farther on and mount
higher up in the Christian life we may expect to encounter greater difficulties
in the way and meet increased hostility from the enemy of our souls. Though
this is seldom presented to Christians as a fact of life it is a very solid
fact indeed as every experienced Christian knows, and one we shall learn how to
handle or stumble over to our own undoing. Satan hates the true Christian for
several reasons.
One is that God loves him, and
whatever is loved by God is sure to be hated by the devil.
Another is that the Christian,
being a child of God, bears a family resemblance to the Father and to the
household of faith. Satan's ancient jealousy has not abated nor his hatred for
God diminished in the slightest. Whatever reminds him of God is without other
reason the object of his malignant hate.
A third reason is that a true
Christian is a former slave who has escaped from the galley, and Satan cannot
forgive him for this affront.
A fourth reason is that a
praying Christian is a constant threat to the stability of Satan's government.
The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of
God. Satan never knows from what direction the danger will come.
Who knows when another Elijah
will arise, or another Daniel? or a Luther or a Booth? Who knows when an
Edwards or a Finney may go in and liberate a whole town or countryside by the
preaching of the Word and prayer? Such a danger is too great to tolerate, so
Satan gets to the new convert as early as possible to prevent his becoming too
formidable a foe.
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